Author Archives: s.sahmanovic

During my visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I was particularly drawn to Claude Monet’s, Ile Aux Orties Near Vernon. Claude Monet is a famous French painter of the 19^th and early 20^th century. He is credited with being one of the founders of the Impressionism movement which is concerned with the visual impression of a moment, focusing on light and color. He is famously known for his series of artworks such as Nympheas, Sunrise, and Rouen Cathedral.

This painting depicts the scenery of the Ile aux Orties (Island of Nettles) situated close to Monet’s home in Giverny. Monet painted four versions of the misty atmosphere in 1897. This piece consists of many brush strokes in shades of blue, purple, gray, yellow and green. Monet seems to be depicting a cloud or fog just above the river. Monet’s focus on light and color can be seen in the shape of the cloud as well as its reflection. He uses dark blue, green, and purple, and some gray to depict the shape of the cloud, and uses light green, yellow, blue, and purple to portray the cloud’s reflection in river.

Monet’s, Ile Aux Orties Near Vernon, definitely focuses on the aesthetic element of Modernism. When you think of a foggy atmosphere you usually associate dark colors and a gloomy tone. However, Monet depicts a much more peaceful image by using bright colors and creates a more appealing impression of fog. Furthermore, Monet’s artistic style does not apply definite shapes or forms to objects, so his pieces can sometimes be left to interpretation.

I viewed this piece of Monet’s work in the European Paintings department at the MET. In this section there were a lot of pieces of Monet’s work such as his famous Water Lillies, and other works of impressionist artist. A lot of pieces featured in this section were composed of detailed brush strokes as well as bright colors.

I was particularly drawn to Monet’s Ile Aux Orties Near Vernon, because of its bright colors and simplicity. I have always favored modern pieces of art that depict simple images and focus on color schemes. At first glance, I was so drawn by its bright colors that I was not able to make out the object in the painting. After further analyzation, I was able to see the cloud and its reflection in the water. Also, I was able to draw some conclusions due to my recognition of the French word, ile, which means island.

I wonder if Monet purposely used bright colors to create a more attractive piece or if this was a scenery he encountered. Furthermore, I would like to know why Monet created his work with an element of vagueness. Did he want viewers of his work to develop their own interpretation, or does his indefinite objects have an underlying meaning?

Lu Xun’s, “In the Wineshop”, explores political as well as societal issues with its simple tale of two old friends. This story seems to highlight the division of China between north and south, as well as differences in belief systems. The narrator specifically describes the differences between Northern China and Southern China by illustrating the flowers that peak through the snow in the South. He paints a grim picture of the North, but also suggests that the South has lost its potential since he’s last visited. Furthermore, we see a difference in opinion on the death of Ah Shun. The first-person narrator believes it was her fate, while Lu Wei-fu attributes her death to “futile affairs”. Lu Xun seems to weigh the two approaches and implement his opinion through the actions of each character in the narrative.

Personally, I always consider the conservative approach in my own affairs. I really believe that I am an old soul as I favor traditional approaches to familial as well as life affairs. Like traditional Confucian values, I believe in social order and virtue. In his narrative, Lu Xun seems to touch upon these Confucian values as well as ideas about faith. I believe the term “conservatism” mirrors much of what Confucianism stands for. Much of my conservatism can be attributed to my culture and upbringing. As a child, I spent much time with my grandparents and often had many conversations with them about morality. Much of what they taught me is engrained in the Yugoslavian culture, but also practiced through out many generations in my family. Growing up, I held on to these traditional values and never seemed to question them or take on a new approach.

Lu Xun also touches upon the idea of “fate” which correlates with ideas of superstition. This is what divided my grandfathers from my grandmothers. My grandfathers always applied logic to affairs while my grandmothers would often use religion and faith to explain events. As I grow older, I battle with these two ideologies. Sometimes I want to apply reason to situation, while other times I want to apply faith and superstition. Upon the death of my grandparents I found myself in a dilemma. I tried to attribute their deaths to their medical conditions, but at the same time I believed it was their fate. I tried to apply superstition to the events surrounding their death, but then I would undermine these ideas by analyzing the reality of the situation. I believe many of us battle between faith and logic which seems to be historically controversial.

Hi everyone! My name is Shayla Sahmanovic and I am a transfer student here at Baruch College. My major is Finance and I aspire to be a financial advisor. I currently work in an industry known as Merchant Cash Advance where we provide small businesses with access to quick working capital. My interest in the financial field has been heavily influenced by my family’s businesses and investments. Their success has inspired me to create an empire of my own.

If I wasn’t interested in becoming a financial advisor, I would most definitely become a world traveler. My love for traveling started at a very young age as I was privileged enough to visit my family in Europe every summer. My family comes from a very small, Eastern European country known as Montenegro. There, I have created most of my childhood memories, and probably the best moments of my life. The European culture and lifestyle inspired me to explore many countries even beyond European boundaries. Some places I have explored include Paris, Venice, Amsterdam, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Brussels, Montreal, Montego Bay, Punta Cana, Cancun, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and a couple more places that I cannot think of right now… This summer I plan on visiting Istanbul, Cappadocia, Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens!

Pretty much I love a good investment and breathtaking views!