Wissenschaftlicher Aufsatz aus dem Jahr 2006 im Fachbereich Kunst - Malerei; Note: 1;0; Technische Universitauml;t Berlin; Sprache: Deutsch; Abstract: Die rechte Bildseite fuuml;llt der Chor der Gefauml;hrtinnen in blockhafter Geschlossenheit auf der schmalen Vordergrundsbuuml;hne. In tiefenrauml;umlicher Figurenabfolge konstruiert Jordaens weniger ein Hintereinander als vielmehr ein stufenweises Uuml;bereinander. Dieser Ordnung entsprechen die Haltungsmotive: in kompliziert verkuuml;rzten Wendungen und Gesten lagern die Figuren breit auf dem Boden; auch kauernd oder kniend; dann nach vorn uuml;bergebeugt stehend oder mit empor gestreckten Armen. In etwa der Bildmitte befindet sich eine Ruuml;ckenfigur. Als frontal zur Aktion befindliche Figur lenkt sie die Aufmerksamkeit des Betrachters auf das Geschehen. Diese breit auf dem Boden lagernde Figur hat einen nackten; markant ausgeprauml;gten Ruuml;cken und ist nur mit einem weiszlig;en durchscheinenden Tuch mit daruuml;ber drapiertem goldenen Stoff ab der Huuml;fte bekleidet; der an der Knien gerafft ist. Sie stuuml;tzt den linken Arm auf den Sandboden; unmittelbar neben ein Blumenbouquet; und wirkt als Gabelung im Handlungsgefuuml;ge. Hier offenbart sich dem Betrachter die Trennung zwischen der linken Figurengruppe - Europa auf dem Stier mit umschlieszlig;ender Konturgruppe - und der rechten - die Gefauml;hrtinnen der Europaim Bild. Die Ruuml;ckenfigur wird von zwei Frauen zur rechten und zur linken Seite; die in hockender Stellung am Boden lagern; umschlossen. Die Frau zu der linken Seite der Ruuml;ckenfigur weist mit der linken Hand direkt auf Europa. Ihr Blick wendet sich in das Bild zu einer von auszlig;en ins Handlungsgeschehen tretenden Figur in rotem Gewand. Der dunkel-violette Mantel den sie trauml;gt; kontrastiert die strahlende Helligkeit des Zeus-Stieres; auf dessen Beute sie weist. Die Frau zur rechten Seite der Ruuml;ckenfigur sieht den Betrachter unmittelbar an und fuuml;hrt durch ihre auf die Entfuuml;hrungsszene weisende Handbewegung ins Bildthema. Ihre durch das herunterfallende weiszlig;e Kleid entblouml;szlig;te Schulter; beruuml;hrt die der Ruuml;ckenfigur; wauml;hrend ihr linker Unterarm in die Seite der Nebenfigur gestuuml;tzt ist. Die Blickbeziehungen der drei Frauen gehen uuml;ber weite Distanzen; was die Synthese und unmittelbare Zusammengehouml;rigkeit aller Figuren deutlich werden lauml;sst. Zur rechten Bildseite hin folgen acht weitere Figuren. Der ins Bild weisenden auf dem Boden lagernden Figur folgt eine nackte kniende Person. Der Schleier; der ihre Scham verdeckt; sowie die Stoff- und Tuchreste um sie herum verschaffen ihr Raum.
#4473547 in eBooks 2010-05-03 2010-05-03File Name: B00C7NO306
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. More than just a squid...By Stephanie E. PostDelightfully unexpected! Yes; it contains the biography of Moses Harvey; the first man to obtain a photograph of a giant squid; but from that jumping off point the discussion alights on topics ranging from family; death; insects; ice cream; pain; guilt; commerce; obsession; otherness; and mythology. Miraculously; no matter how bizarre the subject matter; Frank connects each element so organically that it seems perfectly natural that the giant squid; butterflies; and death by chocolate ice cream occupy the same space in thought. Preparing the Ghost is an eye-opening; mind-bending whirlwind that you dont want to miss.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Miraculously Intricate; Tentacularly FragileBy MartyA"Now for the R! Up we go! Attach! Descend! Pay out the line! Whoa! Attach! Good! Up you go! Repeat! Attach! Descend! Pay out line. Whoa; girl! Steady now! Attach! Climb! Attach! Over to the right! Pay out line! Attach! Now right and down and swing that loop and around and around! Now in to the left! Attach! Climb! Repeat! O.K.! Easy; keep those lines together! Now; then; out and down for the leg of the R! Pay out line! Whoa! Attach! Ascend! Repeat! Good girl!"Thats Charlotte in E. B. Whites Charlottes Web narrating her acrobatic writing process. You can almost see the little gray spider leaping; twirling; jumping. Creating a miracle of language. Something thats intricate and fragile at once. A thing puzzling and wondrous.Ive been carrying a book around in my book bag that is just as strange and beautiful as a dewy spiderweb. Matthew Gavin Franks Preparing the Ghost; a 282-page meditation on the giant squid; Moses Harvey (the first man to photograph it); monomaniacal obsession (think Captain Ahab chasing a Moby-Dick with tentacles); death by chocolate ice cream; a fatal Chicago heat wave; a grandfathers saxophone legacy; and an Insectarium. Listed like this; these topics seem like dots of paint on a pointilist canvas. But; stepping back; and back; and back; the book becomes an impressionist landscape of our deepest passions.Frank does not lay out his story easily. Like Charlotte the spider; he plays out his lines slowly; weaving his threads together. The reader gets passages of prose poetry mixed with lists of arcane fact. The result is a blend of reality and myth that questions the very fabric of narrative:Myth as quite possible.Myth as commodity; as bought and sold; as served with a side of potato salad.Myth; in Portugal; encourages the mosquito to eat leather and turn into a flesh-eating cow.Myth; in India; inspires the tribe to receive all nec- essary sustenance; from the smells of food; partic- ularly the apple; and; when traveling; to carry the apple with them; as they will perish in the absence of its smell.Myth as On Special!; as Ladies Night Discount!Myth as embedded in our mouths.Franks Ahab quest in the book seems simple: to find out the details of Moses Harveys discovery and photographing of a specimen of the giant squid in Newfoundland in 1874. His prize; however; remains elusive. Hiding behind locked doors. Trapped in essays written by Moses Harvey himself; where Harvey fashions his own myths of discovery. Ultimately; Franks subject is even more difficult to capture than the giant squid itself:And were always preparing the next ghost; still in its larval state. This time; lets give it a tailored sheet; a wedding dress; a bow tie; a nice clean shave . . . Were preparing the next ghost; as we do with any myth; to best scare us; and define our fear. So far; BOO! is the best weve come up with.Franks book is larva and moth; myth and fact. In his explorations; he discovers truths about himself and his family. Poppa Dave; a whale of a man who; eventually; succumbs to his own tentacular mantra: "Theres always room for ice cream." The compulsion to eat; even when sated. The need to pursue impossible pursuits that slip away like the giant squid in an ocean of black ink.Take some time in these last dog days of summer. Pick up Preparing the Ghost; and get trapped in Matthew Gavin Franks narrative web. Its obsessively fragile and miraculously intricate.I give it four out of four tentacles.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Like the suckers of a Giant Squid...By Karen J Weyant"Can we ever really kill a myth?" author Matthew Gavin Frank asks in Preparing the Ghost. "Even though the giant squid has long been proved actual; the beast retains the mythological narrative; cant shake its sea-monster designation. The legend lives on."Its the idea of myths and legends that is explored in Franks newest book. Yes; the cover sports a subtitle; "An Essay Concerning the Giant Squid and Its First Photographer." And yes; the book starts out in a typical linear narrative with an introduction of Reverend Moses Harvey; an amateur naturalist in the 1870s who is obsessed with the Giant Squid. Indeed; as readers; we even get to see his captured squid in a black-and-white photograph that is found at the very start of the book. (The picture; somehow; reminds me of the monsters in the old monster movies of the 50s and 60s -- even though the picture was taken decades before).Still readers venturing into Preparing the Ghost should be prepared. This is not a linear narrative or a typical biography. Instead; Frank weaves myth; science; history; and even personal memoir throughout Harveys story. Indeed; there are even glimpses of Franks own research process; including his efforts to find out more information about Harvey and his family and the very landscape that helped to capture the myth of the giant squid. Yet; even though the author wanders; he always returns to Harveys story and the mysterious squid. Any reader who sticks with the authors meanderings will be treated to intriguing history; interesting mythology and strong lyrical writing -- and most of all stories that will grab a hold of you and not let go.Sorta; I guess; like the suckers of a Giant Squid.