“Maoithneachas na deoraí agus é ag caitheamh I ndiaidh a bhaile dúchas is ábhar don dán seo”

Aontaím go huile is go hiomlán leis an ráiteas thuasluaite seo. Cruthaíonn an file pictiúr an-rómansúil sa dán seo. Bhraith sé uaidh saol ciúin Árann. Dar leis an bhfile tá Inis Mór foirfe, tá sé cosúil le neamh de shaghas éigin. Cumhnaíonn sé ar laethanta a óige le grá agus le hómós. Mar shampla bhí an aimsir go bréa agus bhí an fharraige iontach séimh sa dán “I mbrothall lae”. Chomh maith le sin baineann gach íomha leis an duine ag comhoibriú leis an dúlra agus an nádúr chun teacht slán “curach lán éisc”. Ní luann sé an fhuacht nó fiú cruatán a bhain leis an obair seo. B’fhéidir go bhfuil na cuimhní beagainín maoithneach ach tá siad mealltach agus draíochtúil chomh maith.

Anuas ar sin is é teideal an dáin ná “An t-Earrach Thiar”  agus tá athrá ar an teideal I ngach véarsa den dán. Sílim go bhfuil  na mothúcháin ag baint leis an athrá an-eifeachtach mar go gcuireann sé béim láidir arc é chomh tábhachtach is a bhí cuimhní an fhile ar an oileán san earrach fadó dó – “San Earrach Thiar, San Earrach Thiar”. Ar bharr sin is siombail an dán féin de shaol a bhí imithe I léig agus ar shlí na fírinne leis na blianta.

Léiríonn an file muintearas agus an spioraid pobail a bhain le saol an oileáin sa tríú véarsa. Nuair a bhí Ó Direáin (an file) óg, agus é ina chónaí ar an oileán chuaigh sé amach ag baint carraigín leis na mná ar an trá. “Mná I locháin”. Bhain na mná taitneamh, sos agus faoiseamh as a bheith lena chéile, ag caint is ag comhrá. Sa vearsa seo léirítear fírinne an tseanfhocail “is ar scath a chéile a mhaireann na daoine”. Measaim féin go pearsanta gur chum sé an véarsa seo mar cheap sé go raibh muintearas agus meas in easnamh I mBáile Átha Cliath.

Níl faic le cloisteáil seachas fuaim dhíoscánach na spáide ar lá meirbh sa chéad véarsa. Mothaímid nach raibh aon fhuadar faoinn bhfeirmeoir, nach raibh cíos, cás nó cathú air agus e ag obair go mall. “De ghimseán spáide sa gciúnas séimh”.

Ceapaim gur chum an file an dán seo ionas éalú ó shaol olc na cathrach. Mar gheall ar sin tá an dán lán le cuimhní síochánta ach fós measaim go bhfuil s élan le huaigneas freisin.

Intro paragraph: In a riveting play laden with the supernatural, nothing is as it outwardly appears to the naked eye. Tension, mystery, dread and ambiguity pervade the drama. Using the theme of appearance vs reality, Shakespeare delves deep into the darker side of humanity and the inner plotting/scheming of the human mind.

1) Witches: the witches set the scene for confusion and illusion in the play. They successfully manage to mislead, cheat and incite evil throughout Scotland via deliberately ambiguous and misleading language. Even their physical appearance is contradictory and perturbing.

Quotes:

Fair is foul and foul is fair
Lesser than Macbeth and greater
You should be women and yet your beards forbid me to interpret
Look not like the inhabitants of the wart yet are on’t
(Last 2 are both Banquo)
This supernatural soliciting cannot be be ill, cannot be good
(Macbeth)
 

2) Duncan’s naive and misplaced trust shows that none can be believed or truly relied upon. The dramatic irony between himself and Macbeth as well as his dismissal of Donalbain’s advice are key.

Quotes:

Absolute trust
There’s no art to find the minds construction in the face
(Duncan)
There’s daggers in men’s smiles
(Donalbain)
More is thy due then all can pay
(Duncan to Macbeth)
Valiant cousin
Black and deep desires
(Macbeth)
 

3) Lady Macbeth is the foremost example and epitome of deceit and false appearances. Inwardly she is consumed with a lust for power but outwardly maintains a masquerade of a loving and subservient wife.

Quotes:

Fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty
Take my milk for gall you murdering ministers
Too full o’ the milk of human kindness
Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t
My keen knife not see the wound it makes
Honour’d hostess
(Duncan)
 

4) Macbeth fools Duncan and carries out his coup against him. In the aftermath of the murder he abandons his once dearly held principles and lies to the assembly. Maintains his reputation while secretly corrupted by his own delusions of grandeur by building up a masquerade of selfless devotion and martyrdom.

Quotes:

Is this a dagger I see before me?
(Supernatural helps Macbeth to carry out the murder)
I do repent me of my fury that I did kill them (the two guards he framed for the murder)
Had I but died an hour before this chance I had lived a blessed time
 

5) Banquo is the most subtle example of appearance vs reality. He successfully hides his ambition. Unlike the others his mask is never unveiled due to his untimely demise at the hands of Macbeth.

Quotes:

Noble Banquo
Too cruel anywhere (the murder)
Bosom franchised and allegiance clear
I fight of treasonous malice
I fear thou playd’st most foully for it
May they not be my oracles as well?
But hush! No more.
 

6) Even the forces of good who oppose Macbeth are drawn into deception and appearance vs reality. The princes are falsely accused if Duncan’s murder. Malcolm is forced to lie to Macduff to test his loyalty and convictions. Very important paragraph, most people will overlook it.

Quotes:

Stolen away and fled which puts upon them suspicion of the deed
His flight was madness
(Macduff’s wife scorns his exile)
A good and virtuous nature may recoil under an imperial charge
Confound unity on earth
My more having will be as a sauce to make me hunger more
 

7) Macbeth himself is undone by his association with the witches. The equivocation of the witches give him a false sense of security and superiority which ultimately makes him very vulnerable to being overthrown.

Quotes:

Macbeth shall never be vanquished
Great Birnam wood
Shall come against him
None of woman born shall harm Macbeth
(All witches)
Damned all the trust them
Golden opinions
I cannot taint with fear
(All Macbeth)

Introduction

Edgar Degas came from an aristocratic family and was classically trained in art with huge respect for the works of the old masters. Although he played a pivotal role in the Impressionist movement, his work was slightly more independent in feel than the works of the rest of the group. His snap shot composition technique and work in mixed media, along with his fascination with the effects of artificial light, established his painting as truly unique. Degas’ style was spontaneous and full of movement. He was interested in how spontaneous a scene appeared when the composition was cropped to create a close-up view, often abruptly, cutting off the edges of the composition or even parts of the focal point. Unlike other impressionists such as Monet, Degas was more interested in the effects of artificial light and painting en plein air didn’t interest him. Degas’ subject matter, like other impressionists, was concentrated on the fleeting moment, however the content of his paintings were unique and individual. Fascinated with certain contemporary culture he began to paint racehorses and figures in motion particularly ballet dancers – subject matters previously unseen. His unique style and choice subject matter set Degas apart from other 19th Century artists.

The Dancing Class

The Dancing Class is on of Degas’ most famous paintings which was exhibited in the first impressionist exhibition. This is one of many of his paintings on ballet dancers. Unlike many other artists work on the same subject matter, Degas focuses on the informal scene of a training session. It is a complex arrangement of dancers who are mostly seen taking a break from their rigorous training schedule. Only one dancer is seen practicing her step sunder the instruction of the famous teacher Jules Perrot, who was also a famous dancer in his youth. Degas captures his dancers, who are in the opera in the Rue le Peletier, like no other artist. Rather than show people at their best, like Renoir did, Degas adopted a sense of spontaneity by capturing a very unimportant moment. He creates an impression of a quick glance into the rehearsal room. The girl sitting on a piano scratches her back, a typical Degas pose, while another girl adjusts her earring. It is the attention to detail, unlike Monet’s work which also helps Degas stand out from his peers. Example of this would be the watering can at the foot of the piano and a little dog who presumably accompanies one of the dancers. This as a painting has a subject matter which was rarely investigated prior to his time which, in itself, establishes Degas as unique.

Degas composition is a wonderful exploration of a spatial depth. The format has been altered several times by the artist, adding and subtracting figures as well changing poses which Degas enhances the sense of depth in this large space by use of the wooden floor boards to create natural perspective. This is further strengthened by the uses of aerial perspective as the smaller figures in the background show much less detail than the ones in the foreground. Both techniques used in the composition show Degas had an advanced knowledge of perspective which adds a sense of realism to his paintings, something many impressionists could not achieve.

Degas’ technique and style go hand in hand is this painting. A technique not used by other artists was the tiny details included in his colour scheme, such as the red splashes throughout this painting to draw the viewer’s eye directly into the painting. The snap shot technique he was famous for is also visible her, cutting off part of the figure of the dancer on the right to create a sense of spontaneity. Degas often reuses dance poses. An example of this is the dancer practicing her steps, the same dancer who appears in Ballet Rehearsal on Stage. Edgar Degas appealed to audiences and stood out from his fellow impressionists. The informality of his work had a fresh appeal for viewers. Typical impressionist techniques, such as impasto of Jules Perrot’s jacket and wet paint on wet paint of the dancers skirt were used by Degas. Although he had, like Monet, a liberal use of black paint he didn’t paint en plein air and he also use mixed media. These techniques were unusual for an impressionist and was just another one of the contributing factors which made him individual during the 19th Century. Degas’ unique style is defined by mixed media, cropped edges and unconventional viewpoints: all of which are visible in this painting. Degas’ style was hugely influenced by photography and he also became interested in Japanese prints. Each of these led to him to experiment with unusual visual angles and asymmetrical compositions. Unlike Monet, degas painted with artificial light which led to strong contrasts in light like Monet, and, lines and outlines like Ingres’ work. Another aspect of his style is his use of colour to create a sense of movement. All of these styles and techniques are visible in the painting but also make Degas one of the most memorable impressionists as his individuality set him apart from others.

L’Absinthe is another infamous painting by Degas one which, like other impressionist found about their work, was not warmly greeted with the enthusiasm that he had hoped for. The painting portrays two figures seated in a Parisian café. The woman is dressed in dreary tones of brown and beige, sits with a dull glazed expression while in front of her sits a glass of absinthe. It is a depressing reflection of the working class of the time. Degas was often criticised for his unfeeling portrayal of people in paintings. L’Absinthe is a perfect example of this, the subject matter frowned upon, not seen as a fit subject for an artist. It is this individuality with regard to his subject matter which set Degas apart from many of his impressionist friends and painters. It is one of the most revolutionary paintings of the time when considering the composition. Figures are placed in the top right of the picture while the rest of the painting is filled with large flat shapes of the tables. It emphasises the spontaneity of the painting. A technique widely used by Degas, and also seen in this painting, is the dramatic cropping. The man’s pipe, his arm and the ends of the tables are all cropped.  A technique used to highlight the gloomy redundant atmosphere in the painting is the strong contrast of colours. His strong contrasts seem to be hugely influenced by Monet’ work. Darker outlines and the surrounding of the woman separate Degas’ style from that of other impressionists. Degas also used a technique to blur his paint, this would have been done by painting wet paint on top of wet paint.  An example of this is the fluid loose brush work seen in the features and dress of the character.   

Post Impressionism: Van Gough (Self Portrait)

Van Gogh Biography

The work chosen is the highly symbolic work of Vincent Van Gough and his Self Portrait which he painted while he prolifically worked during his stay in the mental asylum in Saint Remy. Van Gough was a troubled man from the beginning of his life. At the age of 16 he was offered a position in his uncle’s art dealership. He then moved to London to pursue this but after a failed relationship was sacked from his job. Later he found a job collecting fees for a local private school which brought him in contact with poverty. However, he refused to take money of the poor and was again sacked. In a similar incident he was again sacked from his job as a Methodist preacher as his overly emphatic nature led him to give away all his food, money and clothes. He attended art school in Belgium for a year but failed. He returned home to Theo, his brother who paid for his tuition in Paris by Cromer.  In Paris, Van Gough was greatly influenced by Picasso and Cezanne as well as many others. He got money from Theo to move to Sicily. Theo was an emotional and financial support to Vincent throughout his life. In Sicily, Van Gough had hopes of setting up a post-impressionist colony but this failed and it ended up in the loss of his ear. Van Gough later shot himself when he found out that Theo was struggling financially and didn’t want to be burden on his brother. Van Gough died in his brother’s arms 3 days later having only ever sold one painting.

Self portrait

The style of the painting is a typical post-impressionism one ties in closely to the techniques used. The style is one which has the face of Van Gough in much greater detail than that of the swirling abstract background. This background can only presumably represent the mental turmoil of Van Gough as he suffered hallucinations and convulsions in terrifying fits during his stay at the mental asylum. The style uses complimentary colours to great effect as it cast Van Gough’s face (surrounded by red and orange hair) in stark contrast to the blue and green tones in the painting. Thick impasto work can be seen in the swirling abstract background as layer upon layer is added together. Impasto can also be seen in the thick red hair of the painter himself. No attempt in the style is made to perfect any of Van Gough’s flaws as his realistic and accurate depiction of himself shows prominent jaws and shocking orange hair.  Other techniques used are optical mixing which can be seen in the pale skin with flecks of blue. Optical mixing is when two or more colours come together to mix in the eyes of the viewer as one; as in Monet’s Impression Sunrise. The face is painted much crispier than the symbolic, passionate, emotive brush sticks used in the background of the painting. The composition of the painting is mainly filled with the head and shoulders of Vincent himself. Van Gough wears a blue jacket and top while his body ¾ turned to face the viewer.  Van Gough looks the viewer dead in the eye with a calm complexion. His thoughts and emotions symbolised by the background.  The head and shoulders are drawn in the centre of the page and are the main focal point. Materials used in the painted would have been oil on canvas. This was typical for the time which contrasted to the mixed media Degas was famous for. The picture is obviously painted too. The period in which this was painted is known as post impressionism. It was painted around 1889 which was during his stay at the mental asylum. Post impressionism was characterised by several distinctive points. While the period was influenced by impressionism (Degas, Monet, Renoir) they became disillusioned by it and painters such as Van Gogh and Cezanne wanted to bring painted back from capturing abstract things to capturing more traditional elements of painting such as form, volume, texture that were shown in the greater masters work. While each post-impressionist had very individual styles, each of them were united in their thoughts. Characterized by the abstract backgrounds and more realistic depictions the movement never fully got going.  They also used many of the impressionist techniques such as wet paint on wet paint, optical mixing and impasto.

Another work by Van Gogh is the famous Sunflowers. He painted them for his beloved friend Gaugin, who’s favourite colour was yellow.  There was 11 of this painting, a series, similar to those painted by Monet.  The subject matter is of dead, dying, young and living budding flowers.  This represents the life cycle of humanity. It is painted almost in monochrome yellow (inspired by artist Lewis Anqeutin). However there can be dashes of green seen in the stalks and blue outlining the table and his signature on the vase. The flowers are painted in such detail in some areas they appear 3D. In stark contrast to the flat yellow luminous yellow background. The vase and the table are also painted flatly and mimic the yellows seen in the flowers.  Van Gogh choose yellow to represent happiness and joy.  The flowers stand out above to their flat surroundings. The 14 flowers take up the whole of the composition.  Thick impasto can be seen in the gestural brushstroke in the petaled flowers and stifled impasto seen in the dead buds. He wanted this painting to be admired like Gaugin did with his other sunflowers work.

Summary of galley

On 16 January this year I visited the Dublin City Gallery Hugh Lane. The neoclassical building was designed by William Chambers and James Caulfield. The Cork born art dealer in 1908 opened the gallery to store both contemporary and modern art pieces. There has been a special wing added since then to accommodate the gallery work, resources and restaurant. The layout of the actual gallery is quite simple. The main exhibitions run through 4 wide long rooms. These are permanent collections themed together by era. There are also small rooms off the main exhibits containing themed pieces.

Discuss general layout

It is all mainly based on the ground floor and is wheelchair accessible. The layout sees large seated areas facing the main pieces in the big rooms with a few paintings spaced out at eye level on the walls behind. The presentation of the Monet piece is exceptional. Placed on a cream wall with a gold frame it stands out and there are seats facing it as it’s housed alongside other impressionists pieces in a large room. With free entry to the gallery and good lighting, the painting is well presented. There is also an information outlet to its lower left hand side, containing details about the painting to inform viewers.

The Harry Clarke piece is also laid out well in its own separate room off the side entrance. It is in a blacked out room with contemporary glass stained pieces. There is a light behind the glass pieces so the full effect of the colours can be seen. It is housed in a much smaller room which makes the experience more enjoyable and personable. I would have liked to have a curtained door however to further blacken the room.

The names of the exhibition were the Harry Clarke EVE of St. Agnes and Claude Monet Waterloo bridge. Both are housed in the permanent collection at the Hugh Lane and paid guided tours of them are available.

Harry Clarke discussion

The first piece I will discuss is the Harry Clarke Eve of Agnes. It is a stained glass window so it is paint on glass in a variety of wide range of colours. It is also essential to have light shine from the back and be housed in a blacked out room. The subject matter is inspired by a poem by Yeats. The 14 panelled glass piece holds the 47 verses compacted into 14 panels which tell and significant part of the beautiful story line. The story is of the tradition of the Eve of St. Agnes 20th January where fair maidens are told to fast and wait for their lover to appear and rescue them during the night. Madelin in this story is follow this procedure when asleep her lover Porpheryo appears and whisks her away. Banned by Madelines father to enter the castle Madeline thought she was dreaming but infact she wasn’t and her lover captured her away and brought her free safe from the castle. Along with each panel elongated figures are accompanied by a quote form a verse of the poem in which it depicts.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this piece. Seeing it in person gave me an experience seeing in the text back didn’t. The main colour purple and blue shone through the glass beautifully. The story was really loved also and I think it’s a wonderful subject matter. The tiny detail Harry Clarke managed to include was phenomenal. My favourite part was panel 7. We see in this panel a miniature portrayal of a stained glass window. The moon shines through this onto the bed of the sleeping Madeline like jewels on her bed cover. The wardrobe in her bedroom is in fact based on a real one. The detail Clarke manages to get in is something that you couldn’t see on the television or on a computer screen. The way the room was laid out was perfect to draw our attention to the symmetrical windows of hair in the darkened room. Seats in the room would have been preferable. Overall it was an enjoyable experience.

Monet discussion

The second piece we went to view was the Waterloo Bridge by Claude Monet. Having studied other works by Monet I was very excited to see an original in person and get a real vision of thick impasto and the scale and texture of the drawing which cannot be seen in a text book or on a projector screen.  The material used by Monet in this painting in his series (41) was oil paint on canvas. It is hung in a decorated gold frame. The subject matter is of the busy Waterloo Bridge filled with both pedestrians and automated vehicle traffic. This is indicated by the foggy nature of the bridge. The horizontal bridge is contrasted by the vertical built up areas of the background. Techniques used are those typical to Monet like impasto general brushstrokes, it is painted en plein air capturing the busy fleeting moment and the hazy feel is gotten by the wet paint placed on wet paint. I again loved going to see this piece as I felt I understand the whole of Monet’s paintings better than I did before. It was placed in a room alongside other contemporaries of his which I thought was an excellent idea to have a brightly lit, easily accessible room in which I was able to contrast and view other impressionists work. I got a great sense of the texture and scale of the painting also. There were seats available in the room so it made sitting and viewing the painting comfortable and enjoyable.

Banquo is an often misunderstood and forgotten character in the play Macbeth. His fleeting appearances and premature murder at the request of Macbeth, have led many to label him as a mere victim of the ambition and cruelty of others. However, in reality he is not only a victim of Macbeth’s state sanctioned terror but a victim of the witches and ultimately his own implicit thirst for power.

Our initial impressions of Banquo is one of a man who’s moral status is clearly noble and virtuous. He shares with Macbeth the traits of bravery, courage and loyalty. Banquo’s physical prowess on the battlefield is acknowledged and celebrated among his peers and superiors. Duncan refers to his captain as “Noble Banquo” and proclaims that “hast no less deserved” the accolades which are bestowed upon Macbeth. Banquo, a warrior “so valiant” is initially skeptical when he first encounters the witches. He is intrigued, but not entranced by the witches and is primarily concerned with their validity rather than their prophecies. He scorns the creatures who are “so withered and so wild in their attire” and who “should be women” but yet are warped messengers of evil.

Banquo’s psyche, while far from being transformed into that of a callous murderer such as Macbeth, does undergo ever so subtle changes as he listens to the witches poisonous promises. Recognising that his “partners rapt”, Banquo urges the witches to speak to him as he does “neither beg nor fear” their power. After hearing the witches claim that he will be “lesser than Macbeth and greater”, Banquo questions himself whether he had “eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner”. Through his simple curiosity and inquisitive nature, Banquo has at this early stage allowed the “three weird sisters” to plant the seeds of ambition in his mind. Despite the fact no major change in Banquo is visible at this stage, the influence of the witches; a catalyst for evil, has entered his mind.

The first signs of legitimate change in Banquo occur as the witches prophecy begins to come to fruition for his contemporary, Macbeth. Seeing Macbeth being granted the title “Thane of Cawdor”, Banquo begins to question “can the devil speak true?”. Despite his warning to Macbeth that “oftentimes to win us to our harm the instruments of darkness tell us truths”, Banquo himself is no longer a neutral skeptic. The allure of possibly being able to “beget kings”, is taking it’s toll on Banquo. The fantasy of lavish power, glory and ultimately selfish indulgence prove far too tantalising to ignore.

The subtle, implicit alteration heightens as he ponders his future further. While speaking to Macbeth a naive Banquo, unaware of his friends future duplicity, confesses that a “heavy summons lies like lead upon” him. He recalls how he “dreamt last night” about the three witches. This gives us, as the audience an appreciation of the inner turmoil Banquo is suffering from as he attempts to counterbalance his loyalty with his ambition. The most blatant evidence of his inner struggle is where he admits that the witches “have shown some truth” to Macbeth and dares to imagine whether he shall be so lucky.

The malign influence of the witches and therefore moral decay through ambiguity are complete in the aftermath of the vicious murder of Duncan. Despite scolding Lady Macbeth for her self-absorbed reaction to the murder, saying it would be “too cruel anywhere”, Banquo feels no real remorse at the regicide. He may claim to be fully against “treasonous malice” and having his “bosom franchised” but he allows the coup d’état to occur right before his eyes. The ultimate betrayal of his former values are saved for the coronation of Macbeth. He knows Macbeth “playd’st most foully” for the kingship. Yet, the promise that he “should be the root and father of many kings” proves too much to resist. Rather then speak the truth he merely resigns himself to ignore the facts that lie obviously before him and simply “hush” himself. This cold and calculated strategy of benign subservience shows how much the once carefree warrior has become a power-hungry political tactician.

Unlike Macbeth, it can be argued that Banquo was corrupted first and foremost by the witches. Macbeth used the witches as a means to legitimise his craving for power. Conversely, Banquo was fooled and deceived by the witches to create his own downfall. The skill of Shakespeare as a writer shines through as his choice to Banquo a lengthy period of little or no dialogue, symbolises the inner struggles that occurring in Banquo’s mind. Banquo’s lack of cunning and savvy highlight how originally he was once an exemplar art warrior. He fails to see the paranoia of Macbeth who believes the witches have helped him place a “fruitless crown” upon his head. Macbeth fears the prophecy given to Banquo as it may mean that his descendants will directly usurp the throne from him. His “fears in Banquo stick deep” and in turn leads to his prearranged murder. Perhaps Banquo who “hast no less deserved” acclaim and honour, deserved to be king rather then Macbeth?

In summation, it is evident that Banquo underwent rapid and wholesale changes in personality due to the prophetic observations of the witches. In a play where “fair is foul and foul is fair”, a “good and virtuous nature” truly did “recoil under an imperial charge”. This is what happened to Banquo, his clarity of mind and his virtue became clouded and obscured. Courage and loyalty were replaced by silence and scheming.