Met with Rathey today to clarify some of our concerns about research method and how we should form a "thesis". His response was that this is a historical study with nothing to prove. So the goal is to research the topic thoroughly, present that information (not randomly but concisely) along with some of our own conclusions.
Some guiding questions:
What are we looking at? the story of John the Baptist and Salome
Why are Strauss and Wilde interested in this topic?
How does 20th c thinking affect the story?
How does this art affect the presentation of biblical subjects in the 20th c?
He also mentioned Adella Collins as biblical scholar source.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
personal reflection
Chapter 2 of "Three Versions of the Salome Legend" begins with a discussion of interpretations of literature that take into account authors' lives. The author of this thesis feels that an understanding of Wilde's personal life is useful to the interpretation of his art. Particularly this relates to the ways in which Wilde attracted attention but veiled his inner life from the public eye. This is reflected in Wilde's art: "It is easy to see how this system of camouflage relates to one of the central motifs in Wilde's work--the theme of mask. A mask will attract attention while diverting it from what lies hidden behind. The imagery that highlights this topic varies but always within the framework of self-reflection. The symbol may be a narcissus, a pool, a mirror, a portrait, the moon, or the eyes of another. It does not imply a mere examination of the external but rather indicates an attempt to find the relation between the external appearance and the internal self, between mask and reality. The question is one of self-reflection and self knowledge" (55-56).
Friday, August 7, 2009
image proliferation (AWESOME!!)
I found this wonderful website (http://www.wga.hu/index1.html) that has pretty much every artwork in creation. Here are the images of Salome I was able to cull. Follow the linking trail.
I think it might be fruitful to analyze how Beardsley's illustrations depart from the visual Salome tradition and see whether this reflects Wilde's departure from the literary Salome tradition.
Bernardino Luini (Italian Renaissance painter, Lombard school; b. 1480, Luino, d. 1532, Milano) apparently liked Salome with JB beheaded because he treated the subject three different times. But all three portrayals are quite similar. A disembodied hand (in the first and third case) holds JB casually by the hair as it is lowered into the empty silver charger. Salome gently holds the charger, almost caressing it, with her head turned demurely away. She is dispassionate in the first and third images. In the second there is a hint of a smile on her face, suggesting the invisible emotional history of the story. In all three cases, Salome appears to be a typical Renaissance woman, although I am not familiar with female iconography of the time period. There is a little cleavage, but that does not seem too scandalous. The first Salome's costume interests me the most. She looks the most royal or patrician. She has a pearl circlet around her head, and a pearl and gold necklace dangling a pendant of a naked cherubic looking figure. I wonder what this is and what it means. In all three images, JB has medium-length curly hair, peacefully closed eyes, and two-pronged beard. If I were beheaded, I think it's likely that I would have a look of horror frozen on my face. Is he peaceful because he has nothing to be ashamed or fearful of as the Lord's prophet? Is this typical of the tradition?
Oh, wow. If you type "Salome" into the search engine, you come up with 60 hits. I won't attempt to analyze them all, but maybe later I'll post some more thoughts.
I think it might be fruitful to analyze how Beardsley's illustrations depart from the visual Salome tradition and see whether this reflects Wilde's departure from the literary Salome tradition.
Bernardino Luini (Italian Renaissance painter, Lombard school; b. 1480, Luino, d. 1532, Milano) apparently liked Salome with JB beheaded because he treated the subject three different times. But all three portrayals are quite similar. A disembodied hand (in the first and third case) holds JB casually by the hair as it is lowered into the empty silver charger. Salome gently holds the charger, almost caressing it, with her head turned demurely away. She is dispassionate in the first and third images. In the second there is a hint of a smile on her face, suggesting the invisible emotional history of the story. In all three cases, Salome appears to be a typical Renaissance woman, although I am not familiar with female iconography of the time period. There is a little cleavage, but that does not seem too scandalous. The first Salome's costume interests me the most. She looks the most royal or patrician. She has a pearl circlet around her head, and a pearl and gold necklace dangling a pendant of a naked cherubic looking figure. I wonder what this is and what it means. In all three images, JB has medium-length curly hair, peacefully closed eyes, and two-pronged beard. If I were beheaded, I think it's likely that I would have a look of horror frozen on my face. Is he peaceful because he has nothing to be ashamed or fearful of as the Lord's prophet? Is this typical of the tradition?
Oh, wow. If you type "Salome" into the search engine, you come up with 60 hits. I won't attempt to analyze them all, but maybe later I'll post some more thoughts.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Mother and child reunion
The relationship between Herodias, Salome and Herod sort of woke me out of bed this morning.
Herodias, who is losing her power over Herod to Salome, manipulates her daughter with every tool available. Herod blatantly flirts with Salome, offering half of his kingdom to her (which is technically still her mother's)- he is stripping Herodias of her power in public.
Salome's violent death at the end...is that what Herodias really wanted all along? Was John the Baptist just a bonus?
This thought made me bound out of bed this morning. Completely unfounded, just stream of consciousness. Wanted to bounce it off you.
Herodias, who is losing her power over Herod to Salome, manipulates her daughter with every tool available. Herod blatantly flirts with Salome, offering half of his kingdom to her (which is technically still her mother's)- he is stripping Herodias of her power in public.
Salome's violent death at the end...is that what Herodias really wanted all along? Was John the Baptist just a bonus?
This thought made me bound out of bed this morning. Completely unfounded, just stream of consciousness. Wanted to bounce it off you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)