While I was home over the summer, we put in a visit to Glastonbury (as usual). This was painted on the wall of the alley leading to the car park. I love the way that, even though the figures only have stick limbs and dots for eyes, they all look slightly concerned, especially the one on the right, who I think looks pretty worried. The golden background made the wall opposite seem to glow - an almost magical effect that I suspect you probably wouldn't get anywhere other than Glastonbury!
Art
08/23/2010
02/16/2010
Carnival and Lent
I love this painting by Breugel, depicting "The Battle Between Carnival and Lent". Carnival is shown as a fat man riding a wine barrel, with a spit of meat instead of a lance, while Lent is a thin old woman with a board of fish. In the background the distinction between the feasting, festive period of Carnival (on the left) and the fasting, austere period of Lent (on the right) can be clearly seen.
In early modern Europe, Carnival was in opposition to Lent, but was also the opposite of everyday life - 'the world turned upside down'. It was a time of feasting and revelry, with an emphasis on food, sex and violence, stretching from midwinter to its climax on Shrove Tuesday, before the abstinence of Lent began on Ash Wednesday.
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