Beers & Books (397) – Caspar David Friedrich

Art as the centre of the world
Selected letters and writings

Caspar David Friedrich (5 September 1774 – 7 May 1840)

Relats conjunts – Goethe, Shakespeare, Barbolaire

A photograph by Miquel Àngel Vich alias Barbolaire

– Smoke hidden ghoulish faces, eyes, grimaces, torso of a female figure. Positive became negative. Smoke without sound.

– Words are mere sound and smoke, dimming the heavenly light.

– Says who?

– Goethe, Faust I.

– Lousy translation. Faust says, verse 3457: Name ist Schall und Rauch. Name is sound and smoke. Not words. May I ask who created this photographic artwork?

– Didn't you just say names are sound and smoke?

– Thanks a lot. But that was Goethe.

– Nitpicker. Let's turn the whole thing on its head for fun. What do you see now?

– The female figure now on the left side of the picture. ... Actually, the whole picture looks even more feminine. And the little astronaut in his bubble capsule looks much more determined and optimistic.

– See? There are more things in heaven and earth, Sean, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

– Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5.

– Yes, yes. Smart arse. But now: What is the name of the poetic photo artist?

– The name is at the top under the photo. ;-)

Metamorphosis Kafkaesque a

This morning, as I was waking up
from sweet dreams,
I discovered that in my bed
I had been changed into a tiny insect
and now was sitting on my glasses
reading Kafka's Verwandlung:

One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up
from anxious dreams, he discovered
that in his bed he had been changed
into a monstrous verminous bug.
He lay on his armour-hard back and saw,
as he lifted his head up a little,
his brown, arched abdomen divided up
into rigid bow-like sections.
From this height the blanket, just about ready
to slide off completely, could hardly stay in place.
His numerous legs, pitifully thin in comparison
to the rest of his circumference,
flickered helplessly before his eyes.
“What’s happened to me,” he thought.
It was no dream.

Monochrome Monday

Not Kafkaesque.

 

Swarming stupidity

Typing swarm intelligence after 0,13 seconds I got told there are 1,570.000 entries.

Afterwards, I hesitated to type swarm idiocy.

The peace of the night.

Beers & Books (396) – Goethe 275

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832)

When I try to imagine the time of the original creation of those 20,000 pages of my thin-print complete edition, I suddenly think of some Flemish painters. Should be possible that Privy Councillor Goethe, who today would celebrate his 275th birthday, had some industrious penmen write for him? ;-)
The following may seem casual, but seriously:
The man spends 25 years of his life as political advisor, minister, theater director, “rides” in times of small statehood for one and a half years by horse-drawn stage coach to and through “Bella Italia”, and – not to forget the one or other amorous adventure that also takes up this and that hour – finds time by candlelight with quill and inkwell to write such an enormous oeuvre?
Chapeau!
Happy birthday, Wolfi! ;-)

Butterflies Dorado

These days one can see why summer lilac is also called butterfly bush.

Several peacock butterflies, swallowtails and others
are frequenting this one.

Monochrome Monday

Missed you. Where've you been?
There'd be a lot to tell.
Anyway, you're back.

Coffee time with Dylan Thomas

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog

Dylan Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953)

Beers & Books (395) – José Carrasco

Chile, my martyred land

José Carrasco (24 August 1943 – 8 September 1986)

Friday is Skyday

 

16 August
See the birds?

22 August

Today

Laughing Lhursday*

A garden spook named Philomenosa

* [For first time visitors]:

Typo in the title?
Nah. It's just that I would not
let a tiny T spoil an avantgardistic alliteration.

Fine Beer for Fine Books

A friend visited the Faroe Islands
and on his return surprised me
with a nice little collection of Faroe Beer.
"For your Beers & Books."
I am delighted.