We need to bring back ITBB's fine tradition of 'amplifying' art and music. So here's a painting by Victorian artist John Atkinson Grimshaw, much admired by the son of Whistler's mother. And it's a painting of Roundhay Lake in Leeds. Fancy that!
(Why is that so extraordinary? Well, it isn't).
— John Atkinson Grimshaw (@artistgrimshaw) November 3, 2019
And this weekend I've mostly been enjoying a bit of Vaughan Williams:
And, acknowledging a comment from the other day, hoping that we'll keep on posting pieces in praise of rare BBC gems, I really must recommend - somewhat belatedly - the last-but-one edition of Lord Bragg of Wigton's In Our Time on Rabbie Burns, the Gregor Fisher of British poetry and a great admirer of bonnie lassies.
I enjoyed it a lot, especially the contributions of Robert Crawford, Professor of Modern Scottish Literature and Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Poetry at the University of St Andrews.
Putting aside his wonderful voice and his magnificent reading of Burns's poetry, he was - like Tam O'Shanter - glorious, o'er a' the ills o' life victorious!
In the podcast version, where he added a bit of the modern afterlife of the great man, Professor Crawford was so compelling that he even got Melvyn to doff his ermine-lined cloth cap in sheer admiration.
With no acronyms after his name just proper qualifications, Robert Crawford is my kind of expert.
Neil Oliver's days as the BBC's Official Scotsman may be over. There's clearly a new bairn in town.
Anyhow - also somewhat belatedly - here's the best poem for Halloween of all time (via one of my favourite YouTube videos).
Nae man can tether time or tide; the hour approaches Tam maun ride...
Anyhow - also somewhat belatedly - here's the best poem for Halloween of all time (via one of my favourite YouTube videos).
Nae man can tether time or tide; the hour approaches Tam maun ride...
Along with Seurat, my favourite painter.
ReplyDeleteMy screen saver is this :
https://curiator.com/art/john-atkinson-grimshaw/shipping-on-the-clyde
He paints so beautifully you can smell the air.
That is one seriously beautiful painting.
DeleteI 'followed' a Twitter feed that regularly posts JAG's paintings a few weeks ago and have been getting almost daily doses of his wonderful work.
Almost forgot the link:
Deletehttps://twitter.com/artistgrimshaw
He's the Paddy Mcaloon of oils. I'd never heard of him 'til about five years ago.
DeleteIt amazes me how these geniuses slip through unnoticed and un-fanfared.
Thanks for acquainting me with Grimshaw...I am detecting a bit of Southern Arty Resistance to that v. northern sounding name...had he had a more exotic moniker (maybe Warbler to go with Whistler), I suspect he would be much better appreciated.
ReplyDeleteNot just Rabbie but Vaughan Williams was one for the lassies. In fact he was a bit of a me-too offender - I recall seeing (in less censorious times) an interview in a TV documentary with one of his female pupils laughing about how he liked to lift the young ladies' skirts to see what petticoats they were wearing...I am surprised they still play him on BBC Radio 3! :)