Art

If you love Cambodia, Khmer ancient art or Angkor Wat -- or the Tomb Raider films with Angelina Jolie -- be sure to read the excellent art record of Angkor Wat from 1927. A 23 year old French girl in Cambodia recorded in clear drawings many of the female spirits/nymphs [called 'devatas' by the French at the time or more commonly 'apsara' Sanskrit: अप्सरा] carved on the walls. It's an incredible book, with so many drawings and details it could be used by a film costumer to get a project started.

The book is called Khmer Costumes and Ornaments of the Devatas of Angkor Wat by Sappho Marchal. Below is a typical photograph of Angkor Wat, the enormous complex of stone temples and buildings in Cambodia [it's even represented on the country's flag].

A fun little film about Khmer ancient myths [in this case of Preah Thong [also named King Kaundinya I] and his eventual wife the minor goddess/naga Neang Neak [also named Soma] is Pras Toung Neang Neak. To try Cambodian traditional dance, revived in the mid-1900s by Princess Bopa Devi, watch the long dance performance of Preah Thong Neang Neak.

Netherlands

Art always has interesting people involved--in this case, let's reflect on Judith Jans Leyster [or Leijster], [1609-1660] wife of a painter [Jan Miense Molenaer] who created her own works. About twenty works of hers survive. She entered the artist's guild of Haarlem in the Netherlands [in North Holland], one of the first women to do so, though many were involved in their family workshops and contributed without being in the guild on paper. This is her "Merry Trio" [ca. 1630]:

Bach

Enjoying music on harpsichord can be hard at first, our ears are no longer accustomed to it. Try some famous pieces by Bach on a spinet - a great performance, and very accessible. It begins with the lovely 'Prelude Fugue No. 1 in C Major' [BWV 846] which opens Bach's famous The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1.

The image below is an English bentside spinet by Thomas Hitchcock - Haddlon Hall (Derbyshire).

Looser Classical

For classical music, try putting British composer Purcell's [1659-1695] opera 'The Fairy Queen' on and relaxing or as background music. It has great orchestra work and lovely voices. It's very accessible and lovely, a bit like Handel or like Mozart-style [quiet/slow version] vocals.

If you prefer more earthy music, try this excellent, long set of laid-back but refined Spanish guitar music from the Baroque and Renaissance periods. Even people unaccustomed to listening to guitar will enjoy this--just think of it as low, easy strings sections, because it sounds incredible.

If all that is still too structured, you can always try a selection of imagined 'Music from Ancient Rome'. It's quite interesting and unpredictable. Very lively and invigorating, especially for anyone who enjoys 'modern' [ie. post-Stravinsky] classical music.

Mucha

Famous Czech Alphonse Mucha [1860-1939] was a great art nouveau artist--the flowy lines and neo-classical raiment are gorgeous. Usually people are more familiar or prefer art deco, with it's Mondarin-esque sense, Poirot air, majesty and geometric stability. Mucha is one area where art nouveau clearly outstrips it's later rival. While it's flowing tone can look strange on buildings and sculpture, it looks great in art.

Mucha's series on precious stones/gems is one of his best, and a little lesser known than the rest of his work--the original has the labels underneath, saying 'Topaz, Ruby, Amethyst, Emerald':

The Mid-East

One great piece is German painter Ferdinand Max Bredt's [1868-1921] "Queen of the Harem". Usually Orientalist work can slide too quickly into fantasy and the male gaze, but this portrait seems atypically interesting and subdued. Look here to see more of his work.

Be sure to try his unique "In einem Innenhof, Tunis", ['In a courtyard, Tunis'] as it is a painting with a very interesting and special model. Harem girls are rarely painted as people who have olive skin, seeing as the painters were mostly Western Europeans, but there it is different.

Drink

One great piece to know is the successful Spanish painter Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta's [1841-1920] "Hot Chocolate". The delicacy of the color work is astounding, and the lovely little details are so beautiful. Note the little letter dropped to the floor and the clothes tossed into the neighboring chair.

Madrigal

One way to get into early or pre-Common Era/pre-Baroque music is to try madrigals. They were Renaissance and early Baroque secular music that came from 1520's Italy. Many famous people worte them, like Palestrina and Orlande de Lassus.

Try the excellent piece "Altri canti d'amor, tenero arciero" ['Let others sing of love, the tender archer'] by major early Baroque transition music figure Monteverdi [1567-1643] from his Madrigals, book 8 [publ. 1638]. It's a lovely, light piece--perfect for this time of year.

Classical

One great blog to read that's got fascinating, unique about the reality of classical music lives is the METblog. I was shocked to find that it's a real blog, with interesting information about all aspects of the musicians lives, practices, auditions and opinions on their collaborations--think of how they work together, one on one often, during so many pieces.

A great place to try lots of Baroque music, if you'd like to explore early classical work, is TheBaroqueMusicLibrary. They've got a huge amount of free music to listen to. You can easily play it in your browser. It's quite the great place and an incredible resource for the world.

Anyway, if you are exploring classical for the first time, an easy way to enter it's world is through film scores--many people loved Christopher Nolan's film scores [often done by composer Hans Zimmer]. One film many enjoyed is The Young Victoria, about Queen Victoria, which had a great track 'The First Waltz' by Ilan Esherki. The actual theme is a fantasy from Donizetti's opera L'elisir d'amore [The Elixir of Love], a comic opera, called 'Della crudele Isolde'. 

Japan

This is a great piece, and it is also a good one to start someone on Asian or Japanese art history. It's quite gorgeous--it's 'Maiko Playing Shuttlecock' by  長谷川貞信三代  ie. Sadanobu III Hasegawa [1881-1963]; related artists/schools.

Music

Some more summer pieces to try during this time of the year are the 'Rigaudon, Suite in G' from Handel's 'Water Music', say from the The Age of Baroque (Volume 1) cd.

I would also try the Outlander [based on the time-travel to Highlands Scotland book series by Diana Gabaldon] standing stones druid ceremony scene [as the sun rises during the first episode of the tv series] by composer Bear McCreary. It's a great piece. The first episode was put online by the network Starz, I believe.

Also try the 'Marian Anthem (Alma Redemptoris Mater)' online [this version is different, it's by Orlande de Lassus [1532-1594, try this one for a version closer to the cd] or by The Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey on the cd Christmas Chant - Traditional Latin Plainsong. You feel like you're walking through the stone cold floors of a church immediately, and it's beautiful and calm.

If you prefer emotional Chopin pieces, try the famous pianist Martha Argerich's take on 'Ballade No.1 in G minor, Op.23' on the cd Martha Argerich - Chopin.

Trees

Montreal is a unique gem of a city, with surprises everywhere. This huge tree installation was spotted just a little while ago, it was even more beautiful in real life. We were just there, walking through the ancient stone streets of Old town, it's like being in France. The city often has the air of Vivaldi's 1725 Four Seasons piece "Spring" [it's "1. Allegro" from "La primavera" Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269]. In many places, in Montreal's special obscure churches this seems to hum behind you through the power lines.

But when you rush through the masses shopping gaily in the summer breezes, there's the low key emotion of the foxtrot 1920s style The Great Gatsby "Young and Beautiful", the version mixed from Lana del Rey's work.

You can hike up from Chinatown to several main shopping areas, all of which have great French delicacy shops and clothes boutiques in every niche category. And of course Oglivy's is fun, downstairs be sure to see the crazy big, extravagant Godiva counters and then go to Holt Renfrew to glide past the Prada and Chanel. They have an enormous Jo Malone counter for perfume buffs.

You also have to hike through the mountain, it's nature paradise. Truly beautiful. This summer many famous, jeweled Fabergé eggs will be at the museum, we're going.

But really, you need no excuse to go. It's that good.

Alice

One great set of illustrations for Alice in Wonderland [there are the old classic ones by Sir John Tenniel or the more modern Arthur Rackham] is oddly enough by Salvador Dalí, look at it here. His 1969 version of the art work is incredible; often odd pairings of artists and texts can be interesting, like the Italian Renaissance's Botticelli for his work here on Dante's The Divine Comedy.

Even if you don't normally like post-Victorian or post-Impressionist art, it's quite interesting and sometimes beautiful. It's definitely psychedelic.

Tolkien

If you enjoy medieval art, Eastern European traditional art, Russian Orthodox style paintings or Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings, check out the incredible illustrations of Ukranian Sergei Iukhimov [or Yuhinov], article here or tons of his images at this tumblr here. His nazgul/ringwraiths are amazing so check them out, and I love this one piece above particularly. There is also a Tolkien site here with even more art, some from The Hobbit as well.

Tv Rewatch

One show worth re-watching, especially for the autumn scenes in grey, sweater dotted Paris near the Seine river, is Highlander. Every episode with Hugh Fitzcairn [famous singer Roger Daltrey from The Who], or Methos, or Amanda too is gold. The show has some over the top moments, but it's easy to forgive them their few mistakes. The scenery itself is quite interesting--you don't often see Paris in grey, cold autumn unless you're reading David Lebovitz's blog about living there, even through the cold seasons.

The flashbacks to other time periods make this show a real alternative for people who enjoy shows that deal with the temporal immortal reality of, say, vampires, ie. history flashback moments. Sometimes Methos is not done subtly, but even then you can imagine 'what is he really thinking?'--this is someone who could have been taught by Sun Tzu. What is the real import of his actions?

Ancient

"Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus" by John William Waterhouse [1849-1917] is a great example of the classic power of ancient myth and legend. The paradigms, archetypes and lessons you must puzzle from them are as interesting as speculating what really happened, and why a legend grew out of something. Part of studying pagan religions and cults is looking at history, ancient culture and other ways of thinking. It is a new lens through which to see the beauty of nature, the sea and the simple, topmost pleasures of life.

Circe [Greek: Κίρκη] was an interesting ancient Greek sorceress, also called a goddess or nymph. She used liquid magic potions and her staff [like a long straight wand] to turn her enemies, and Ulysses and his men into animals. All this is recorded in the famous ancient Greek epic of Homer, the Odyssey [Greek: Ὀδύσσεια]. Read Butler's famous translation here. Here's a neat excerpt:

"'We went,' said he, 'as you told us, through the forest, and in the middle of it there was a fine house built with cut stones in a place that could be seen from far. There we found a woman, or else she was a goddess, working at her loom and singing sweetly; so the men shouted to her and called her, whereon she at once came down, opened the door, and invited us in. The others did not suspect any mischief so they followed her into the house, but I staid where I was, for I thought there might be some treachery. From that moment I saw them no more, for not one of them ever came out, though I sat a long time watching for them.'

"Then I took my sword of bronze and slung it over my shoulders; I also took my bow, and told Eurylochus to come back with me and shew me the way. But he laid hold of me with both his hands and spoke piteously, saying, 'Sir, do not force me to go with you, but let me stay here, for I know you will not bring one of them back with you, nor even return alive yourself; let us rather see if we cannot escape at any rate with the few that are left us, for we may still save our lives.'

"'Stay where you are, then,' answered I, 'eating and drinking at the ship, but I must go, for I am most urgently bound to do so.'

"With this I left the ship and went up inland. When I got through the charmed grove, and was near the great house of the enchantress Circe, I met Mercury with his golden wand, disguised as a young man in the hey-day of his youth and beauty with the down just coming upon his face. He came up to me and took my hand within his own, saying, 'My poor unhappy man, whither are you going over this mountain top, alone and without knowing the way? Your men are shut up in Circe's pigstyes, like so many wild boars in their lairs. You surely do not fancy that you can set them free? I can tell you that you will never get back and will have to stay there with the rest of them. But never mind, I will protect you and get you out of your difficulty. Take this herb, which is one of great virtue, and keep it about you when you go to Circe's house, it will be a talisman to you against every kind of mischief.

Celtic

Maud Gonne [1866-1953] was the smart and famous Irish political figure, nationalist, activist, promoter of women's rights, revolutionary, actress, intellectual, beauty and muse of the very famous, Nobel in literature prize winner Irish poet W.B. Yeats [1865-1939]. Many parts of his work are about her or were written for her; you can read much of it here. In Irish Gaelic [Gaeilge] her name stands as Maud Nic Ghoinn Bean Mac Giolla Bhríghde. In that time period, many people began to promote a return to Irish Gaelic [there are over 6 types of Gaelic spread out all over the celtic areas of Europe].

She founded a society for women in 1900 so that they too could work for Ireland and all Irish interests and national customs and pride called Inghinidhe na hÉireann ("Daughters of Ireland"). Her work, and Yeats' poetry as well are great ways to begin learning about history, cultures and literature. The photo of her above is particularly exceptional. It draws you in of its own accord.

North

These movies with Thor and Loki are a great resource to start learning about the nine realms and Norse mythology. For example, the beautiful gold amulet-shaped art pieces from the Iron Age called gullgubber ['little old man of gold'] are gorgeous and something very interesting. The above is a photo of Fanefjord church in Denmark [ie. the burial place of Queen Fane], on the island of Møn, with exceptional biblical ceiling art from the 1300s-1500s. They were hidden under plaster in the past.

The eye

All over the world, cruel intent is feared--in many areas this is called the 'evil eye', or mati in Greek for example. People wear hamsa and eye charms, sometimes with the eye on the hand symbol, and often wear crosses as well, or other appropriate religious protective symbols. The Roman mosaic from Antiochia [Greek Ἀντιόχεια] in Turkey [often called 'the Near East'] above depicts the eye being taken down and defeated by a scorpion, cat, snake, centipede insect, dog as it is stabbed by a sword and a big trident on top. The Greek letters mean 'Kai Su', 'and you [too/as well]'.

Antioch was also the city where Christianity had a large, fast spreading base in the ancient world. Note on the mosaic the Greek-style wave pattern. Roman art often incorporated Greek styles.

Sacred

While we have been to holy places of all faiths and persuasions, all over the world, the individual stories of historical people always stand out. Along with beautiful art, architecture, music and writing, thinking about the sacred often brings to mind the courage people had in the ancient and past world.

One of these people is St Joan of Arc [1412-1431] from Domrémy in north-eastern France, painted with the saints appearing and speaking to her by the French symbolist painter Gaston Bussière [1862-1928], above. Many films have been made about Joan, like the famous silent one, the 1928 The Passion of Joan of Arc and the 1994 French film Jeanne la Pucelle, click to watch, [title meaning 'Jeanne the Maiden'] by French director Jacques Rivette and French actress Sandrine Bonnaire [b. 1967].

Anyway, St. Saturnina's feast day is June 4th. Whether or not she is legend or fact [probably living pre-1100], there must have been some person out there who suffered as she did. In that vein, I think there is something to honor and think about.