Author Archives: s.mccalpin

             The art piece I chose, was an oil on canvas painting  created by the artist Franz von Stuck in the year 1908. Von Stuck was a German painter,sculptor,architect and engraver who was awarded the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown in 1906.  Stuck’s work was mainly focused around mythology and most of his paintings featured large forms which exuded his interest in sculptures. As for this particular piece I chose titled “Inferno”, it was created by Stuck in the year 1908 before the end of the Second World War and captures the artist ‘s own perception of hell or some kind of purgatory. In the painting, a snake,flames and demons are displayed with dark colors as they appear to torment the people around them. Three men in the painting are seen in a fetal position as they appear to be in some immense pain and anguish as one would imagine hell to be. Many critics saw Stuck’s work as visionary as he explored a darker and more sinister side of art without fear. It is also believed that the artist pulled his inspiration from August’s Radin’s “The Gates of Hell”.                                                                                Stuck’s Inferno really captured the ideals of 19th century modernism as it relates to finding new forms of expression as Modernism was concerned with experimental art forms and Stuck’s release of a more sinister topic was indeed innovative  and received many praises from critics for his subject matter. His depiction of Inferno’s expression of the atrocities of hell delved into the modernists appetite for surrealism and expressionism.

The context in which I came across the painting was simply through my online search for a painting that would give some reflection of the mind’s of artists during this chaotic period of war and oppression. I wanted to be more familiar with the painting before I actually visited in person and so upon searching for a piece that I believed captured the heart and mind of the people who are not afraid to express themselves (artists) I came across the Inferno piece and more interestingly, I noticed it was constructed by a German native. Which is mainly the reason I chose this particular piece. I was very interested in what Germans found captivating during this time as they played a major role in both World Wars and are indeed interesting citizens to study. I feel like Stuck’s painting being as sinister and mind boggling as it is really is a great representation of the minds and heart of many other Germans and like minded people from other nationalities and creeds during this time . This is what inspired me to further study this art piece. In closing, there are absolutely no outstanding questions that I had about this particular art work and why the artist chose to create this work. I feel like I understood greatly the context of this piece and why he chose to create it during such times of hardship. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this artist and his work. Thank you.

In the short story titled “Metamorphosis”,written by well known author Franz Kafka in 1912 and published in 1915, the themes of  isolation and alienation are prevalent throughout the story which follows a man by the name of Gregor Samsa, who is plagued with the burden of paying off his family debt. The text gives major insights on the relationship  between Gregor and his family and how demanding his duties as both a traveling salesman and only son was.

Not only was Gregor overworked and under appreciated by his superiors at work but also by his family who showed him great negligence upon discovering his new transformation into a giant cockroach who is unable to communicate with them. In fact, it is this same negligence and lack of affection that in the end lead to Gregor’s demise.

As unfortunate as the series of events in the text was,there were a few things in the story that mirrored some struggles of my own as a young woman who works hard not necessarily to pay off my family’s debts but to make them proud and pave the way for my younger sibling. Much like Gregor many of my days are spent traveling back and forth on trains and buses over long distances in an attempt to get to work or school. It is overwhelming to say the least and in many instances leaves a hint of depression at the end of the day. Even more so demanding is my working environment.

In the text Gregor describes his co-workers as harrem women,which marked a period in the 16th and 17th century known to some as “the reign of women”. During this time women played a major role in political affairs as well as they served as wives and concubines to their captors. Much of the people from that time would picture harrem women as numerous women sitting around in a room waiting to exact sexual favors to their men,not necessarily completing any tasks. And much like Samsa’s fellow employees are mine. Much of the responsibilities at work are given to me and God forbids one day I decide to “take a break” I would be penalized the most. So this aspect of his work life really resonated with me. And one can always understand how being treated unfairly can eventually affect a persons psyche,bring great pain and suffering which might have pushed our protagonist into deeper exile,both from his parents and life itself. But what really allowed me to develop a great appreciation for Gregor’s character was his strong will and determination,something I too pride myself with. The sheer will he exudes in this story is much like my own and greatly inspired me to keep working hard regardless of the trials I may face.

Hi, my name is Shinelle. I’m a business major specializing in Human Resources Managemebt. I am a transfer student from B.C.C and this is my first semester at Baruch. I am 21 years old and I pride myself in being a hard worker and one that is willing to go the extra mile to excel. I hope to learn great things this semester both from out learned professor and from my fellow classmates as well. All the best this semester guys.