Evening Stroll

On Art

It is a remarkable fact that man was an artist before he was a maker. His urge for creativity and artistic expression was intuitive and long predated concepts of civilization. I am profoundly impressed by the imaginative scope and able hands of the first artists, the cavemen, who depicted images of their environment articulating ordinary human fears, hopes and dreams. They recorded their visual perception with an innocent, untutored application.

Art comes from a basic human instinct to create, which elevates the individual and, in turn, enriches society. Even if its results are tangible and intentional, we tend to think of the artistic process as something arcane and mysterious. The scope and purpose of art differs markedly in content and character among people of the world as much as the modes of visualization. Although a work of art is as unique and as individual as its creator, its form and content are often symbolic of locale and contemporary mores. Inevitable changes in perception during the history of mankind have altered both the style and implication of paintings. The love of, and interest in, exquisitely detailed works of art have always been universal.

3. What does the writer find most striking about cave art?

A the degree of artistic skill it reveals

B the simple representation of complex ideas

C the record it provides of how people once lived

D the enduring nature of the subjects chosen

4. In the second paragraph, what are we told about art as an activity?

A It is inevitably restricted by ethical considerations.

B Its perceived complexity lies in the method, not outcome.

C It produces masterpieces that transcend cultural boundaries.

D It performs the same function in all areas of the world.

Evening Stroll is a very small oil painting by Katie Holland. The sun sinks into a reflecting sea while two convincing figures in silhouette stroll along by the water’s edge. The sea has been beautifully described, with the wavelets just regular enough, and Katie has made good use of a restricted palette. The colours soften as they recede and help to give a feeling of distance. There are, however, some points that I feel need addressing. Assuming that the beach should not rise above the horizon here it appears to be higher and, where it meets the groyne, is well above sea level.

The second point concerns the figures. These are well-painted and I like the way that she has shown the eagerness of the child pulling the adult along. So much can be indicated by posture. Given the lengths of their outstretched arms I feel that the child appears too far forward. The child’s feet are too high compared with the adult’s, giving the impression that the infant is airborne by few inches. If the beach shelves steeply and the child is walking at a higher level, the texture lines should have reinforced this. Nevertheless, this is a good painting.

5. Which of the following aspects of the painting does the writer criticize?

A the colour B the context

C the perspective D the shadow

6. The writer’s purpose in describing this painting is to

A evaluate an individual work

B illustrate a wider point

C promote a certain approach

D defend a particular view.

7. Listening

Look at the picture and try to guess the time it was painted, the message it has, the relations of the characters in the picture.

I. A guide is showing a group of visitors round an art gallery. Listen to the commentary about the picture and choose the best answer.

1. According to Burne-Jones, a painting

A ought to be true to nature.

B must have a clear moral point.

C should play an instructive role in a modern industrial society.

D need not have any practical value.

2. The story of the King and the Beggar Maid

A was a well-known Victorian tale.

B was popularized by a poet.

C was brought to the artist’s attention by his wife.

D was taken up by novelists at a later stage.

3. According to the guide, the painter

A wanted to portray the beggar very realistically.

B copied parts of the painting from an Italian masterpiece.

C had certain items in the painting made for him.

D had difficulty in painting jewels.

4. The public who first viewed the painting probably

A recognized Frances Graham as the model for the Beggar Maid.

B realized how personal the painting was for the artist.

C interpreted the painting without difficulty.

D did not approved of the subject matter of the painting.

II. Listen to the text again and insert the information in the gaps.

The painting of King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid by Burne-Jones was completed in (1)___________. This painting seems to completely encapsulate the philosophy that a painting should be ‘(2)__________________________________ of something that never was, never will be, in a land that no one can define or remember, only desire.’

Burne-Jones’ wife considered this painting to be the most distinctive of his works. The painter, probably, knew the legend his work is based on from his reading of Tennyson’s poetry, and it is one more proof of the links between (3)________________________________, and the movements in art.

The textures of the painting are highly-wrought and the authour tries to capture the detail. Therefore, he had certain details such s the (4)______________________________ specially made for him.

There is also, in this painting, a great deal of personal feeling, and the King is likely to represent Burne-Jones and the beggar maid is (5)____________________________, Frances Graham. At the time Burne-Jones was working on the painting Frances married someone else and the painter (6)______________________________________. The fact that the maid in the picture is holding a bunch of anemones is very symbolic as the flowers stand for (7)_____________________.

To the wider public it would have had another quite easily recognized meaning. The painting was interpreted as being about (8)______________________________ and elevation of love above everything else. It was a message that was very dear to Burne-Jones’ heart, and very relevant for late Victorian Britain.

8. Make up the text about W. Kandinsky putting the paragraphs in the order of the answers to the following questions:

1. Why is W. Kandinsky considered to have changed the history of art in the 20^th century?

2. What influenced the decision of the young man to become a painter? How old was he at that time?

3. Where did W. Kandinsky study impressionist colour and art noveau?

4. Whom did his visits to Paris put him in contact with? How did it affect his ideas?

5. In which work were his theoretical views first formulated?

6. Which activities was the painter involved into as a leader of the Blue Rider?

7. When did the painter return to Russia? How long did he stay there?

8. How did the style of the artist change within the last decades of his life?

Дата добавления: 2014-11-16