Sat my resit Modernism exam today and surprisingly it went seemingly well. That's three exams done and dusted, two left to slog for. I think I'll take this evening off and watch some trivial garbage film online... alone... because I'm very introverted and pensive and cool. Morelike my friends are busy studying, going for dinner etc. and my boyfriend is a secret nerd i.e. he does nothing explicitly except study during exams. He's finished tomorrow evening, as I mentioned in my last post, I've to wait five more days. Saturday can't come quick enough.
In light of this being an artsy day, with the modernism exam and all, I thought I'd do a post about one of my favourite paintings. I've always loved art, since I was a wee girl. I used to spend hours sitting in my playroom full of toys that every child would have dreamed of having and draw. Dolls, books, bears, various battery operated creatures and cars sat untouched on the shelves and I would always be found at my little vintage schooldesk with lift-up bench and inkwell that my parents bought in a jumble sale from my primary school, amidst a flurry of paper, colouring pencils, chalks, crayons and an abundance of imagination. I was an only child until the age of eight and lived in an area with no children around, so my drawings were my friends. I gave my princesses, witches, ice skaters, models, dogs and horses names and drew them doing various things such as eating ice-cream, swimming and going to the library (another one of my favourite things to do as a child) while I sang to myself. Always songs from Disney films or the songs my mother sang to me before bed at night- "Little Boxes", "Scarlet Ribbons", "Where is Love?".
"The Taking of Christ" by the Rennaisance painter Caravaggio (1571-1610) is one of my loved pieces. I first saw it in the Caravaggio Room in the NGI when I was at leaving cert age, so about seventeen, and I loved it immediately. Caravaggio was such a genius when it came to realism- I love how he paints facial expressions in such detail with the most fantastic light and shade. They're so magnificent, you really feel as though one of the figures in the painting is going to turn around and wink at you before moving back to their original positions. "The Taking of Christ" jumped at me because of the armour on the soldier who is grabbing Jesus by the shoulder. It looks so realistic that you could reach out and touch it, and that you wouldn't feel paint on canvas but a cold, shiny, curved piece of metal. I also marvel at the weakness portrayed in Jesus' face... uncommon in paintings unless they are crucifixion scenes. There's so much going on in this painting but it's simplified with the solid black bacground that blends into the foreground, really emphasising the central scene. Just magic.
For my birthday last year, the Boyfriend surprised me with an oil-on-canvas 1/3 scale replica of the painting. I cried. What a bloody thoughtful present. It's the best gift I've ever gotten and it hangs over my bed. Funny that I happen to like that particular painting, because I'm not in the slightest bit religious.
I got my first birthday present today. My aunt has given me an appointment with an Australian Buddhist healer and accupuncturist in Waterford who I've heard wonderful things about over the past few months and expressed an interest in going to see him. Of course I would have never thought of making an appointment myself, what with the expense, travel, etc... I'm really looking forward to it and am hoping to make an appointment when my exams are over and I'm in the right mind-frame with no unusual stresses or anything. I'll do a post about the meeting after, well, I get to meet him!
Have a lovely Monday,
Robyn
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