Jules Breton - The Departure for the Fields;Edvard Grieg - Butterfly; Alfred Lord Tennyson - Early Spring

Jules Breton, like Millet, painted the peasants of his day.  The first painting of his that we will study is The Departure for the Fields.  I like how the light falls, the long morning shadows and the splashes of red he throws in. 




 Notice how the center of interest is off to one side.  Paintings and photos are more interesting if the center of interest is off to one sides  The rule of thirds states that the center of interest should be placed approximately where the lines cross on a grid cut in three both ways.  For more information on the rule of thirds check the link below: . Notice where the red flowers fall on an imaginary grid.
Wikipedia - The Rule of Thirds

Information on Jules Breton:  Wikipedia - Jules Breton
     or   Jules Breton - Rehs Gallery

Our final piece of music by Edvard Grieg is a piano piece called Notturno.  You can listen and watch it played here:   Grieg - Notturno

 Lord Alfred Tennyson

              Blow, Bugle, Blow

THE splendour falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.

O hark, O hear! how thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying:
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.

O love, they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.