How have artists gone about creating winter? Poets, painters and directors have done so for ages. Let's follow poet, Emily Dickinson, painter, Claude Monet, and director, Frank Capra, to get a taste of how they depicted the coldest season of the year by using the hearts, hands and souls of artists. All three are some of my favorites when it comes to the arts.
A Poem Creating Winter
First of all, I'd like to share a poem. Emily Dickinson, born in 1830 in Massachusetts, USA, was considered one of our two leading 19th Century poets. Here is one of her poems.
It sifts from Leaden Sieves
It sifts from Leaden Sieves -
It powders all the Wood.
It fills with Alabaster Wool
The Wrinkles of the Road -
It makes an even Face
Of Mountain, and of Plain -
Unbroken Forehead from the East
Unto the East again -
It reaches to the Fence -
It wraps it Rail by Rail
Till it is lost in Fleeces -
It deals Celestial Vail
To Stump, and Stack - and Stem -
A Summer's empty Room -
Acres of Joints, where Harvests were,
Recordless, but for them -
It Ruffles Wrists of Posts
As Ankles of a Queen -
Then stills it's Artisans - like Ghosts -
Denying they have been -
Ah poetry, it is the master/mistress of metaphor. Dickinson displays a deft touch with such. Who else could compare winter snow to alabaster wool and fleece or a celestial vail; or refer to road ruts as wrinkles or heavy winter clouds as leaden sieves? Winter to her is the grand beautifier and coverup of what has been. Winter simply smooths and glorifies. Here is a resource of more of her work: https://poets.org/poet/emily-dickinson?gclid=CjwKCAiA-bmsBhAGEiwAoaQNmhOASkejsgfKGsxc5hiIV9oVQPuC-bx6XB2QYJ_iqfKiHhmtfnXS_RoCYSIQAvD_BwE
Painting Winter
Secondly, I will focus upon the painting, Giverny in Winter, by the French Impressionist, Claude Monet. He was born in 1840. The Impressionist movement was named by a critic after viewing Monet's painting, Impression, Sunrise. The critic declared that this work was merely a sketch, not a finished painting.
Giverny in Winter
Claude Monet, with his soft flowing brushstrokes, gave his canvases a fresh energy that was new to the painting world. Impressionists used this painterly approach. (Previous artists purposely smoothed and disguised brush strokes.) The ruts in the snow, the sway of the branches certainly speak "winter". The cold of winter generally has its share of cool, bluish hues. With Monet's integration of the warmer colors, he brings some heat to his representation of winter. His balance of the warm and cool colors creates an attractive appeal.
Representing Winter with a Movie
Thirdly, I will follow with a movie, It's a Wonderful Life by Frank Capra. Italian born in 1897, he became Hollywood's top director in the 1930s.
Through the contrasts of winter, Capra created a drama which depicts the dark and light of life. With the shorter days, the winter is a prime seasonal setting to show the dark. Water seems to be deeply symbolic in the movie. The main character, George Bailey, actually takes a plunge three times! The first time, he was rescuing his little brother from icy cold water. The second time, he was falling in love as well as in a pool. The third time he was flailing in life but resolves his issues by rescuing Clarence from a brutally angelic dilemma. In the end, a gentle winter snow hints that there is hope again.
I hope you enjoyed learning how these three artists were creating winter. Here is another arts post: ARTS A Bridge To Life.
No comments:
Post a Comment