Monday, September 26, 2011

Shakespeare and Jackson Pollock

Today I just wanted to post one of my favorite paintings, which, ironically enough, is connected to Shakespeare (although you would never guess by looking at it.

BEHOLD...
FULL FATHOM FIVE


Oddly enough this goes along with the play The Tempest, which I am looking forward to seeing in the next few weeks., and here I connect two of my loves, Art, and Shakespeare.

This painting is from a song by Ariel (no, not the red-headed mermaid girl, but a sprite (and not the drink either, a fairy)) as he convinces another character that his father is drowned and lost at sea. If the feeling of drowning was visual, this painting would be it.

Full fathom five thy Father lies,
Of his bones are coral made:
Those are pearls that were his eyes
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a Sea-change
Into something rich & strange
Sea-Nymphs hourly ring his knell.
Hark now I hear them, ding-dong, bell.


3 comments:

  1. I really like this post. I didn't know that Pollock did a piece inspired by Shakespeare. You're right, it certainly does an excellent job representing drowning. Keep posting art!

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  2. A very simple thing, I appreciate the fact that the color you chose for the poem goes with the painting. I'm guessing you either did that on purpose, or your natural tendency for things of art is saying hello.

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  3. I'm with everyone else on this one...very impressed by how you draw connections between Shakespeare and modern art and culture. It shows just how much Shakespeare has influenced English culture even today...I certainly would not have associated this painting with Shakespeare at first glance.

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