Thomas Cole Landscape, Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, and Consider the Lilies by Christina Rosetti

Thomas Cole was the founder of the Hudson River School of Painters. Many of his paintings were of his beloved Catskill mountains.  Today's painting is one of them.  

Painting by Thomas Cole

I also recommend that you tour the virtual gallery of his artwork at the following link:  http://www.explorethomascole.org/gallery

The following link is for a film with a bit of history about Thomas Cole's life and the Hudson River School of art.  http://cedargrove.squarespace.com/thomas-cole-film 


George Frideric Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks in two part is this week's music.  

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXjY6w1KQMo&feature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDlkAGGieBA&feature=related

The following is a link describing and explaining Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_for_the_Royal_Fireworks

CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD


by: Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

         LOWERS preach to us if we will hear:--

The rose saith in the dewy morn:

I am most fair;

Yet all my loveliness is born

Upon a thorn.

The poppy saith amid the corn:

Let but my scarlet head appear

And I am held in scorn;

Yet juice of subtle virtue lies

Within my cup of curious dyes.

The lilies say: Behold how we

Preach without words of purity.

The violets whisper from the shade

Which their own leaves have made:

Men scent our fragrance on the air,

Yet take no heed

Of humble lessons we would read.

But not alone the fairest flowers:

The merest grass

Along the roadside where we pass,

Lichen and moss and sturdy weed,

Tell of His love who sends the dew,

The rain and sunshine too,

To nourish one small seed.




The following are links to articles about Christina Rosetti: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/716

Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, I Know that My Redeemer Liveth, Caterpillar

 Expulsion From the Garden of Eden by Thomas Cole

The original of this painting is very large.  Notice how small Adam and Eve are as they leave the garden and head into the cursed world.  Notice the contrasts on the two sides of the gate.

For a brief biography of his life click the following link:  http://www.thomascole.org/biography-of-thomas-cole/

Again this week from George Frideric Hadel's oratorio, The Messiah, today's piece is called "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth".  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtU1c5JZf0k
It's good to know that God has provided a Redeemer and that He lives after viewing the above picture of the Fall and how it affects our lives.  


Christina Rossetti

     Caterpillar
Brown and furry
Caterpillar in a hurry
Take your walk
To the shady leaf, or stalk,
Or what not,
Which may be the chosen spot.
No toad spy you,
Hovering bird of prey pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.

The Garden of Eden, And the Glory of the Lord, Who Has Seen the Wind?

Thomas Cole

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite painters, Thomas Cole. He was the first famous American landscape artist.  He was a Christian and a conservationist.  He lived in the Catskill mountains and painted their rugged, untouched beauty.  He was very saddened as civilization encroached on the wilderness.  He is known as the founder of the Hudson River School of painters.   Today's painting is his rendition of the Garden of Eden.  It was a huge painting. (I can't find the exact dimensions this morning but I believe it was over 5').  It took over a year to paint all the rich details it includes. 

The Garden of Eden - Thomas Cole

I'd like to recommend a picture book to go along with this painting, Thomas Cole's Paintings of Eden by Franklin Kelly.  This book focuses on this painting with close-up views of different parts of the painting and text describing and explaining it.  Our local library has this book - yours may, too if you are interested, check it out.  


The following is a website that promotes Thomas Cole and his work:
http://www.thomascole.org/biography-of-thomas-cole/
It includes a virtual tour with many of his works: 
http://www.explorethomascole.org/gallery

 
Again this week from George Frideric Hadel's oratorio, "The Messiah", today's piece is called "And the Glory of the Lord" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6yIgN54R7k  


Most of this oratorio comes right out of the Bible.  You might enjoy looking up more about the oratorio, The Messiah:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_%28Handel%29

You can listen to parts of this oratorio one at a time on the following link:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Messiah

Christina Georgina Rossetti  

Who Has Seen the Wind?


Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

You also may enjoy this similar poem by Rowena Bennet:

God is Like This

I cannot see the wind at all
  Or hold it in my hand;
And yet I know there is a wind
  Because it swirls the sand.
I know there is a wondrous wind,
  Because I glimpse its power
Whenever it bends low a tree
  Or sways the smallest flower.

And God is very much like this,
  Invisible as air;
I cannot touch or see Him, yet
  I know that He is there
Because I glimpse His wondrous works
  And goodness everywhere.

The Hallelujah Chorus, My Gift, Landscape with Conopion Carrying the Ashes of Phocion

Jean-Francois Millet  "Landscape with Conopion Carrying the Ashes of Phocion" by Jean-Francois Millet Notice how Millet manages to portray great depth in his painting making the mountains look far distant. If you are interested in the story of Phocion and Conopion you can read it at the link below.  It is from Plutarch's Lives a classic book by Plutarch who was a Greek historian, biographer and essayist. http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/phocion.html This is my last post of Millet's works at least for now.  If you want to view more  of his works the following link has 125 of them shown (Does include some nudity).  http://www.jeanmillet.org George Frideric Handel

Is best known for his oratorio, "The Messiah".  You might want to buy or borrow a copy from your library of the whole oratorio.  It is full of scripture prophecies about the Messiah.  You are probably most familiar with the Hallelujah Chorus which is our featured piece this week.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtWkNxn3duA

The following informal performance of the Hallelujah Chorus in a food court in a mall is inspiring to listen to as more and more of the crowd join in.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

I'd also like to recommend a Sower Biography, George Frideric Handel: Composer of Messiah.

The following link is a biographical sketch of Handel:  http://www.8notes.com/school/history/handel.asp






Christina Rosetti


 MY GIFT

What can I give Him

Poor as I am;

If I were a shepherd,

I would give Him a lamb.

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part.

But what can I give Him?

I will give my heart.

The following are links to articles about Christina Rosetti: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/716

The Goose Girl, Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Children

Jean-Francois Millet  "The Goose Girl" by Jean-Francois Millet    Camille Saint-Saens Our final work by Camille Saint-Saens will be Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor. You can watch part or all of it using the links below.  The young cellist featured in these videos is only 13 years old. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il-mi7LM4TY&feature=relmfu  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJwSYUtM3KE&feature=relmfu   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjIXdG_fLKM   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  Children Come to me, O ye children! For I hear you at your play, And the questions that perplexed me Have vanished quite away. Ye open the eastern windows, That look towards the sun, Where thoughts are singing swallows And the brooks of morning run. In your hearts are the birds and the sunshine, In your thoughts the brooklet's flow, But in mine is the wind of Autumn And the first fall of the snow. Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more? We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before. What the leaves are to the forest, With light and air for food, Ere their sweet and tender juices Have been hardened into wood, -- That to the world are children; Through them it feels the glow Of a brighter and sunnier climate Than reaches the trunks below. Come to me, O ye children! And whisper in my ear What the birds and the winds are singing In your sunny atmosphere. For what are all our contrivings, And the wisdom of our books, When compared with your caresses, And the gladness of your looks? Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Havanaise, The Good Part That Shall Not Be Taken Away, Dandelions

Jean Francois Millet  Today's painting by Millet is different than the others we've looked at so far as it is a small study of nature rather than a scene with people.  He does have several works like this and it is valuable to see the variety in Millet's work.    "Dandelions" by Jean-Francois Millet If you are interested in making copies of these pictures the following is how I do it.  (All the pictures on this blog are at least 100 years old so they are legally in the public domain and free for all to copy and enjoy). 1. Open a document, Format it for no margins or very small margins so your picture is as large as possible on the paper. Then if your picture is wider horizontally you will want to choose "Landscape" rather than "Portrait." 2.  Go to the picture you want to copy and right click on it.  Click the "Copy" option. 3.  Now go back to your margin-less document.  Right click and choose the "Paste" option.  The picture should be there.  If it is small you can pull it out until it fills the page.  Try to keep the proportions accurate.   4.  If you have room at the bottom you may want to type the name of the painting and the artist. 5.  File:  "save as" - name and save your document. 6.  Copy to a flash drive or burn to a disc. 7. Take it to your favorite copy store (we use Office Max) and have them copy it for you on cardstock or photo paper. Camille Saint-Saens Today's piece is called Havanaise.  Listen on the following link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeApec5uZMU  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Good Part, That Shall Not Be Taken Away

She dwells by Great Kenhawa's side,
In valleys green and cool;
And all her hope and all her pride
Are in the village school.

Her soul, like the transparent air
That robes the hills above,
Though not of earth, encircles there
All things with arms of love.

And thus she walks among her girls
With praise and mild rebukes;
Subduing e'en rude village churls
By her angelic looks.

She reads to them at eventide
Of One who came to save;
To cast the captive's chains aside
And liberate the slave.

And oft the blessed time foretells
When all men shall be free;
And musical, as silver bells,
Their falling chains shall be.

And following her beloved Lord,
In decent poverty,
She makes her life one sweet record
And deed of charity.

For she was rich, and gave up all
To break the iron bands
Of those who waited in her hall,
And labored in her lands.

Long since beyond the Southern Sea
Their outbound sails have sped,
While she, in meek humility,
Now earns her daily bread.

It is their prayers, which never cease,
That clothe her with such grace;
Their blessing is the light of peace
That shines upon her face.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Piano Concerto No. 2, A Psalm of Life, and Shepherdess with Her Flock

Jean-Francois Millet 

"Shepherdess With Her Sheep" by  Jean Francois Millet

Camille Saint-Saens, composer of "The Carnival of the Animals" also composed Piano Concerto No. 2.  Click on the link below to listen to it played.  You-tube has several different performances of this concerto if you want to listen to different ones and compare them.  I liked the performance of the second link better except that the picture and sound get out of sync after a few minutes.  . 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlB6plYea7U 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPe5maRne_Y

If you are interested there is a playlist of music we have featured on this blog at the bottom.  You can click on the pop-out button at the bottom of the playlist to play it longer when you're ready to leave this site.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A Psalm of Life

Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou are, to dust thou returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, - act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sand of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solenm main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow