This painting is known as the “Reading at a Table” and was done by Pablo Picasso in 1934. Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter who is best known for his usage of cubism and his wide range of different artistic styles. The painting depicts a young woman sitting at a table reading by a lamp with a whole variety of colors and crude lines. After some research, I found out that woman is actually French and her name is Marie-Therese Walter. Marie-Therese Walter first met Pablo Picasso when she was seventeen and he was forty five. The two eventually had a relationship that people say it was his happiest yet least public. I believe this painting fits with the era of modernism for many reasons. For one, the “Reading at a Table” is an impressionist painting. Impressionism is when artists capture images without much detail but with bold colors. This is seen with the lamp which is just a yellow section of the painting without too much attention however it is clear by the bright color that this is a light source for the girl reading. Another way to classify this painting is saying this is an art piece of expressionism. Expressionism is an artistic style of distorting the subject for emotional effect to evoke moods or ideas. This type of modernist style is associated with Pablo Picasso often. In the “Reading at a Table,” nearly every item in the painting is distorted in some way or another. The female’s head is shaped unconventionally which is a common theme for Pablo Picasso when he painted humans. The chair and other items are also not drawn with straight lines that makes them look as they have been warped. The reason for this can be because this was the modernist style Pablo Picasso has been known for. My personal opinion regarding the distortion is that is has been done to create an environment of comfort because the lines are not perfect and that makes me feel as there is an energy of relaxation as the female reads her book. I saw this painting at The Metropolitan Museum of Art after walking into the modernism wing on the first floor and I noticed a tour group surrounding this painting. I was intrigued and saw that is was one of Pablo Picasso’s work and I am a huge fan of his so I was motivated to analyze it some more. There were other Pablo Picasso’s in this wing but the colors of “Reading at a Table” and the easiness I feel from observing it was the reason I was drawn to this piece. The only question I would have about this painting is what exactly is the female reading? She has her hand by her head which can either be a sign of relaxation or being tired so I am curious on what evoked that choice of hers.
Monthly Archives: April 2016
Franz Kafka, “The Metamorphosis”
–Do you think that Gregor is more powerful BEFORE or AFTER his metamorphosis? Explain your response.
–How is Gregor’s family transformed in the wake of his metamorphosis?
–At the end of the second section of the story, Gregor’s father pelts him with apples. What do you think this episode is about?
–Gregor emerges from his room one last time when he hears his sister playing her violin for the lodgers. What is the significance of this? What meaning does music hold for Gregor here?
–Ultimately, what do you think Gregor’s metamorphosis means? What does it mean to be transformed into a giant bug?
–Explain your understanding of Gregor’s death. How/why does he ultimately die?
Lu Xun, “In the Wineshop”
–The story’s narrator is revisiting a place he once lived. Explain the significance that this “revisiting” has in relation to the themes of the story.
–What is the connection between our narrator and Weifu? Why do you think so much of the story is spent on Weifu’s life, while the narrator shares very little about his own life experiences?
–Explain the significance of the story about reburying Weifu’s little brother?
–Weifu recalls when he and the narrator used to pull the beards off religious statues in the Temple when they were younger. What is the significance of this memory?
–Describe an instance of filial piety in the story. What is its significance?
–What aspects of this short story seem to you to be particularly modernist?
T.S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
–The poem opens, “Let us go then, you and I….” Whom do you think the speaker is addressing here?
–What is Prufrock’s relationship to time?
–Look at the description of the yellow smoke in the second and third stanzas of the poem. What do you make of this description?
–“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,” laments Prufrock. What do you think this line means?
–Describe the overall mood of the poem. What feelings does it leave you with?
–In the final lines of the poem, the speaker shifts from “I” to “We.” How do we explain this shift?
Rabindranath Tagore, “Punishment”
–How does justice work in the world of “Punishment”? What happens when one tells the truth? What happens when one lies?
–What do we make of Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law? Do you see her as a hero or as a victim?
–Explain the significance of the details Tagore offers about the marriage between Chandara and Chidam. How do they help us understand the events of the story?
–How do you understand the title of the story?
–As she approaches death, Chandara both says, “to hell with him,” and maintains that she loves her husband. How do you reconcile these two apparently contradictory statements?
Tolstoy, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”
1. Why do you think Tolstoy begins his story with the announcement of Ivan Ilyich’s death, rather than organizing it chronologically?
2. “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” is full of French words. What purpose do they serve?
3. How does Ivan Ilyich’s family react to his illness? What do their reactions tell us about them?
4. On his deathbed, Ivan asks, “Why, and for what purpose, is there all this horror?” Does the text provide an answer to this weighty question?
5. Compare the attitude toward death we see in Ivan Ilyich’s family and social milieu to that of our own society. How do we treat illness and death?
August Strindberg, Miss Julie
–What difference do you think it makes that the play takes place on Midsummer’s Eve?
–What role does the character Kristin play in the drama that takes place largely between Miss Julie and Jean?
–Discuss the symbolism of Miss Julie’s bird. What do you think it means?
–Do you sympathize with any of the characters in this play? If so, whom? Why?
–What does Miss Julie tell Jean about her mother? How might this disclosure help us understand Julie’s character more fully?