Marcus' HUM251 Blog

Francisco Goya's tumultuous life is capitalized by the "Black Paintings" that he produced while he was in a deep state of dejection shortly after the Napoleonic wars and becoming deaf from two severe illnesses. Goya also produced a vast series of satirical etchings called "Los Caprichos" to criticize the ignorance of the Spanish society he witness at the time. Both of the series of art works were intended to criticize the failure of the Spanish state and the horrors during the Napoleonic wars. However, the Black Paintings were never intended to be revealed to the public, especially since Goya painted them directly onto the walls of his home. This etching / aquatint drawing is titled "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters" (1799) it is 21.5 cm by 15 cm and is one of the more famous etchings from Los Caprichos. This depicts a sleeping Goya on his drawing desk as he is harassed by an onslaught of bats and owls. I believe that Goya is haunted by the ho...

Various forms of personality quizzes over the past couple decades have evolved into a social phenomenon on smart phone apps and the internet. It has even become commonplace for one go speak with a fortune teller and toss oodles of cash into these "experiences" to discover one's own personality. A vast plethora of individuals have taken personality quizzes whether they be Pottermore tests from Harry Potter or Game of Thrones house tests, but do any of these actually accurately measure your virtue as an individual, let alone your personality? Some individual's personalities have the tendency to change overtime and to accurately gauge it consistently would be nearly impossible. However, taking the time to ask yourself simple questions about your own perspective on life could prove to be enlightening. Some fundamental aspects of an individuals personality can be discovered by comprehending if one is Romantic or Classical. As Romantics are generally more intuitive as they ...

It was the spring of 1863 and a runaway slave by the name of Gordon managed to escape the brutal grip of his master. He paved his way towards the Mississippi river while being pursued by his master's bloodhounds, and managed to throw them off the trail my masking his scent with onions from the master's farm. After traveling a grueling 80 miles towards the Mississippi river Gordon finally acquired his freedom at the Baton Rouge Union army base; this alone is an amazing feat, but Gordon did not stop there. Gordon joined the Union army a couple months after Abraham Lincoln allowed African Americans to serve in segregated corps. Once Gordon went through his medical exam the military doctors began to realize what horrors Gordon went through during his years as a slave. The scars on Gordon's back were so apprehensive that journalists from the Weekly Harper decided to photograph his wounds and mass produce the photos to inform others of the terrible situation slaves were in. Many ...

Although a majority of my interest in music stems from indie to rock I never minded listening to other variations of music such as blues, metal, house, and even classical music. One composer that I am particularly keen to is Vivaldi, his prowess with the violin is distinct from any other composer during the baroque era. His proficiency as a composer is exemplified through his four seasons concerto, with the winter sequence being my favorite. The composition is centered around the violin with other violins, violas, cellos, upright bases, and occasionally harpsichords accompanying each other. A majority of the concerto is performed in allegro, which is at a fairly brisk pace in classical compositions. Vivaldi’s winter section is especially nimble and bombastic, the pace is constantly climaxing and each note maneuvers at a breakneck pace with the rhythm following suite. Almost each instrument plays within the same measure as the lead violin breaks into subtle solos along with the base,...

Experiencing the culture and city life within Amsterdam would be at the top of my traveling bucket list. The Rijksmuseum especially peaks my interest, the historical and artistic values deriving from this museum would make a delightful stop within Amsterdam. After viewing a few of the art pieces held within the museum I would like to point out a few that I found to be compelling. The first art piece being Still Life With Flowers In a Glass by Jan Brueghel (II) with the dimensions being 24.5 cm tall and 19cm wide, and the media being oil paint on canvas. At first glance it is apparent that it is a still life of multiple flowers in a glass vase from the baroque era due to the deep contrast in dark and light. Looking closer at the top of the painting a butterfly sits atop of what seems to be a daisy, further down is a dragonfly next to a very fluffy unidentifiable flower. In the middle there is a ladybug that exemplifies baroque lighting with the glossiness of its shell; the textur...

What's commonly associated with murder, deceit, and regicide? If you guessed Game of Thrones then you were not far off as Game of Thrones, along with many other books and television shows, find their roots in Shakespeare and his plays. Richard III in particular has peaked my interest for the captivating characters as they continuously conspire and betray anyone for the sake of power. The main plot is focussed around Richard, the charismatic and manipulative son of King Edward IV of York, and his mercilus ascension to power through wit and blood become the King of England. To secure his royal adequacy he marries a noble woman and murders his older brother to ensure he succeeded the throne. Richard eventually ascends to power once his father dies and rules with fear and blood, killing anyone that opposes him until he is eventually killed by a French royal named Richmond to become king of England. This captivating yet grievous tale defines the history of the Wars of the Roses in Engla...