Introduction and Welcome

Welcome to All Things Bright and Beautiful. If you are new to this site, I would recommend that you read my very first entry - which is an introduction and welcome to this blog. You can view it here

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Thomas Cole-The Course of Empire: Desolation, Johann Sebastian Bach - Brandenburg Concerto, and Robert Louis Stevenson - Bed in Summer

Thomas Cole:  The Course of Empire - Desolation


This is the final painting in Thomas Cole's series - The Course of Empire.  It is titled "Desolation".  Note the time of day - the paintings have followed the course of a day beginning with sunrise and now ending with night and the moon rising.  Compare this painting with last weeks and the week before noting details of the changes that have taken place.  In many ways this scene is again peaceful even with the remains of a decaying civilization.  This is the only painting of the five that doesn't have any people in it (at least none that I could see).  You can view the painting below or click on this link to view a copy with zoom capability:  http://www.explorethomascole.org/tour/items/71

I'd like to introduce a new musician this week.
Johann Sebastian Bach is perhaps the best known composer of all time.  For a biographical article of his life click the following link:  http://www.baroquemusic.org/bqxjsbach.html  or view Wikipedia's entry on Bach here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

Today's musical selection is one of his Brandenburg Concerto's.  Read about this musical work here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Concertos

A Child's Garden of Verses is one of my favorite children's books of poetry.  Robert Louis Stevenson wrote wonderful poetry reflecting a child's view of the world.  Read about him at the following link.  We'll be enjoying some of his poetry over the next few weeks.   http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/life

      Bed in Summer
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?




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