Basically a Rest Day but we seemed to cram a lot into it. It was a Karen day so, to give her a free run, we went over to Hucknall Tesco for an hour.
Picture 1 is another Powis shot looking over a walled garden towards the Welsh Hills. I feel I must assure everyone that the oblong orange shape, almost halfway up near the right-hand edge, is a sandstone path and not a lolly stick ! The light was not brilliant and varied between a few seconds of bright sun and cloudy shade.
Picture 2 is one of their own Powis favourites, it features prominently in their leaflet, the handbook, and the web-page.So I obediently stuck my metaphorical tripod in the holes and took the snap.
Yesterday I might have sounded luke warm about the Art but not so. The whole trip was worth doing just to see one of the most famous minatures in the world.
I learnt all about it many years ago in a lecture and then could have talked you through the importance of this and that bit, and the symbolism. But I've forgotten nearly all of it.
But neither Y nor I had ever actually seen it. And it is exquisite.
Painted between 1610-14 by Isaac Oliver on velum mounted on card and only measuring 23 x 18cm.
At Powis Castle it is kept in a glass case on a darkened corner
wall and you have to press a button at the side to illuminate it for a few seconds only. I have tried to publish the picture at the highest resolution I can muster but only at 800pixels, rather than the painting appear on your monitor larger than it actually is. The resolution I'm afraid is subject to the smallness of the available image. But I've done mi best ............. If only I could have taken a snap myself ............
Pleased to report that my monitor is now sorted. I've had to download the manual from disc and print, it is so complicated. But I'm delighted with it now. The appearance was truly awful when I finally scrutinised it closely. If you remember, 'Truly Awful' was 'Truly Scrumptious's' ugly sister in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang I think.
Karen came and did her usual splendid job while we were out, and when we returned she brought Y uptodate with her domestic situation. The house she was hoping for is now certain and she will be living at Codnor.
Comments
Reg.... Thanks for that great wikipedia stuff about Cuneo. We all live and learn don't we. Nearly all of that was new to me and I enjoyed a good read.
Thanks also for the York Station picture by e-mail. You are right about fantastic bridges. They have always fascinated me, large and small. The little one (recently restored) over the railway line at Basford Xing is a lovely thing. There was a v.good radio probgramme about modern day successors to Brunel and Telford. If I can track it down I'll send you a link.
Bungus .... My word... lots of 'likes' today and I can't find a single grouch. Are you sure you are feeling OK ?
I like your ..... "decent sized bass would be at least a tenner? joke.
Take your point about Robin Williams in 'Vietnam' but it was more his role in 'The Dead Poets Society'. The link is to the closing few minutes of the film which I rated as excellent.
Jill .... Of course we will allow you a few days off ! And we go to I.of W. on Saturday. But now I have my dongle I might manage a brief blogette, subject to Y's approval.
The Powis trip was not too onerous and I was sitting down 80% of the time. With Coach steps although you only need a 'shove-up' because there's hardly anything of you is there ? With me I can manage to pull myself up, slowly, when getting in. Then it's best if I back out - under supervision of course.
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Quotation time ...........................
"When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest"
William Hazlitt
Hazlitt was the first of the great essayists I encountered while still a boy. I was so impressed they gave me a lifetime's love of a good essay. And I haven't changed...............
Pleased to report that Walagata is back to normal. All I needed was patience..........
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Pleased to report that Walagata is back to normal. All I needed was patience..........
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2 comments:
I found the clip from 'The Dead Poets' Society' amazingly touching. I had forgotten how good it is. But ‘Vietnam’ is still my favourite Williams. I couldn’t watch ‘The Fisher King’.
Sandra did not much enjoy her trip to the Palace until the G&Ts and champagne on the train home.
On their cabby’s advice they walked from Trafalgar Square (because of congestion) which did her no favours; the food although elegant was disappointing (nothing to eat from 9.00 am until 7.00 pm apart from one thin sliver of cucumber sandwich and a miniscule scone); there were no official photographers (cameras are forbidden but, in spite of security, some people took them in and were using them); there was very little sign of chamomile (apart from her tea in the Lenny Henry Hotel); the taxi ride back to King’s Cross took an hour because of traffic (they exchanged words with other taxi drivers –“What’s the hold up?” “There’s been a garden party at the Palace,” “Yes, we know,”.
On the upside, the grounds impressed and Roy had a chat to Camilla, whom, he agreed, is done no favours by photographers.
Nothing to do with the above but the following is an extract from my TV paper:
“(Charles) Wheeler (was) overheard, on a grim tiger-shoot in Peshawar in 1961, referring to the Queen as ‘that bloody woman’. Nicholas Whitchell he wasn’t.”
Reg:
I am obviously confusing Cuneo with some other artist of the same era (not Frank Wootton). I recall Cuneo’s locos but have never been much interested in trains.
I too bought myself ‘How to Draw Aircraft’ in my early teens but did not find it of great use as an aid – too structured for me. I may still have it - somewhere. I also had ‘How to Draw Figures’ which taught me the basics of human proportion, eg, head one seventh of the full height – one fifth in the case of a child – eyes and ears halfway down the head, and how to construct 'a body' by drawing a series of cylinders.
Newcastle Central is the curved roof I recall; illustrated in an issue of the Architectural Review in the 50s. I remember being impressed with it when on my way to Norway in 1951. I don’t think I’ve ever seen York. The bridges are an essential feature but do not do it for me like those of some continental engineers (eg, Calatrava)).
It could well be Newcastle Station roof that appears every so often in photo exhibitions or it could be York or it could be both. I am a complete Philistine in all railway matters and if you've seen one station roof, you've seen 'em all. I now await howls of protest.
The miniature is fascinating, I could look at it many times and see something new on each occasion. But, are the 'end of speed limit' signs reflections in the glass or some kind of symbolism in the painting?
Thanks for the positive comments on my window pic. I'm pleased it's found favour and pleased it looks like a painting. It is, of course, a digital cyanotype (see blogs passim). I'm not sure which year I visited the Czech Republic; it could have been 2001 or 2002 but I much prefer the blogmeister's 'early years of the Century' phrase.
I am being told my dinner's ready.
Rob
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