Children of the Sea

Posted on by stellaharden

Originally today I was going to write about the artwork I researched this past semester Salome With the Head of John the Baptist by Jan Adam Kruseman.  However, I was informed by the museum staff that they had moved the piece into the basement and I could not view it.  I was a bit upset but quickly got over it when I stumbled upon this piece.

Children of the Sea was painted in 1872 by Jozef Israels.  The  four children depicted are poor fisherman’s children.  One can observe their tattered clothes.  The painting however makes the onlooker feel hopeful at the children’s future.  They are content and the ship they are playing with shows what can be.

This was my favorite painting in the Rijksmuseum because it uses relaxing hues and I love the ocean.

The beds and the art museum

Posted on by stellaharden

Today we are supposed to reflect on our favorite part of the day.  For me this is an easy choice.  Our final stop today was a massive art museum.  It contained the Lamb of God among many other Dutch masterpieces.  After our lovely tour guide gave us a brief tour we were allowed to explore the museum on our own for an hour.

During my walk around the museum I found one piece in particular that really took me aback.  Sadly I cannot remember the name or artist exactly but I want to say the piece is called Spring.  The painting is in between realism and expressionism which gives it a dreamlike quality.  These are my favorite types of paintings because they look like a blissful and magical scene.  It was of people harvesting beautiful flowers of bright yellows and pinks.  Something about the painting made me have an instant connection with it.

Another great apart of the museum was its room that had water beds in it.  After a long and informational day it was nice to kick back on a bed and stare at the abstract art above.

Basilica of the Holy Blood

Posted on by stellaharden

Today we went on a day trip to Bruges.  On our walking tour we visited a glorious basilica.  It is rumored that inside a relic holds the original blood of Jesus Christ from when he died on the cross.  We had to walk up these spiral steps to get to the church.  Here there were intricate stain glass windows depicting scenes from the bible.

We were supposed to be quiet and respectful during our visit to the basilica.  This is because many people visit the Basilica as a part of their pilgrimage.  It is an act of devotion and faith to christianity.  I personally got up to the alter to see the relic.  It was very interesting to see ‘the blood’.  I personally do not believe that is the blood of Christ, but I am not certain.

Either way the experience felt holy to me and I enjoyed seeing the ancient architecture of the Basilica.IMG_1246.jpg

The Lamentation

Posted on by stellaharden

I observed the masterpiece The Lamentation by Rogier Van Der Weyden.  This piece is one of religious symbolism and evocative feelings.  What first stood out to me was the large tree in the back right corner.  The tree is barren and is symbolic of Christ’s death on the cross.  Potentially the tree is dogwood which is the tree in which the cross was made out of.  In contrast to the dead tree, there is a sunrise and green vibrant trees in the middle background.  This represents that the resurrection of Christ is coming.  The picture while portraying deep sadness also embodies ideas of hope and optimism.

For Christians around the world this artwork will always possess great meaning and inspiration.

First Blog Post

Posted on by stellaharden

Hey!  I’m Stella and I am a geography major.  After college I would like to work as a satellite data analyst or maybe something else.  I am not really sure yet.  I have a little bit of experience traveling abroad as I’ve visited the UK, Spain, Canada, Haiti, and Belize.  For my documentary I researched the painting Salome With the Head of John the Baptist by Jan Adam Kruseman (here) .  After learning about art looting during WWII through the book Monuments Men, I look forward to seeing the Ghent altar piece.  I am especially excited to see the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam as his artwork is so popular and admired today.  I am looking forward to seeing the classic city of Ghent where we will be staying.  I am also extremely curious about Bruges as people I know have given it mixed reviews, and I would like to see for myself.