Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Relats conjunts: Still life with onions and herring

«Natura morta amb cebes i arengada»
(Isidre Nonell – 1910)

Hm ... onions ... fish ... onion fish: In German a Zwiebelfisch is a character that by mistake is printed in a font different from the rest.
So what did Isidre wish to tell us with this very painting that is (very probably) nothing but a d'arengada vermella (red herring)?
It's obvious: But I won't tell you.
Surely you will find out for yourselves, won't you? ;-)

14 comments:

  1. No sé si l'Isidre Nonell coneixia el significat de "Zwiebelfisch" i ho va utilitzar per a amagar un missatge ocult en aquest quadre, però el que si és cert és que jo no en sabia res i que m'ha agradat molt aprendre sobre aquest "peix ceba alemany". Seria interessant saber d'on sorgeix aquesta denominació, ho intentaré buscar.

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    1. Gràcies, Mc!
      There is only one Wikipedia entry for "Zwiebelfisch" in German. I have linked it HERE. You will "only" have to run it through as good a translation programme as possible. ;-)

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  2. Podria dir-se que el que fan la majoria de polítics als seus discursos són "red herring"? ;-)))
    Pel que fa a les intencions de l'Isidre, malauradament no el tenim present per dir-nos-ho, però el que sí sé és que m'ha agradat com ho has presentant.

    Umarmungen und Küsschen, Sean.

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    1. Well, one could come to this conclusion; it would, of course, not be fair against the many politicians who do a good job.
      Glad you enjoyed the read.
      Aferradetes, Paula.

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  3. Perhaps some ingredients to be prepared for a 'fine dinining' experience?

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    Replies
    1. Which ingredients would the 'fine dining'-expert recommend?

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  4. Ens has deixat ben intrigats, Sean.
    Molt original el teu relat.

    Aferradetes.

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    Replies
    1. Now, That's a nice com(pli)ment. Gràcies, Carme.
      Aferradetes.

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  5. Red Herring: I read: "The term was popularized in 1807 by English polemicist William Cobbett, who told a story of having used a strong-smelling smoked fish to divert and distract hounds from chasing a rabbit", but my distraction is that I see red onions and a whiteish brownish fish. No sign of a red herring, or indeed of the rabbit, so it must have escaped, obviously...

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    1. Dear Don, congratulations. As a connoisseur of the iceberg theory, you immediately grasped the deeper meaning. Obviously... ;-)
      Oh, by the way, are Rosinante and you still on a windmillishing smiley quest?

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    2. Don QuiScottie de L'EcosseWednesday, May 29, 2024 10:33:00 am

      Pah, Andrew passed me your comment while I was rocking a new generation to sleep, and I can report that smileys and all such inconsequences are ignored by the entire Scott MacLan Clan, your Don included, now that we have ridiculed them sufficiently and all moved on to larger and more noble things, leaving most of dull humanity to its folly.

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    3. Noble Don, as you know, a man and a donkey know more than a man. So I just exchanged a look with my donkey. He nodded.

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  6. Replies
    1. Madam, please feel welcome to Omnium. I apologise that my guards have inadvertently imprisoned your laughter in the spam folder.

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