Flamenco in the morning -- we're practicing for our show exactly one week from today! Las Sevillanas always give me trouble haha, but I think I've finally figured out how the arms are supposed to look. Laura told us girls we had to swish our skirts more, otherwise (en español) "the husbands and boyfriends will ask, why did I buy you that skirt if you're not going to use it?!!" So I'll be sure to swish "mi falda" más!
Laura (flamenco teacher) saw me studying for my health care quiz before class and naturally asked me about what we were learning. Of course, the questions came up, "how can it be that America still lets people go without health insurance? Why can't the government just provide it for everyone like we do in Europe?" I was surprised to find I could actually sort of explain en español the reasons why universal health care coverage attempts in the US have repeatedly failed. I assured her that I and many other Americans would really like to see universal health care coverage, but America's health care situation is very different from Europe's, in part because we don't actually have a "system" like most European countries. We just have a mesh of things that have grown and evolved over time without any overarching organizing body giving directions or setting goals (eg. universal coverage). Anyway, I won't keep rambling, but the conversation definitely helped me clarify and reflect upon all the things we've been learning about in class this quarter. And while I don't want to defend or excuse America's uninsurance and health care coverage problems, I do feel it's important that I know how to explain (or begin to explain) them.
Quiz in Health Care Class about cost-effectiveness analysis and different kinds of health care insurance plans and payment structures, then we discussed the Obama reforms. Afterward, home for lunch and then off to the Prado for class.
Today we looked at lots of Goya's paintings. Started off with the cartones -- paintings made to be templates or models for tapestries that would eventually be hung in houses of the aristocracy. These paintings were very brightly colored, often depicting scenes outdoors, games, leisure, young aristocrats laughing gaily. The aristocrats were dressed as "majas" -- they wore outfits that imitated the dress of the lowest social classes as a way of distinguishing themselves from the bourgeosie middle class (who were always trying to imitate the aristocracy). So these aristocrats wore short pants, girls had traditional-looking dresses, hairnets, let their hair loose, etc. Very interesting phenomenon this "majismo" and not too unlike the fashion trends of the 21st century either...
After the majas, we saw several of Goya's portraits of Spanish kings (Fernando VII, Carlos IV and his family) and archduchesses and dukes. You could see the influence of Rousseau and his ideas about the importance of maternity and child-rearing, providing an optimal environment for the developing child in the family portraits especially (mother is often the central figure), kids look like kids, not like mini adults.
Of course, we also looked at the "maja desnuda" and "maja vestida" paintings -- so scandalous because the naked lady is actually a portrait of someone, not some representation of Venus or another mythical figure. Goya clearly diverted from tradition also by positioning the figure lying with her head in the upper right corner of the painting (usually reclining nudes were placed with heads in the top left), her head looks strangely attached to the neck and, the most controversial thing of all, she has corporal hair.
Next we visited the dark rooms where Goya's "pinturas negras" hang -- so awful with those floppy smiles, ravenous eyes (I get really creeped out by when I see these smiles reappear in the bright, cheerful maja cartones). Our profesora explained the three main theories that exist about the pinturas negras, which were completed between 1820 and 1824: 1) they're biographical in some way, depicting something from Goya's life, particularly after he went deaf -- though that was in 1792 so the deafness doesn't quite match up. 2) they reflect Goya's political commentary on the situation in España after the wars of succession, the new monarchy, etc. 3) these works reflect new artistic, aesthetic ideas of the time about the link between the imagination and reality, romanticism, expression of the imagination, discovering links between memory and imagination, the magic lantern that illuminates (eg. influences of William Blake).
Finally we visited the enormous historical paintings depicting scenes of Spanish history (I find the paintings about "Juana the Loca" particularly intriguing). It's interesting to think how these images project contemporary interpretations of history onto the past and influence the way we look back on history. Who knows if Juana really was loca, but painter Eduardo Rosales definitely wanted to portray her as such! This "women in art" art history class has really been excellent -- I'm so glad I stuck with it because I think it's taught me the most new Spanish vocabulary and the most history of all my classes.
After class, went to Principe Pío to see the final event of Carneval week: The Entierro de la Sardina (a bizarre fish-burying festival most famously depicted by Goya). Somehow it symbolizes the fasting that is about to take place during Lent. Basically, I arrived outside the Florida chapel (home of Goya's amazing frescos) to see a bunch of people dressed in "mourning" -- 19th century funeral garb, black capes, veils, top hats... As a group of musicians played boisterously, the mourners cremated a sardine, then began to process across the bridge, holding flags, bearing giant sardine bodies, and throwing candy. The procession also included singers, dancers and many people dressed up in costumes. I tried to capture some video and not ruin too many of other people's photos by awkwardly being in their pictures, and it was fun to see! The procession was led by a giant float pulled by a team of 4 or 6 white horses (the horse driver was an old man who appeared to be sleeping!). Never seen anything quite like this before!
After the procession, went to the Institute to watch "Las Cenizas del Cielo" -- a movie about a thermal power plant in Asturias and the local farmers trying to get rid of it.
Home for dinner with Consuelo -- the Sardina procession was on TV too! Time for bed now because I'm wiped out.
Laura (flamenco teacher) saw me studying for my health care quiz before class and naturally asked me about what we were learning. Of course, the questions came up, "how can it be that America still lets people go without health insurance? Why can't the government just provide it for everyone like we do in Europe?" I was surprised to find I could actually sort of explain en español the reasons why universal health care coverage attempts in the US have repeatedly failed. I assured her that I and many other Americans would really like to see universal health care coverage, but America's health care situation is very different from Europe's, in part because we don't actually have a "system" like most European countries. We just have a mesh of things that have grown and evolved over time without any overarching organizing body giving directions or setting goals (eg. universal coverage). Anyway, I won't keep rambling, but the conversation definitely helped me clarify and reflect upon all the things we've been learning about in class this quarter. And while I don't want to defend or excuse America's uninsurance and health care coverage problems, I do feel it's important that I know how to explain (or begin to explain) them.
Quiz in Health Care Class about cost-effectiveness analysis and different kinds of health care insurance plans and payment structures, then we discussed the Obama reforms. Afterward, home for lunch and then off to the Prado for class.
Today we looked at lots of Goya's paintings. Started off with the cartones -- paintings made to be templates or models for tapestries that would eventually be hung in houses of the aristocracy. These paintings were very brightly colored, often depicting scenes outdoors, games, leisure, young aristocrats laughing gaily. The aristocrats were dressed as "majas" -- they wore outfits that imitated the dress of the lowest social classes as a way of distinguishing themselves from the bourgeosie middle class (who were always trying to imitate the aristocracy). So these aristocrats wore short pants, girls had traditional-looking dresses, hairnets, let their hair loose, etc. Very interesting phenomenon this "majismo" and not too unlike the fashion trends of the 21st century either...
After the majas, we saw several of Goya's portraits of Spanish kings (Fernando VII, Carlos IV and his family) and archduchesses and dukes. You could see the influence of Rousseau and his ideas about the importance of maternity and child-rearing, providing an optimal environment for the developing child in the family portraits especially (mother is often the central figure), kids look like kids, not like mini adults.
Of course, we also looked at the "maja desnuda" and "maja vestida" paintings -- so scandalous because the naked lady is actually a portrait of someone, not some representation of Venus or another mythical figure. Goya clearly diverted from tradition also by positioning the figure lying with her head in the upper right corner of the painting (usually reclining nudes were placed with heads in the top left), her head looks strangely attached to the neck and, the most controversial thing of all, she has corporal hair.
Next we visited the dark rooms where Goya's "pinturas negras" hang -- so awful with those floppy smiles, ravenous eyes (I get really creeped out by when I see these smiles reappear in the bright, cheerful maja cartones). Our profesora explained the three main theories that exist about the pinturas negras, which were completed between 1820 and 1824: 1) they're biographical in some way, depicting something from Goya's life, particularly after he went deaf -- though that was in 1792 so the deafness doesn't quite match up. 2) they reflect Goya's political commentary on the situation in España after the wars of succession, the new monarchy, etc. 3) these works reflect new artistic, aesthetic ideas of the time about the link between the imagination and reality, romanticism, expression of the imagination, discovering links between memory and imagination, the magic lantern that illuminates (eg. influences of William Blake).
Finally we visited the enormous historical paintings depicting scenes of Spanish history (I find the paintings about "Juana the Loca" particularly intriguing). It's interesting to think how these images project contemporary interpretations of history onto the past and influence the way we look back on history. Who knows if Juana really was loca, but painter Eduardo Rosales definitely wanted to portray her as such! This "women in art" art history class has really been excellent -- I'm so glad I stuck with it because I think it's taught me the most new Spanish vocabulary and the most history of all my classes.
After class, went to Principe Pío to see the final event of Carneval week: The Entierro de la Sardina (a bizarre fish-burying festival most famously depicted by Goya). Somehow it symbolizes the fasting that is about to take place during Lent. Basically, I arrived outside the Florida chapel (home of Goya's amazing frescos) to see a bunch of people dressed in "mourning" -- 19th century funeral garb, black capes, veils, top hats... As a group of musicians played boisterously, the mourners cremated a sardine, then began to process across the bridge, holding flags, bearing giant sardine bodies, and throwing candy. The procession also included singers, dancers and many people dressed up in costumes. I tried to capture some video and not ruin too many of other people's photos by awkwardly being in their pictures, and it was fun to see! The procession was led by a giant float pulled by a team of 4 or 6 white horses (the horse driver was an old man who appeared to be sleeping!). Never seen anything quite like this before!
After the procession, went to the Institute to watch "Las Cenizas del Cielo" -- a movie about a thermal power plant in Asturias and the local farmers trying to get rid of it.
Home for dinner with Consuelo -- the Sardina procession was on TV too! Time for bed now because I'm wiped out.
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