DOCSLIB.ORG

CONVERSATION with RUSKIN Celebrating the Bicentenary of John Ruskin's Birth by Hideyuki Sobue

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CONVERSATION with RUSKIN Celebrating the Bicentenary of John Ruskin's Birth by Hideyuki Sobue Touring Solo Art Project CONVERSATION WITH RUSKIN Celebrating the Bicentenary of John Ruskin's Birth by Hideyuki Sobue FINAL REPORT Section Project Overview ・・・・・・・ 3 Outline of the Activity ・・・・・・・ 7 Analytics Overview ・・・・・・・ 9 Aims and Objectives ・・・・・・・ 10 What I Learned... ・・・・・・・ 11 Feedback ・・・・・・・ 14 2 Project Overview was the 200th anniversary based on materialism. We humans are facing a grave crisis of of John Ruskin’s birth. An identity as we ask, “What does it mean to be human?” in the 2019art critic, artist, writer, era of advanced AI. educator, social thinker and philanthropist, he was one of the most influential voices in Victorian England and beyond. Bearing the above in mind, I produced a portrait of John As a Japanese artist based in the Lake District, where Ruskin Ruskin as the main work in this exhibition. I portrayed chose to live for 28 years prior to his death, I have been the Victorian thinker in a horizontal double-vision image, intrigued by his legacy in art and sustainability, which comprising two identical portraits overlapping each other. provided an ideological foundation for the Pre-Raphaelites, By carefully determining the distance between two images, the Arts and Crafts movement and the National Trust. Ruskin I attempted to promote a visual illusion so that the portrait was also the first Slade Professor of Fine Art at the University can be seen as a single image in another dimension, of Oxford, where he established the Ruskin School of Art. emerging from the surface of the support. It is a paradoxical approach, achieved by stimulating a visual illusion. However, In preparing for this project, I aimed at delving into it is designed to amplify the mystery of human existence the spirituality of John Ruskin. His message about the by raising questions about the distance between the visible importance of art, nature and human spirituality resounds and invisible, physical and spiritual; the abstract concepts ever louder in our advanced technological society. I believe that only belong to humanity. In this way, I attempted to that it is appropriate to reexamine these aspects considering create a platform of conversation regarding whether our the fact that we live in an age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), mind, soul and spirit exist, or they are nothing but multi- where the human mind/ soul/ spirit is in danger of being complex electric and chemical processes in our brain. It may interpreted as merely chemical and electronic processes also reflect Ruskin’s spiritual conflict with regard to his own faith. I planned to depict him as a foreseer (in a way, like one of the ancient prophets), and as the spiritual guardian of Lakeland and beyond in a period of ecological and existential crisis. Hence the title, "Conversation with Ruskin (Ecce Homo)". The Latin phrase “Ecce Homo” means “Behold the man!”, and was the statement of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea in the 1st century, when he presented 3 a scourged Jesus Christ to accusers shortly before his Crucifixion. I didn’t mean to identify Ruskin with Christ but rather attempted to present him as a man of sorrow, who could foresee the negative legacies of modernization, the world to come that we are now facing. With a teardrop in his right eye, I emphasized his emotional state, and moreover, symbolized the dignity of humanity for which Ruskin strived. Among all animals, only humans shed emotional tears. For this reason, “Ecce Homo” seemed to me to be the most appropriate title for this portrait. Alongside this portrait, I produced a series of works on the theme of nature, which John Ruskin stressed to learn from for his art practice. He wrote in “Pre-Raphaelitism”, advising young English artists, "They should go to nature in all singleness of heart, and walk with her laboriously of his excellent draughtsmanship as an artist but also a and trustingly, having no other thought but how best glimpse of the broad scope of his academic studies. I was to penetrate her meaning; rejecting nothing, selecting fascinated by Ruskin’s focus on objects, which reminds nothing, and scorning nothing." When I looked into me in style of Japanese traditional painting. Moreover, his Ruskin’s original drawings during my research at The Ruskin way of seeing, manifested by his drawing, seems uniquely (Lancaster University), I found myself extremely interested similar to Japanese traditional art on the theme of nature, in his penetrating gaze when studying objects, scenes, and which reveals a holistic ideology through depicting things his natural surroundings. It was a profound experience as minimally as possible. I also found myself intrigued to of discovery that his drawings are not only the evidence note that there are similarities between Ruskin’s drawings and my works on nature. He often produced drawings of natural objects such as stones, wildflowers, leaves, clouds, etc. for his scientific approach to understanding the holistic natural environment. When Ruskin drew clouds, for instance, it reflected his insight on air pollution. I also often produced and still love to produce works on the same subjects; however, my approach is rather the exploration of the meaning of human condition by means of the 4 image. Visual images are deemed to be far more ambiguous than text, and are inevitably open to free interpretation by viewers. “Round Stone”, on one hand, seemingly depicts a stone such as those I found in my daily life. However, I drew it as round as possible deliberately so that it looks like the moon. As you know, 2019 was the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing by Apollo 11. In the other work, “Storm Cloud”, I attempted to suggest the giant cloud of a devastating explosion. Our civilization is threatened by weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear bombs, which Ruskin could never have imagined. In this way, I wanted to show the passage of time since Ruskin was alive. After all, it is humans who embrace and treasure all living things, and at the same time destroy them by their own hands. This overwhelming contradiction corresponds to Ruskin's human fundamental tool of creativity, namely drawing and tormented state of mind when he resisted the torrent of painting through the metaphor, symbol, and referentiality of the first industrial revolution. Now we are facing the fourth visual language. For example, when I portray fallen leaves, industrial revolution. insignificant wildflowers, pebbles or stones, they are the metaphors of the anonymous majority of people across the This project, apart from drawing, was completed employing globe. When I paint small insects, I refer to the symbolic meanings in art history. When I draw sheep, cattle or other domestic animals, I look at the relationship between human and livestock along the line of the idyllic landscape throughout history. Bearing this in mind, I have produced a series of works focusing on observations of nature, each portraying the essence of what I have personally experienced in the Lake District, looking into the history and life of this unique landscape. They are not a mere collection of nature-themed works but I attempted to assemble a semiotic series of natural subjects focusing on Ruskin's love for nature and his passion for conservation, sensing the passage of time up to now and into the future. In this series, I produced a couple of works that demonstrate the ambiguity of the 5 my unique brush hatching method using Japanese sumi ink and acrylic, which I created and have developed over the past 15 years. It is inspired by the concept of designo, which was established in the Florentine School during the Renaissance, combined with neurological studies, which reveal that the human visual brain perceives objects predominantly by oriented lines. This series of paintings features gold backgrounds, created using acrylic gold paint inspired by the Japanese traditional painting style, which can be seen in fusuma-e (sliding door paintings) and byobu-e (folding-screen paintings). In this way, I attempted to embody a quest for the spirit and legacy of John Ruskin. Painted, sculpted or photographed in his lifetime and since by many artists, none I know of has approached the challenge of portraying Ruskin quite like Hideyuki. In a single image he manages to “bring forth Ruskin’s power, intensity, suffering and sensitivity with extraordinary clarity. Nor is Ruskin an object of contemplation. This is the face of a soul that urgently wishes to communicate with us. He inhabits the room and reaches out to us. Howard Hull Director of the Brantwood Trust ”6 Outline of the Activity n my initial proposal, I planned to produce 6 paintings to the adult workshop was over quota and 20+ participants including John Ruskin’s double-vision portrait and all enjoyed learning my original line hatching technique. I5-6 drawings including a drawing of John Ruskin. Due to the popularity of the exhibition at the Blue Gallery in However, due to a restricted schedule I changed the plan Brantwood, which was held immediately after the first major to produce 1 large double-vision portrait of Ruskin, 12 Turner exhibition at the same location, the director of the smaller nature-themed paintings and 1 drawing of Ruskin. Brantwood Trust decided to prolong the exhibition period This decision proved right in that I was able to deliver all until 17th November. The exhibition was featured in local works on time. Although the double-vision portrait of media such as the Westmorland Gazette and Cumbria Life Ruskin titled “Conversation with Ruskin (Ecce Homo)” was Magazine. produced as the principle work of the project, I believe that the 12 nature-themed small works matched it conceptually The dates for the tour to The Ruskin at Lancaster University and technically, and were appropriate for celebrating the was confirmed in late August 2019, and the exhibition bicentenary of Ruskin’s birth.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} on Art and Life by John Ruskin History of the Victorian Art Critic and Writer John Ruskin
    Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} On Art and Life by John Ruskin History of the Victorian Art Critic and Writer John Ruskin. Ruskin200.com is no longer available here. Please visit ruskinprize.co.uk/manchester instead. Who Was John Ruskin? John Ruskin was undoubtedly a fascinating character, one of the most famous art critics of the Victorian era. His many talents included philosophy, philanthropy, and writing. His books spanned many genres, including geology, myths, and literature. Ruskin's Personal Life. Ruskin had a complex personality and today would be described as bipolar, as he often suffered bouts of depression. For long periods, the state of his mental health rendered him powerless to do anything. His first relationship was a failure. He was said to be disgusted by his wife's body, leading to a divorce on the grounds of consummation not having happened. A second love affair was marred by tragedy as the object of his affections died of anorexia at the age of 27. Ruskin's Books. A prolific writer, Ruskin, published several important works on a great many subjects. His first volume of Modern Painters was a very influential piece, written when he was only 24. His alternative views on popular artists brought him to the attention of the art establishment. The Stones of Venice was published in 1851 and discussed Ruskin's love of Venice and its architecture. His beliefs that the classical style represented a need to control civilisation are still studied today. There is much to learn about John Ruskin, and there is a museum dedicated to him, located in the Lake District.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ruskin Society
    APPENDIX Ruskin Society Partial list of lectures Key:- M: Manchester B: Birmingham Lon: London Liv: Liverpool U: Ruskin Union A: Ambleside G: Glasgow All dares in the form dd.mm.yy *Indicates publication in Saint George. Lectures published separately are listed in the Select Bibliography. This list of lectures has been compiled from extant lecture lists, notices, newspaper reports, and other published and manuscript records. Where entries can be cross-referenced, the fullest information has been given. No attempt has been made to standardize the form in which names of speakers have been given, however, and the list should be used in conjunction with the full explanatory context given in Chapter 4. Date/ Lecture Title/Description Speaker Society 15.01.79 M Inaugural R. Bailey Walker 05.02.79 M Readings from Modern Painters Francis Pullen 28.02.79 M Reading at Charlestown Mutual Improvement Society Francis Pullen 05.03.79 M Short Address [Manchester Reference Library] Charles Rowley 26.03.79 M Endeavour Mutual Improvement Society Francis Pullen 02.04.79 M General readings Bailey/Pullen/Walker/Doyle 07.05.79 M Ruskin and his critics W. E. A. Axon 13.06.79 M Mechanical Industry Francis Pullen M The Three True Causes of Industrial Depression: A. H. Mackmurdo 22.09.79 M 1. The Land and the People 23.09.79 M 2. Usury 24.09.79 M 3. Our Metallic Currency 08.10.79 M Ruskin and Restoration T. H. Hall Caine 28.10.79 G John Ruskin; his life and works William Smart 05.11.79 M Natural Adornment E.
    [Show full text]
  • John Ruskin: Prophet of the Anthropocene
    John Ruskin: Prophet of the Anthropocene Paper Titles and Abstracts John Ruskin and the Green New Deal, Or a Brief History of Zombies, Gothic Architecture, and the Great Recession Amy Woodson-Boulton, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA Just before the financial collapse of 2008, thinkers in the United States and Great Britain articulated the idea of a “Green New Deal” that would have used a combination of government investment and carbon trading to lower CO2 emissions. In the wake of the Great Recession, British and American conservatives prevented any substantive legislative progress, first embracing austerity and then an increasingly nationalist populism. In the last several years, however, politicians and economists on the left in both countries have revived the idea, this time with much broader goals of social change. This paper considers this new, ambitious Green New Deal in relation to John Ruskin’s penetrating social critique. I argue that Ruskin’s work clarifies the connection between economics and morality: namely, if we want to create human systems that are ecologically and socially sustainable, we need to first and foremost stop treating human beings as machines. Considering the global environmental history that separated saving “pristine nature” from promoting social justice, I will examine how Ruskin gives us the language and framework to re-unite them. “The Real Science of Political Economy”: John Ruskin and Economics after Neoliberalism Eugene McCarraher, Villanova University The discipline of economics is in crisis. Scholars and politicians have criticized economists for failing to predict the last two major recessions, and some economists themselves are beginning to question the very conceptual foundations of their “science.” At the same time, although neoliberalism remains the predominant wisdom among the political, corporate, and journalistic elites, its abject failure has galvanized intellectuals and popular movements to seek alternatives.
    [Show full text]
  • JOHN RUSKIN and the HILLSIDE CLUB Tim Holton It’S Not by Mere Chance That the Berkeley Hillside Club Maybeck
    Issue 13 (2013) <www.guildofstgeorge.org.uk> WHAT WOULD RUSKIN SAY? Stuart Eagles As a student of Ruskin’s worldwide reach, it is tempting State, religion and politics, would surely have chimed to see him lurking in every shadow. One must with his perpetual challenge to hypocrisy, especially in necessarily be sensible and cautious. Yet one does find its Establishment form. In this case, the head of the him in unlikely places. Among the joys of the past year, Church where the protest took place is a former KGB and of every year, has been the making of new friends. spy, appointed by his old colleague, Putin. Putin was One, Ksenia, who lives in Minsk in Belarus, told me then the ex-President and current Prime Minister that she read Ruskin’s Crown of Wild Olive at school. She seeking re-election and utilising the Orthodox Church is now a student of Arabic, and has opened to me some for his own political propaganda. One can only imagine sources of interest in Ruskin in the Arab world. There what scorn Ruskin would have poured on that. And on are a surprising number of translations of Ruskin in Putin’s successful re-election as President! Chinese, at least one in Romanian, many in Czech, and So, too, the noble words of an Archbishop of many more in dozens of other languages. Ruskin’s Canterbury, taking on the forces of Usury in the twenty- writing continues to have impact all around the world, first century. Ruskin could not fail to join in this chorus, and this issue of The Companion reflects that, with pieces nor to miss the opportunity to berate the Church itself by Russian, Italian and five different American writers, for its more than embarrassing investment in the as well as a review of a French translation.
    [Show full text]
  • Lawson Park, Coniston, Cumbria, England, LA21 8AD Registered Charity No 1076662 Telephone 015394 41050
    Lawson Park, Coniston, Cumbria, England, LA21 8AD Registered Charity no 1076662 Telephone 015394 41050 www.grizedale.org Grizedale Arts Field Trip A week of drawing in the Lake District Coniston Grizedale Arts is a public arts organisation based in the Lake District National Park. It has a 40 year history of working with artists in the rural environment. Its headquarters is the historic hill farm of Lawson Park, in a dramatic setting 1000 feet above sea level with views across the Crake Valley and across to the Coniston Fells. This September Grizedale Arts, in collaboration with the Turner Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller, are contributing to the Sao Paulo Bienal, with an exhibition based on the extraordinary work of Victorian artist, writer and educationalist John Ruskin who lived in Coniston for latter part of his life. Lawson Park As part of this project we are inviting a group of 10 pupils to come to the Lake District for a unique experience. For a week in summer the students will be taken on a drawing tour of the valley here in Coniston, to experience this outstanding natural environment, learn of the history of the valley, the work of John Ruskin and learn to see through field trips to draw and make works of art about this place. The finished drawings will be shown in Grizedale Arts ‘Mechanics Institute’ room at the Sao Paulo Bienal. The students will stay at, and have sole use of, the St Andrew’s Youth Hostel in Coniston village and will be taken on a different tour each day.
    [Show full text]
  • Ruskin Unleashed: Towards a Revised Political Economy of Art Or Joy for Ever: How to Use Art to Change the World (And Its Price Beyond the Market)
    Ruskin unleashed: towards a revised political economy of art or Joy for ever: How to use art to change the world (and its price beyond the market) Alistair Hudson Figure 1 The Whitworth, University of Manchester, with advertisements for its exhibition ‘Joy for ever: How to use art to change the world (and its price in the market)’ held from 29 March to 9 June 2019. Photo: author Joy for ever: How to use art to change the world (and its price in the market) was an exhibition held at the Whitworth, University of Manchester, from 29 March to 9 June 2019 (fig. 1). It was held to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of John Ruskin, the British artist, writer, commentator and educationalist, who was the principal voice campaigning throughout the nineteenth century against the ills of an increasingly industrial and dehumanising world. The exhibition also marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Whitworth in a post-Postindustrial era of ecological, political, financial and social crisis. The institution is now seeking to evolve as a museum that is relevant Journal of Art Historiography Number 22 June 2020 Alistair Hudson Ruskin unleashed … or … How to use art to change the world and useful in our context and one that takes an active role in society, promoting art as a tool for social change. With this goal in mind, our aim is to reconnect with our founders’ intentions, to create an institute, art gallery and park that can help realise the full potential of the city and its residents.
    [Show full text]
  • 14 Unique Prizes Worth Over £2000 to Be Won in the Big Draw's Xmas
    14 Unique prizes worth over £2000 to be won in The Big Draw’s Xmas Draw 2017! *Winners will be able to select their preferred prize in the order of tickets drawn and dependent on availability. 1.A WEEKEND STAY AT EYRIE, JOHN RUSKIN’S FORMER LAKE DISTRICT HOME. An unforgettable prize experience! Enjoy the superb setting which inspired John Ruskin. Situated on the upper floor, the ‘Eyrie’ is a self-catering apartment for two with spectacular lake views over Coniston Water and to the Lake District fells beyond. It has beautiful interiors with original artworks and is furnished to the highest standard. Brantwood, Coniston, Lake District, was the former home of John Ruskin from 1872 until 1900. The prize is redeemable for any available weekend in 2018. The winner is advised to redeem their voucher as soon as possible to ensure your preferred dates – for 1 or 2 people. DONATED BY: The Brantwood Trust More information 2. ORIGINAL, SIGNED ‘ORGE’ CONTÉ PASTEL PENCIL DRAWING BY CHRIS RIDDELL (2017) Dimensions: 21 x 29.7cm A rare opportunity to own an original Chris Riddell drawing! Drawn by Big Draw patron and former children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, this intricate and characterful Orge drawing was created by the illustrator in his Brighton studio in summer 2017. Chris Riddell is a prolific author, illustrator and political cartoonist for The Observer. Chris became a patron of The Big Draw in June 2015 and actively supports our mission for the power of visual literacy in education and beyond. DONATED BY: Chris Riddell More information 3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gardens at Brantwood: Evolution of John Ruskin's Lakeland Paradise
    The Gardens at Brantwood: Evolution of John Ruskin’s Lakeland Paradise A Review by Lisa Dallape Matson “Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty of we only have eyes to see them.” John Ruskin INTRODUCTION When I think of John Ruskin, I automatically think of the art critic who pledged his support to Turner, then to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and later to Lizzie Siddal. But even I know his writings were broader than just being a Victorian patron of art. He was also a prominent social thinker, a watercolorist, draughtsman and philanthropist. Ruskin was concern about society, education, architecture and literature, poetics and economics. He wrote essays, lectures, travel guides, poetry, manuals, letters, and fairy tales. He often emphasized the interconnections between art and literature, society, and nature. It is this last enduring point on which David Ingram meditates as he describes the gardens in his gem of a new book, The Gardens at Brantwood: Evolution of John Ruskin’s Lakeland Paradise which was published in May 2014 by Pallas Athene & the Ruskin Foundation. Ingram’s book has four purposes. It is: 1)a history of the Ruskin’s Gardens from 1872 (when Ruskin bought Brantwood) to 1924 (Joan Severn’s death), 2) a description of the work done at the Brantwood Gardens from 1988 to 2013, 3) a snapshot of the Gardens in 2012-2013, and 4) a guide for those who hope to visit the gardens while in the Lake District. It is shocking to learn that before this book was written, no guide existed for this group of beautifully laid out gardens which are situated on the eastern shore of Coniston Water.
    [Show full text]
  • NEWSLETTER 084 July 2006
    C A T The Newsletter of the Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society No. 84 August 2006 Cover picture: Richard Hewer in the Waiotahi Valley in New Zealand. Thames Mine The author by the transverse ore carriage. The ore hopper is to the left, And behind Richard’s left shoulder in the side of the level are many Minor veins of mineralisation. See Richard’s article in this issue. Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society Newsletter No 84, August 2006 Contents: Cover picture Inside front cover News New Members Page 2 Library & Archive Page 2 Coniston Local History Initiative Page 2 Laser scanning Alastair Cameron Page 2 Hospital Level Conservation Project Page 2 Kernal Level Project Page 3 CATMHS Publications Page 3 Geo- archaeological survey at Coniston Copper Mines Page 3 Newland Furnace Page 5 Book Review Page 5 New Books Page 5 Whitriggs evening meet, 9th August Pete Sandbach Page 5 Petzl Jammers – risk of slippage Page 6 Meet Reports Inspection of No 1 Level, Force Crag Mine John Aird Page 8 Bloomeries and Bloomsmithies, May 21st Ian Matheson Page 9 Ellesmere Port, Sunday 25th June Ian Matheson Page 11 The Upper Long Crag area of Wetherlam Alastair Cameron Page 13 Long Crag Workings, 1977 & 1983 Dave Bridge. Page 14 Articles A journey to the gold workings of New Zealand. Richard Hewer Page 16 Minutes CAT minutes, Monday 20th March 2006 Sheila Barker Page 28 CAT minutes, Monday 15th May 2006 Sheila Barker Page 31 Society Officers and Committee Members Back cover News Straw House and the Nail Road, which apparently was named after someone, New Members is in progress.
    [Show full text]
  • The Companion Magazine 2011 Download
    The Companion The Newsletter of The Guild of St George Number 11 (2011) www.guildofstgeorge.org.uk A Letter from the Master ear fellow Companions, Your copy of The Companion is arriving a little earlier this year. We are trying to get back to the original Dplan of sending it out six months before the papers for the AGM. But there is a lot going on and I hope you will find it as full as last year’s issue. One thing you were promised, alas, is not happening – or not happening this year. Stephen Wildman and I had planned to follow up last year’s economic symposium in London with a second event to be called ‘Who Pays for the Environment?’ But as some of you know, I had a major accident in December – I slipped on the ice and broke my hip – and that made it difficult for me to pursue all my plans. We have therefore decided to postpone the second symposium and are hoping to hold it on 11th February – exactly two years after the last one. Ruskin and his ideas were very much in the news at the time of the first symposium. Articles by Andrew Hill in the Financial Times and Jonathan Glancey in the Guardian had drawn attention to the contemporary relevance of his social and economic concerns, as had Bernard Richards on More4 News. This year he has more than once come up, in, for instance, Simon Jenkins’s Guardian column, but I have been more struck by his extensive presence as an artist.
    [Show full text]
  • Lake District & Cumbria
    FAMILY DAYS OUT • ALL WEATHER ATTRACTIONS • WHAT’S ON LAKE DISTRICT & CUMBRIA GREAT HERITAGE 2019 CASTLES, HISTORIC HOUSES, GARDENS & CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS www.cumbriaslivingheritage.co.uk Welcome to Cumbria’s Living Heritage Cumbria’s Living Heritage brings you an exclusive collection of over 30 unique attractions, great houses, castles, gardens and cultural destinations in and around the Lake District, a World Heritage site recognised by UNESCO for its unique cultural landscape. Dive into Cumbria’s heritage to discover more about the places and people who have shaped our cultural heritage, visit new places, uncover family treasures, hear fascinating stories, find inspiration or simply relish the beauty of your surroundings. We hope that our stunning landscapes will inspire you like it has so many people over the centuries, poet William Wordsworth, children’s favourite Arthur Ransome, artist JMW Turner, adventurer Donald Campbell, walker Alfred Wainwright and conservationist Beatrix Potter, have all drawn inspiration from our valleys, fells and mountains. This year we celebrate John Ruskin’s 200th anniversary. Writer, artist, social critic, celebrity, and one of the greatest visionaries of the 19th Century, John Ruskin continues to influence our lives today. Artists, craft-makers, poets and film-makers still find inspiration here, and their work can be enjoyed at many exhibitions and events. Take a look at our website, www.cumbriaslivingheritage.co.uk, for suggestions for days out with the family, places and exhibitions to learn more about our historical and contemporary heroes, dog-friendly attractions and a list of attractions that have a restaurant or café, where you can enjoy some local food, home-baked treats and stunning views.
    [Show full text]
  • Decorative Art in the Museum and the Novel, 1850-1880. Jacqueline Yauop January 2006
    Narrative Objects: Decorative Art in the Museum and the Novel, 1850-1880. Jacqueline YaUop Submitted for the degree of PhD, Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies, Department of English Literature. January 2006. Abstract: In the face of financial disaster, Dr Lydgate attempts to share his concerns with his wife, Rosamund, in George Eliot's Middlemarch (1871). Rosamund's refusal to engage with the crisis, or to sympathise with her husband's despair, is repeatedly presented by Eliot as a preoccupation with inanimate, decorative objects: Rosamund 'turned her neck and looked at a vase on the mantelpiece'. 1 The mid- nineteenth-century novel increasingly explores what it means to own, collect and display objects, and how personal and public lives can be constructed and defined by 'things'. Recent critical discussion has examined the significance of the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, and the subsequent international exhibitions, as a catalyst for, and an expression of, new ways of producing and consuming objects. 2 These dazzling exhibitions, in conjunction with the foundation of the South Kensington Museum (1857), began to formulate principles of design and models of taste for the public. Increasingly influential, however, was the development of the smaller, regional museum collections of decorative objects which began to emerge in the second half of the nineteenth century. Most of these shared with their national counterparts an intention to educate the public; almost all retained 1 George Eliot, Middlemarch, ed. by David Carroll (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), p. 612. 2 See, for example, Jeffrey A. Auerbach, The Great Exhibition: A Nation on Display (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1999) and Andrew Miller, Novels Behind Glass: Commodity Culture and Victorian Narrative (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995).
    [Show full text]