While walking around DC, I stumbled across this "surreal" memorial to Civil War (War between the States) hero General Sherman just a few minutes from the White House. How it survived all those years of censorship, I have no idea. What the naked ladies had to do with the atrocities of the war, I also have no idea. Nurses? Angels? Or?
Ciao for now. Rich
Hi Rich,
ReplyDeleteI have been looking at those picures and I cannot figure them out, sounds like a job for Sal....
I have only been to DC once and I would love to get back . I do have to say you have an eye for detail. You seem to pay attention to your suroundings and can pick up on things that many of us miss. Is your ability to see detail because of your eye for photograpy or is your photography because of your eye for detail? I think that Ruthie is about the same. Chickien or the egg? Merri help us here....
OK, so you know I lived in DC for ten years (however many years ago) but how did you know that I am currently immersed in the Civil War? I have been reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals for my upcoming book group meeting and I love it. . . but, as I say, I am imbued with the l860's, with Lincoln (be still my heart), the war (most horrible) and the politics and other personalities of that time. Which brings me to the fabulous photos (once again) of Richard. As I recall, the art at the Sherman memorial represents war and peace. . . "war is hell" hence the wrenching, grieving figure, and peace, which will ultimately be reborn, will arise, prevail or some such.
ReplyDeleteI have to get back to Washington one of these days. It's a great city and I miss it, especially my life there (ah, more memories of my youth) but it is a wonderful city to visit and in which to be a tourist. Have fun, Rich, and send more pictures!
What is strange also is that I recently saw her on a talk show ( I want to say the Daily Show but I am not sure) I believe she was talking about a book (?) and it was the first time I thought that I may look into reading something by her.....
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input, So many times we see things yet do not really understand what we are seeing.
Hi Rich,
ReplyDeleteMeri may have figured out the
reasoning about the Sherman
Memorial. It is strange that
many of the memorials were
created in the Victorian
period where women wore clothes
from neck to floor, yet statues
of women were many times, barely clothed in this same time period.
An answer could be that starting
in the 1790 s, the Federal period, the style reverted to the ancient classics, especially in buildings. This Neo-Classical style is very
obvious in the many buildings
in the D.C area. They all look like
like Greek temples, including
the White House,[which was not
called the White House til Teddy
Roosevelts administration in the 1900 s.
Greek statues of that period also
were created nude....hence that
style could have been imitated along with the buildings. Thank God, the Statue of Liberty [France] was not created nude. However that style prevails in that work as well in the face and clothes.
This may or may not be the answer but its my best guess since my
2 years of Art History, 40 years ago.
Sal
Also, I just found out that the Sherman Memorial was not finished until l903, and the influence of other art movements, Art Nouveau among others, would be a factor in the seeming "disconnect" between Victorian fashion and the more revealing sensuousness (okay, the nudity) of the statues.
ReplyDeleteHi Rich,
ReplyDeleteI believe the sculptor was Carl Rohl-Smith who created the one of Sherman on a horse. He died before it was completed I read that somewhere.
In the General Sherman scuptures there is a female figure at the front of the sculptures representing victory according to the artist.
Many similar figures, usually female, appear in other sculptures.
I don't understand why artists so often have chosen to represent their artwork through these figures? There are very few sculptures representing actual women, how might these female figures affect the ways in which women are seen or the ways in which they see themselves?
All artists communicate their message by means of symbolic figures, since they do not express in language, so artists address it to the eye and that is why perhaps you find a lot of nudity in paintings, sculptures and various forms of art.
Rich, I'm glad all your photography is mostly beautiful flowers and scenary! LOL
Hugs, Rose