The Pugilist At Rest

The Pugilist At Rest is a sculpture made by G. Ruggeri in 1^st Century B.C.  It shares the same name with one of Thom Jones’ books. In Mr, Jones’ story, the protagonist Theogenes, the greatest of gladiators, was a boxer who served under the patronage of a cruel nobleman (Lindemans). Unlike modern-day boxing, the ancient boxing was a fight to the death (Lindemans). Fourteen hundred and twenty-five times Theogenes had fought and fourteen hundred and twenty-five times he emerged a victor (Lindemans).

Perhaps it is Theogenes who is depicted in this famous statue. The statue depicts a muscular athlete sitting quietly and meditating with his forearms balanced on his thighs. He has a thick beard and a full head of curly hair. His forehead is piled with scars. As being expected, the pugilist has the characteristics of a strong fighter. His neck muscles are well developed. His shoulders are enormous, and his back is muscular. Also, he has sturdy legs, which are the symbols of a boxer. It is clear to see that he was perfectly proportioned.

It seems like that the boxer is saving his energy by himself besides the arena. His head is turned as if he were looking at the audience, including cheerful supporters, rude scoffers, and the neutral fans. He noticed these people’s presence and might be thinking of himself while looking at them. There is a look of confusion on his face, but there is no trace of fear. His life will soon be on the line. As a boxer, he feels pressure and needs to see it as the motivation for the win. At this very moment, he is isolated, and really needs to calm himself down and succeed for the glory.

Lindemans, Micha F. "Theogenic Myths." Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. Encyclopedia Mythica, 08 Jan. 1999. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/theogenic_myths.html.

Landscape in Moonlight

Ma Yuan, one of China’s best-known artists, was a key figure in Southern Song Dynasty, which is the period widely celebrated as the golden era of Chinese landscape painting (Gombrich 152). Painted by Ma Yuan in 1200, Landscape in Moonlight depicts a man holding a wine glass in front of the huge mountains. The composition of this painting is very special – the whole scene is divided into “right” and “left” sections with fog filling in between. The left part is what Ma focused on and seems closer to him, while the right part seems farther. By doing this “void” and “real” are presented harmoniously and simultaneously. As a renowned artist, Ma Yuan’s genius lay on the landscape constructing skills. The mountains are very high and magnificent; for showing it Ma put the sun right above the top of the mountains. The outlines are clear and firm, clearly and straightly dividing the mountains into different layers. The trees and grass are also exquisite; leaves of the trees that are pretty close to Ma are painted in details while those that are far from him are painted generally. On the other hand, the man that is seating on a rock and drinking seems really small since he is surrounded by the nature.

Thematically, sitting with none except the servant standing beside and waiting for adding liquid when necessary, the man in the painting is lonely. Since he is drinking, it is highly possible that something is worrying him, and he is looking for solutions from nature. In fact, Ma Yuan might be that man. The Chinese landscape painters prefer being alone in a certain space and meditating in the construction of the paintings (Gombrich 153). In other words, “solitude” and “reflection” do not only present themselves in the mind of the man in painting, they are also alive in the painter’s mind.

Gombrich, E. H. The Story of Art. London: Phaidon, 1995. Print.

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog

In 1818, the German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich, who reflected the mood of lyrical poetry, painted Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, a painted scene of a man with a crutch standing on the top a mountain and staring at the fog. It appears on the cover of Frankenstein and evokes a sense of the divine in nature. The fog conveys a mystical presence and an awe of the unknown, characterizing the sense that nature is powerful, immense, and mysterious (Potash).

The Romantic era was a response to the scientific and industrial revolutions, and the singular focus on reason.  Science (and Victor Frankenstein) believed that they could unlock the mysteries of life, that they could solve every riddle of the universe. Romanticism was an antidote to that pride and arrogance, but re-instilling a sense of awe, ever fear, of nature (Potash). In Romanticism, nature is divine and mysterious.

        Thinking really deeply on the cliff, the man in the painting personifies Friedrich’s overwhelming desire for solitude: “I have to stay alone in order to fully contemplate and feel nature”, he wrote (Marceau and Candlish, 376). Romanticism frequently portrayed nature with bleak, mountainous landscapes and forests where one could become forever lost (Marceau and Candlish 376). These landscapes are places of meditation and solitude, where man moves aimlessly and wearily. It symbolizes solitude and sometimes expresses despair. Therefore it really makes man self-reflect.

Marceau, Jo, and Louise Candlish. Art: a World History. New York, NY: DK Pub., 1998. Print.

Potash, Brett. Romanticism Arts Analysis. 2011.

The Thinker

In August 1880, Auguste Rodin, an average French sculptor, received the commission for a set of portals for the new Musee des Arts Decoratifs (Peter and Janson 334). Rodin was clear that this project was a great opportunity for him to show his skills but also a risk that would affect his career deeply. He chose Dante’s Inferno for his theme. Quickly he realized that there would be one figure in the middle of the mortals to serve as special focus. Eventually, Dante, the poet, was the best to fit the need.

The Thinker is a bronze and marble sculpture by French sculptor Rodin in 1902. It is a simple scene: a naked man, seated on a rock, his fist against his teeth, he dreams. In first glance, the scale of the figure is accurate. His pose and movement look very natural. Dante’s eyesight is fixed at something, or he is gazing at something. The physical change of face is also clearly depicted, and the body and muscle movement is also very realistic. In some degree, Dante’s pose recalls to a degree that of Michelangelo’s Thinker; Rodin was inspired by Michelangelo’s works (334).

The Thinker is depicted as a man in sober meditation battling with a powerful internal struggle (334). The unique pose with hand to the chin, right elbow to the left knee, and crouching position fills the sculpture with a contemplative feel (335). There is a special reason for its fame: when you are facing it, you will calm yourself down automatically. Very soon, you will feel the quietness and contemporary solitude, as you will start pondering deeply with Dante. This is the golden point of this sculpture – it will make you think and feel like Dante. In this sculpture, Rodin brought romantic sensibility to the tradition of Michelangelo, creating it of vibrant power and strong emotional impact (335). By making this sculpture, Rodin led a group of artists who formed a bridge between the Romanticism of the 19^th century and Modernism of the 20^th. 

Fusco, Peter, and H. W. Janson. The Romantics to Rodin: French Nineteenth-century Sculpture from North American Collections. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1980. Print.

The Shawshank Redemption (Poster)

            The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film. Adapted from the Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the story begins when Andy Durfresne, a young banker, is wrongfully convicted of killing his wife and her lover (Darabont and King 5). He is then sent to jail where he learns lessons about life through his friends and becomes part of a corrupt plan to launder money. After nineteen years Andy escapes from the prison through the tunnel and a narrow sewage drain during a thunderstorm.

           

The poster of the movie depicts the moment when Andy feels freedom again after nineteen years. After five hundred yards’ creep, Andy stretches and raises his arms to the sky, turning slowly, feeling the rain washing him clean. It is a very simple scene: a man standing in an empty field on a thunderstorm night. Andy is leaning a little bit back, facing the sky and roaring his excitement and delight emotionally. He is too relaxing and delighted that he closes his eyes to completely feel the “free air”. In order to do so he stretches his fingers as wide apart as he can. He just falls in love with the rain.

Standing alone in a desolate field, Andy’s mind contains several things at a moment. He might be thinking about his life in prison, his friends, and the tough path to his redemption. For the viewers, it is also the time for us to take a deep breath and think about how Andy succeeds. Life is not always pleasant; it is impossible to predict what is going to happen to us. For us, the ordinary people, it is expected that we may confront with some situation that we don’t wish to face with. At that moment, shall we believe in ourselves and not be affected by the surroundings? The answer is obvious. With faith, hope, and consistency, humans will realize that everything has a real solution. As Red describes Andy, “Some birds aren’t meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are just too bright.”

Darabont, Frank, and Stephen King. The Shawshank Redemption: the Shooting Script. New York: Newmarket, 1996. Print.



[Honors] The Lonely RES

(Click to enlarge)

        On March 1, 2011, I went to LA Arboretum for Webb Urban Field Trip with my peers and teachers. Rather than focusing on the fascinating plants and flowers, I focused more on the animals that inhabit in this area. I took this photo of a pond sized adult Red Eared Slider basking on a stone when I walked by a lake. Decided not to chase after its friends, this turtle was stretching itself for the best sunning position, and was definitely enjoying the sunlight. It might even be thinking thankfully to the nature for a wonderful day. At that moment, it did not have to worry about food, since at this sturdy size, this turtle is ready to face the challenges of the lake. The tranquility of this shot makes me calmed, and gives me a feel that the lonely RES enjoys its life and has found its inner peace.