The Nude With The Spanish Shawl

It's quite a discovery. It lets us discover the master work of an artist of the end of the last century, till now undervalued in the history of art, but also a biography that reads like a film script. Kees Van Dongen (Rotterdam 1877-1968) was one of the best known artists of Paris between the wars. but his fame and prestige rapidly fell, to the point that up to now, with the exhibition till September in the Museum Picasso of Barcelona, there had not been any other exhibition of his work in Spain.

He was Picasso's neighbour of the studio, between 1906-1909. At that time Dongen was a passionate anarchist that only just began able to live on his paintings (in his beginnings he was dedicated to doing illustration graphics in satires in the newspapers), in which predominated themes of prostitutes, circus artists, landscapes and portraits. His more notable work though were of women, often nude with provocative postures. He just began too about then the bolder and more colourful technique and style. The exhibition now centres mostly on this period, organized chronically with special emphasis in his latter vanguard styles.

His travels through Spain to Morocco in 1910-1911 opened up for him a new era, but that didn't influence him as much as his contact with the marchioness Luisa Casati, who introduced him to the high society in which he circulated contentedly. It's period of cocktails and parties often in his studio, where his colours culminated and the feminine figures are brought up into the same class as his clients. Still quite successful and with certain fame, but the quality of his work fell and his later days suffered the consequences.

This painting is titled: 'The Spanish Shawl'. I have the feeling that the shawl would be seen more as the background than the subject.

Tags:shawl,nude

Current Mood: Artistic

The Silent Declaration

Economic crises has been manifesting itself in many ways. One of them is companies cutting back by laying off workers or send them off for early retirement, much earlier than desired, or with the worst alternative of being totally redundant with little or no compensations. The following picture was taken in the Josep Tarradellas Avenue of Barcelona. Mighty strange sight isn't it, to find a suit hanging by a nail specially put on the tree trunk, right in the middle of a normally busy thoroughfare, but in this case early in the morning (must have been put there overnight when there were no passing people or vehicles to witness the odd decorator at work). The note pinned on the jacket says: 'The suit of an early pensioned-off'. ' Just like footballers hanging up their boots. Tags:declaration,retirement

Current Mood: Accomplished

The Blushing Bride

The Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week just opened with very pronounced essence based on fairies, pixies, and leprechauns, fairy tale magics and myths. The fashion is not just for the brides even though the title seems to so suggest; but for grooms, bestmen, maids of honour, flower boys and girls, parents-in-laws and guests. And of course those all important accessories. The collection is by the well known Spanish desingers Victorio & Lucchino.

Most models shown so far are very refreshingly different and original, breaking quite a few unwritten rules. How do you like this one I picked to show you below? Not that there are many - or any - virgins left these days on the day of the wedding (or at any other time!) but, in the rarest case that it being so, the wedding guest will likely to be the ones to really 'SEE' the bride before the groom!

Wonder what the church has to say about this and, would she even be allowed in? She can always argue that her head is properly covered.

Tags:virgin,bride

Current Mood: Amused

Let's Hear The Music Play

With the crisis still very much in evidence and lacking signs of improvement in short term, prices of most basic necessities are coming down. Even luxury goods that are normally snobbish enough never to carry price tags, you know, with the understood message of: 'If you need to ask the price first, you can't afford it'. Now, not only there are price tags, but with eye-catching labels announcing considerable discounts. Most leisure services and entertainment too. Seeing that in recent months concerts, especially orchestral classics, attracted less audiences, the auto-critics come to the conclusion that if Beethoven and Mozart had always been wonderful, then they themselves must have done something wrong. In America some organizers have come up with a new idea, they offer Nights of Concerts for 'Singles', to attract those music lovers who are also anxious to find their other halves. Spain too, in Catalunya and, more precisely, in Barcelona, a new plan has been designed and ready to offer to the public now by the Orquesta Simfonica del Valles SV) -Symphony Orchestra of Valles - the opportunity of proximity of another kind. Letting the public experience the music from the interior of the orchestra. They put on sale 4 tickets in each concert, which let the holders to sit amongst the musician on the platform or stage. Plus one ticket that would be drawn amongst the family members and friends of the musicians, also the subscribers of seasonal tickets. The fortunate holder of the winning ticket would be able to greet the director personally, and visit the musicians and speak with them in their dressing-rooms. Music is something intimate, not just to listen but to feel and reflect. It's a form of communication. One or two simple words from a musician is often enough to break the barrier between those up the stage and those in the auditorium. Or it would be like sharing an excellent dinner without being present, or without conversation. However good the meal, it's uncomfortable and indigestible. That's why some good restaurants practice the ritual of bringing out their top chef to greet the diners and exchange a few words with them. The chefs appreciate it too, to have their fine labour recognized and enthusiastically praised. Tags:orchestralmusic

Current Mood: Accomplished