“The Girl from Ticino” is a small-format masterpiece painted with a striking empathy. On her back, the young woman is carrying an empty wicker basket, with which she carries the harvested hay from the alpine pastures to the farm in the valley. Undoubtedly, this is hard work, especially for a slender woman, but she does not show evidence of her
Manichaeism was founded by Mani (216–274 AD) at the beginning of the Sasanian Empire (224–651 AD) and quickly spread from the Roman Empire to China. Mani believed that he was the Paraclete whose manifestation was heralded by Jesus Christ. Accordingly, he revealed the truth and instructed his disciples to write it down so that people could be guided, benefit from
Kaspar Hauser – “The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser” is a powerful film, exploring a variety of social, political, and philosophical issues. At its core, the story of a young man, Kaspar Hauser, who is found wandering the streets of Nuremberg in 1828, speaks to the struggles of those who are marginalized by society and often overlooked by the mainstream. The
Ralph Hübschmann’s beauteous wood sculpture “Evolution – the Next Level” is a captivating exploration of posthumanism, blurring the boundaries between humanity and technology with phosphorescent cords attached to a gender-less face that appears to be transitioning from nature to robot. This unique piece of art encourages viewers to consider the implications of posthumanism, and to contemplate the possibilities of a
Once again, Voegtli has painted an aquarelle, titled “Ticino Girl in the Back Courtyard.” Most likely, it’s the same young woman that he had already immortalized in “Ticino Girl” (Picture 46). This time it’s almost impossible to recognize her face; however, she again is wearing a red headscarf, a blue dress – this time with white sleeves and loose sandals.
In a pure blue sky stands strong a white mountain named Matterhorn, one of the most famous peaks of the Alps. It is, at first glance, an honorable depiction of the strength and power of the mountain which, on the one hand, goes up to the highest place in the sky and, on the other hand, is rooted deeply in
Ecophobia is defined by Estok (2011) in Ecocriticism and Shakespeare as “It denotes fear and loathing of the environment” – in much the same way that the term “homophobia” denotes fear and loathing of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals (p. 24). It is a recent term in ecology studies and defines a part of Western culture. It has its roots back
The monumental format of this painting “Golgotha” reflects the importance of the theme in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Chagall paints it in 1912, in his workshop in La Ruche, with as much energy as wisdom. Titled originally dedicated to Christ, it is exhibited that same year in Berlin’s Walden Gallery. The large dimensions of the canvas reflect the magnitude that this
The violinist invades the central space of this large painting, a format over which reigns supreme: dancing in support of the foot on the roof of a house, and around it you can see a hamlet reminiscent of Vitebsk, where Chagall spent his childhood and youth. Uprooted in Paris, the artist goes into the memories of his native Russia, to
“Umwelt” is a German word for “kingdom” or “world.” It is a biological term coined by Uexküll (1934, p. 5) to denote the world as seen by an animal. The term brought about a revolution in human culture and affected Heidegger’s criticism on Western civilization and human-centeredness. Throughout history, Western philosophy has looked at man as the center and the
There were two versions of the subject (the one not illustrated here, a wooden panel is also in Brussels, in the collection of David and Alice van Buuren; it also shows Daedalus in flight), although scholars are of the opinion that it is are two copies of a lost Bruegel original. The works have a special place in Bruegel’s oeuvre
