Category Archives: Art

Bronze Doors: from the Supreme Court of the United States to the Gates of Paradise of the Baptistry in Florence

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1. The doors of the Supreme Court of the United States were designed by Cass Gilbert and John Donnelly, have 8 panels depicting the following scenes: the shield of Achilles (two men debate a point of law the winner receiving two gold coins), the Praetor’s edict, Julian and the Scholar, Justinian Code, the Magna Carta, the Westminster Statute, Coke and James I,
and Marshall and Story. How many college graduates know who Story is? Should they? How about Julian? Coke?

https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/bronzedoors.pdf

2.) The Gates of Paradise of the octagonal Baptistry in Florence: Ghiberti’s masterpiece Named by Michelangelo “the Gates of Paradise”Ten panels depicting scenes from Genesis: Adam and Eve, Noah, Jacob and Esau, David… Each is a masterpiece of perspective and detail. The most analyzed of the panels is that of Jacob and Esau. The Baptistry was where all Florentines were baptized. How many college graduates know who Jacob and Esau were? Should they?

YOUR TURN: What are your favorite doors, bronze or otherwise?

https://www.khanacademy.org/…/scu…/v/ghiberti-gates-paradise

Favorite TV Shows

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My favorite television show; Borgen
Borgen is a Danish political drama about Birgitte Nyborg, the first female Prime Minister of Denmark. She is a moderate and idealist who is forced to make very difficult political and personal choices.
What I love about the show is its realism, depth of character development, and lack of gratuitous violence, sex, and glamor. Other recent favorites: Trapped (Icelandic), Dr. Blake (Australian), Call My Agent (French).
Common Theme: all set in exotic places.
YOUR TURN: What’s your favorite TV show?

Trees in Harvard Yard

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Go check out the trees in Harvard Yard!
http://www.crimsoncanopy.com/harvardyard/map.html
Sourwoods on Mass Ave Near WIgglesworth to the left as you face Widener
The sourwood is splendid in the fall. Two prime examples are on Mass Ave
near Wigglesworth to your left as you face Widener from the JP Licks side
of the street.
On Wednesday they were still in full autumn splendor.
If you have not seen them, please do so and savor the beauty.
YOUR TURN: If you like taking pictures, take one and share it

Learning to Draw

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“I will condense the meaning of the body by seeking
its essential lines” (Henri Matisse)
I have always been astounded how few strokes
are required to capture the essence of something
extremely complicated – like the human body or
face.
Have you ever had training that took you there?
Any favorite examples of great drawing?
The best course I ever took in my life was
a drawing course: Betty Edwards’ Drawing
on the Right Side of the Brain, taught by
her son, Brian Bomeisler, who is based in NYC
but comes to teach in Boston in March.
Highly recommended:

Art Day: the blind men and the elephant

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The classic story of not seeing the forest for the trees is the story of the “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” Each man touches a different part of the elephant and comes to a different conclusion as to what it is. The man who touches the leg concludes it is a tree. The man who touches an ear concludes it is a fan. The man who touches the tail concludes it is a rope. In the last 100 years specialization has accelerated. Making sense of the world is harder and harder when your teachers are only trained to study a smaller and smaller patch of it. This is only exacerbated when the issue at hand is policy-related. There the quest for truth plays second fiddle to partisan spin.