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#The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry
hjin922147 · 4 months
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God knows I tried
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vixen-academia · 9 months
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Free MIT online courses that sound interesting
Arts & Literature
Introduction to World Music
Reading Fiction
Literary Interpretation: Virginia Woolf's Shakespeare
Introduction to Photography
Foundations of Western Culture II: Renaissance to Modernity
Studies in Poetry - Briths Poetry and the Sciences of the Mind
Studies in Literary History: Modernism: From Nietzsche to Fellini
Screen Women: Body Narratives in Popular American Film
Studies in Poetry: "What's the Use of Beauty"
Queer Cinema and Visual Culture
Monteverdi to Mozart: 1600 - 1800
Writing and Experience: Reading and Writing Autobiography
Advanced Topics in Hispanic Literature and Film: The Films of Luis Buñel
Major Authors: Rewriting Genesis: "Paradise Lost" and Twentieth-Century Fantasy
Arthurian Literature and Celtic Colonization
Contemporary Literature: Britsh Novel Now
Studies in Poetry: 20th Century Irish Poetry: The Shadow of W. B. Yeats
Writing About Literature: Writing About Love
Introduction to European and Latin American Fiction: Great Books On The Page and On The Screen
Popular Culture and Narrative: Use and Abuse of the Fairy Tale
Victorian Literature and Culture
Reading Poetry
English Renaissance Drama: Theatre and Society in the Age of Shakespeare
Introduction to Fiction
International Woman's Voice
Major Authors: Oscar Wilde and the "90's"
Prizewinners: Nobelistas
American Authors: American Women Authors
Shakespeare, Film and Media
Japanese Literature and Cinema
Woman's Novels: A Weekly Book Club
Classics of Chinese Literature
Major English Novels
Topics in South Asia Literature and Culture
Introduction to Literary Theory
History & Social Studies
American Classics
The Middle East in the 20th Century
Africa and the Politics of Knowledge
The Rise of Modern Science
European Imperialism in the 19th and 20th Century
Philosophy of Love
Human Rights: At Home and Abroad
The Nature of Creativity
Introduction to Comparative Politics
Riots, Rebellions, Revolutions
Introduction to the History of Technology
Ancient Philosophy
Youth Political Participation
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blue-thief · 2 months
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@galaxynajma here are the actor/artist/writer isakainess hcs i mentioned earlier 🫡 (this got wayy longer than i was expecting it to be so it's basically a fic outline atp
kaiser started off as a child actor which explains... everything
when he was really young he popped up in a few roles for some pretty big movies
his biggest role as a kid though came when he was about ten where he played a big supporting character in a long-running kids' sitcom (think stuff like hannah montana, icarly, etc)
he's more or less cut off contact with his parents but he was fortunate to get a hold of his money once he turned 18
he's since moved out, rents out his own modest apartment, and he's shown up in a few moderately successful things
he's far from being an a-list actor but he's got a decent following
even though most people wouldn't be able to recognize his face, he can mention the stuff he's been in and people will be like "ohh yeah i've heard of that, i've been meaning to check it out"
he usually has to wear makeup to cover up his tattoo. most of his notable roles came before he cut + dyed his hair
his goal is to become an oscar-winning actor and he was able to get the lead role for a really serious film. his new hair just happened to suit the role
meanwhile there's ness the writer
he started off studying something STEM-related to appease his parents. besides, he needs a backup plan just in case the whole writing thing doesn't work out
but he soon dropped out due to being overwhelmed by how intense his competition was
fortunately enough he's still in contact with an ex classmate and he got some money doing copywriting for their side gig's website
on top of that he started submitting flash fiction and poetry to different competitions and magazines like CRAZYYY just to make a little more money
kaiser stumbles across one of his pieces, looks into him a little more, and finds ness's personal blog
he reads up on ness ranting about his parents and how he has no money
at this point kaiser's kinda fallen in love but he doesn't wanna seem too weird
and he reaches out to ness saying, "hey ik this sounds kinda weird but if you really wanna pursue your dreams but you're low on money you can become my roommate"
at first ness is like "wtf is this guy gonna try to kill me"
but he's late on rent and about to get evicted so he's DESPERATE
he agrees to meet kaiser to assess the vibes
and well. obviously ness falls head over heels in love with kaiser
(obv kaiser isn't gonna kill ness but don't follow in ness's footsteps guys you probably won't end up being as lucky)
and it works out great. kaiser's more than happy to cover most of the rent, he's out most of the time filming, and ness just has this bigass apartment where he's got ample space to work
anyway while kaiser's out and about one day he's at this cafe
there's this one worker on break, still in his apron and everything
he's off in the corner doodling something
the worker is isagi
and kaiser notices isagi is drawing HIM
kaiser goes up to him all smug like "wow, are you a fan? you want an autograph?"
and isagi's like "bro idfk who you are i just really liked your tattoo"
they talk a bit and isagi tells kaiser where he can find more of his work
isagi's mostly focused on digital art and commissions but he's also studying animation
kaiser finds his instagram and commissions isagi
"that napkin doodle you made of me was pretty good but i'd love to see how well you can capture my beauty given ample time (and money) ;)"
kaiser quickly becomes isagi's most frequent and highest paying client
you can say he's basically become isagi's (and to an extent ness's) sugar daddy
but kaiser likes to think of himself of those wealthy patrons from the renaissance
kaiser loved swinging by the cafe to ask about isagi's progress on his latest commission
one day he overheard isagi panicking about not being able to pay rent
and kaiser's like "you can move in with me and my roommate if you want"
and well. isagi does exactly that
ness kinda gets all crazy and possessive like "WHO'S THIS HOW DID YOU MEET HIM HOW DO YOU KNOW HE'S NOT-"
suffice to say he and isagi don't get along at first
but kaiser's never home so it's mostly just them on opposite sides of the apartment, sending glares at each other every now and then
it's BECAUSE kaiser is never around that isagi and ness are forced to bond with each other eventually
FUCK THIS POSTED INSTEAD OF GETTING SAVED AS A DRAFT
oh whatever i'll probably make this into a fic and fill in the rest that way 😭😭
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S/O's Hobbies HCs
This wasn't requested, but I wrote down the first little idea and then it snowballed wildly out of my control. Have some Bay Boys and how they engage with their partner's hobbies.
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Like their namesakes suggest, these are Renaissance men, okay? They do a bit of everything (partially because they've always had a lot of time to fill), and they absolutely want to learn about whatever you do.
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Donnie is naturally curious across the board. He wants to know a bit about everything all the time- and you happen to be his favorite subject to study! Even if your hobbies aren't his thing, he absolutely wants to learn about them.
He also loves to apply his own knowledge to them! If he knows something about it that you might not, he loves to offer it up- exchange of knowledge is this guy's love language. He's careful not to sound condescending, he's just excited!
If you're into woodwork, he's over the moon- he hates doing it himself. He'd much rather weld for three days straight than have to work with wood for any significant period of time. However, he does love dropping tree facts on you ("You know, this tree is actually considered invasive in parts of Europe.").
If you're into anything with a chemistry element, like cooking or baking (or makeup or traditional art), he's all about it. He views it all from a very chemistry-heavy angle, so he adores hearing and seeing your thought process and perspective. He knows how the ingredients you're using (or were used in your supplies) work together to create the end product, but he loves to learn about how you use them.
If you're any kind of performer, he loves seeing you practice! Please show him videos of your performances, he'll love every single second. He is your biggest cheerleader. He'll notice little details in your work ("I love how you said that line! Quick and angry but still speaking so clearly- that's so impressive, love." or "Oh!! That spin! Look at you go!" or "That note was perfect, sweetheart- I could listen to this all day.") and will absolutely study up on your art of choice so that he can better appreciate what you do!
Same with sports! He loves to watch any clips you have, even if they're from your friend's shitty eight year old camera that has about 12 pixels to offer. Don would absolutely do drills with you if you asked- pitch a ball, guard a goal, swing a bat, whatever. He likes trading warm up and cool down routines, too!
You're into mechanics? Machinery? He's so excited to compare notes. You love driving- or even better, being driven? Dates on the road. All the time.
If you write, he would love to read anything you'll give him! If you write nonfiction, he loves to see your thoughts and findings and keeps a little notepad of questions and observations to talk to you about. If you're a fiction person, he loves to find your voice in the descriptions and characters! He gets absorbed in the story- right up until he sees a phrase you use a lot around him, and he has to take a second to be all smiley because he loves you before he keeps reading. Poetry? He somehow admires you even more than he already did. Will absolutely ask you if he can print a copy of one of your poems to keep by his computers- it doesn't take long at all before he could recite your work from memory.
Please tell him all about your creative choices, no matter what your hobby is. Painting? Tell him why you chose those colors, that angle, that medium. Dance? Talk about why you chose that song and did that wave with your arm. Music? Explain why you switched up the notes in that cover you did, or why you chose the chords you did in that song you wrote. Writing? He wants to hear about every single scrapped concept.
If you have a performance or a game or a display of any kind, he's absolutely either sneaking his way to watch- even if it's through a window or skylight- or hacking into whatever camera he can.
If you give him something you've made- be it a painting, something you wrote, a sculpture, a bowl, a stuffed animal, whatever- it's going where he'll see it every single day. It's his prized possession. It makes him smile even when he feels like shit.
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Leo's a big believer in the value of mindful hobbies. He uses his to relax (something that does not come naturally to him, especially these days), but also to keep his mind as sharp as his swords.
He's an even big believer in the value of you. He loves sharing his life with you, and cherishes any time you share yours with him- including your hobbies!
This acts of service bitch will do anything he can to help you out with your hobbies. If you're an artist with traditional mediums or makeup, he's offering to wash your brushes. If you paint on wood or canvas, he's happy to prep them for you. If you work with watercolor, he's emptying and refilling your paint water as often as you want. You're building something and need supplies or equipment held or moved? You mean, an excuse to show off help his partner? He's in heaven.
Any gear or equipment you use that needs to be cleaned, he's there and ready to help. However, he's careful to only help with permission- the boys all have a lot of respect for people's possessions and space. There weren't many ways to separate their things growing up, and even fewer things to separate, so (with some siblings-gonna-sib exceptions) they're all very, very good about not touching your shit. Leo specifically makes the comparison to his katana- if someone cleaned them without his permission, he'd be royally pissed. He's not about to do that to you. Just know that all you have to do is ask, and it's as good as done! (And it's done well, too. He'll pay intense attention to your instructions and follow them to the letter, taking his time and moving very carefully.)
He's a bit intense in general, actually. When you're showing him your work or your process, you have his entire focus. Nothing else matters. It's sweet, but it probably makes you trip over a few words while you're explaining.
He puts the constructive in constructive criticism. Critique is the key to improvement in his opinion, so he's definitely offering his thoughts unless you specifically ask him not to. A big part of Leonardo's life is wanting to be the best he can possibly be, and he does everything he can to help his loved ones do the same, including you! You whip up a meal? "This is delicious, baby. I think a little char would make it legitimately perfect." You're practicing choreography? "Looking good! Swing that leg just a little higher!" Writing? He's the perfect beta reader, if you really want to catch errors. He has a flawless eye for misplaced commas.
He loves anything to do with words, so if you're a writer, songwriter, poet, actor, whatever? He's delighted. He soaks up your work like a tree soaks up sunshine. Words have power, and you have power, and putting the two together means he's in awe. Will read and reread your work as many times as he can if you write. If you're a speaker- actor, spoken poet, whatever- he's front and center for every practice session you let him witness. Will take notes on his favorite moments and shower you in praise after.
He also loves music. Loves it. You play an instrument? The moment you're willing to share, he LIVES to hear you play. You sing? He's pretty sure he's actually falling more in love, and he didn't know that was possible. You're an avid listener? Please, please, please share your favorite tracks and albums and artists with him. Please have him over to your place- away from the noise of Don's work and Raph's weights and Mikey's Mikeying- and put on your favorite record and cuddle up to listen. Listening dates are one of his favorites- one of his favorite activities with one of his favorite people? Bliss. Add in some snacks and he's pretty sure it's what perfection feels like. (If you really, really want to make him happy? Listen to his music with him, too. Talk about it with him after. Tell him which songs you loved and how you noticed the beat in Song A matched the beat in Song B, and they felt like they belonged together.)
If you're an athlete, he's all about learning everything there is to know about your sport and your personal routine. He's a big fan of learning from as many different disciplines as possible, so he loves to hear about all of the little details. What stretches you do, what exercises you rely on, how you practice- all of it! He'll incorporate parts of it into his own routines if he sees benefits for his own body and abilities.
Honor Boy will also sneak his way into whatever events you have, be it a gallery or a performance or a competition. If there's a shadowy spot to hide, he's there! If not, he's finding a secluded window. Failing that, he's not above asking Don for help with cameras. (It will be on the down low, though. He doesn't need Raph and Mikey making fun of him for the next six years for being too impatient to wait for the photos and video you'll share later.)
Give him something you've made? It's getting put in the safest spot he can possibly come up with, and he looks at it every morning. It becomes a part of his routine- brush teeth, stretch, look at wonderful gift from wonderful partner and think about how lucky he is. It's instant stress relief. You cared enough about him to make something, you trusted him enough to give him the result of your time and energy. He loves it and he loves you and he loves having another reminder of you in his space.
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Mikey has the strangest, most eclectic bunch of information tucked away in his mind. He goes on YouTube journeys bouncing from one suggested video to another and has learned a little bit about all sorts of obscure topics, so there's a decent chance he'll surprise you with prior knowledge of your interests! Into history? He saw this crazy video about agriculture in India in the 1500s- he should totally pull it up for you! You're a welder? He's picked up some of the basics by hanging around Donnie, just enough to know how damn impressive your work is, and follow along with what you're saying. He knows an almost unsettling amount about the arts in general, too.
Dance, cooking, baking, music, painting, drawing, sculpting- hell, origami? He's done a little bit of all of it, and would love to learn all about your methods. He wants to see (or hear!) everything you create. He eats that shit up.
He's the loudest, happiest, most extra cheerleader you could ever possibly hope for. He will offer critique if you ask, but it's always always sandwiched by compliments- not because he wants to soften the critique, but because he genuinely thinks you're the shit. You're the next great master, his name be damned. Anything you do has notes of you in it, and he adores you more than he will ever be able to put into words (not for lack of trying), so obviously he adores your work.
You're a performer? He's the best audience ever, baby! He's fully focused on you, cheering as much as you can tolerate, straight up whooping when you do something particularly impressive. "Lookin' good, baby cakes!" and "Go off, cutiepie!" and "You're the next Shakespeare, sweets."
You make something? He's in awe. He's admiring every little aspect of it. Every stitch, stroke, flavor, whatever.
You make him something? He's is literally protecting it with his life. Anyone even looks at it wrong and he's ready to get rude. (Now, nobody's safe from him making them look at it. He shows it off every chance he gets. You're very lucky you make Mikey so happy, because otherwise Raph might start to dislike you a little for how often he has to look at it. Raph does make comments, though. "No more gifts until the holidays. I can't take any more show'n'tell sessions from this nitwit." Subtext? Mikey loves it, you make him happy, good job.)
Please let Mikey join in your hobbies. Out of all four, he's by far the most excited to get hands-on. Teach him to make your favorite recipes, teach him choreography, challenge him to matches in your sport of choice. Have painting dates. Trade mediums with him and teach him what you know- and let him teach you his! Have him help you build a table! Have jam sessions with your respective instruments! Whatever you're into, try and find a way to include him. He's gonna love you forever anyway, but that will really be the cherry on top.
Like Leo, he loves a listening date, so if you're into music please share it with him! His are much noisier, though. It's damn near a karaoke night, and he's probably dancing around like a dumbass and asking you to join him. (Please join him.)
You're performing, competing, showing off your work? He is there. He actually does not give a shit what Leo says about it, either. You'll see him, too. He'll be sure of it. He's sneaky and subtle and will be hidden from your audience, but you'll know he's there to support you, even if he has to text you a selfie from his hiding spot with a fuckton of emojis and words of encouragement.
You say you're "just" anything, and this guy is ready to go off. "Just" a beginner? Bitch, please. That's how everyone starts- and look what you're doing already! "Just" an extra? That's where movies get their depth! That's how plays feel alive! Extras give the story dimension, baby! "Just" backup vocals? First of all, you're upstaging the lead by miles in his book. Secondly, without you, none of that sweet harmonizing would be there! He's relentless and will convince you of your own amazingness or die trying.
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Raph's quality time ass is a SUCKER for learning about your hobbies. He wants to hear you talk about them for hours. He wants you to sit in his lap and show him something you made and explain every little detail. He wants to watch you practice.
He's pretty private about his hobbies beyond martial arts and lifting, so he sees you sharing yours as trusting him with part of you. It means more to him than he's ever going to say unless you express a similar opinion- he feels too corny trying to articulate it himself. He's worried you wouldn't see it as being that deep, and he'd sound cheesy. But if you say it, he's agreeing wholeheartedly.
If you really want to make him feel loved, tell him about what goes into whatever you do. What inspires you? What does it make you feel? Why do you do it? Why that specifically? How'd you start? All the fine print details that make the hobby personal to you- share them with him. He wants to know, and he knows how personal his hobbies are to him, so you sharing that information makes him feel extremely special. He loves to connect with you like that. It's doubly important if you create from emotion- Big Red has big ass emotions and channels a lot of them into things he does, so if you do the same, he feels like you're got that much more in common. Like you get him even more than he thought.
He's the most subtle and relaxed about your hobbies outwardly, but never to the point of looking disinterested. You know him well enough to know exactly what that look in his eyes means- he's invested as hell and is downright studying whatever you're doing. He reads up on your hobbies on his own time, because he doesn't want to make a fool of himself by not knowing something "obvious", and tries to subtly slip that knowledge into his questions and comments. ("Why'd you go for the ladder stitch, babe?"). It's sweet- especially because he soaks up any information you give him like a damn sponge. He remembers more than you remember even telling him.
If you're into something he has some history with- mechanics, woodwork, knitting, athletics- he's constantly absorbing your methods. If you're observant, you'll start to notice little details done the same way you'd do them. Some of it is a conscious recognition of your knowledge and competency, and some of it is his subconscious absorption of you into every possible aspect of his life. Your metaphorical fingerprints are on everything.
If you're an athlete, he wants to work out together. He'll incorporate exercises that you do into his routines just so you can do them together. He loves it- not just because you're hot, or because it's when he feels the most attractive, but because he loves what you can do. He loves seeing your body at work. There's a level of attraction there, obviously, because he finds you exceptionally hot (even if you don't feel that way about yourself!), but a lot of it is very innocent love for what your body allows you to do. He loves movement, loves working out, loves being physical, and getting to share that with you is very special to him.
Your number one supporter. I don't care what you do. He may not get it, but he'll be damned if you doubt that he loves it, loves that you do it, and supports you with every ounce of his being. Anything he can do to help you do what you love, he's doing.
He loves to hang out while you do your thing. He just likes being in your space.
And, yeah, he's gonna be there for any exhibit, competition, performance, whatever. Consequences be damned, he's going. He'll only tell you beforehand if he thinks it would help you to know, though, and he probably doubts it. If you don't tell him straight up that you wish he could be there, he probably assumes it wouldn't help. He'll tell you after, though, pulling you in with his hands on your hips and "You were amazing out there, y'know that? I'm proud of you." and squeezing you gently.
If you make him something, he's going to try and play it cool, but he's like, massively impacted by it. Externally, he's "Thanks, baby," and slipping an arm over your shoulders and pulling you close. The only indication that he's a gooey mess on the inside is the way he holds what you made (like it's made of glass, of diamonds, like it's his actual heart in his hands and one wrong move would have devastating consequences) and the way his eyes don't drift from it for long (studying it, eyes all soft and fond and in awe, a lot like how he looks at you).
He'll rearrange everything he owns to give it a place of honor. It's treated with care and respect, and he stares at it at night and when he's having a rough time and it takes the edge off. It's like micro-dosing on you, on the love and joy you bring to his life, and it makes everything significantly less shitty.
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sugarsnappeases · 4 months
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omg kara I love seeing all of ur art thoughts!!! May I ask who your fave artists are?? hope you’re having a lovely night 💕
aaaa hi skye!!!!
ur so sweet and yes ofc you can but i feel like my thoughts are a bit… idk i feel it’s an odd selection
first of all, and also maybe obviously, my baby, vincent van gogh which i feel like is just… i mean of course he’s my favourite but like… that man, right, like he drives me insane. like this is maybe fairly self-explanatory, everyone loves van gogh
then, and this is also fairly obvious, or to me at least, i am a HUGE michelangelo girly, likeeee the way he views the body is just soooo. it’s exquisite actually and i’m studying his poetry at uni next term which i’m SO excited about!!!! get ready for me to be SO annoying about him
i also had this one artist in my brain for so long and i couldn’t remember her name but it came to me yesterday!! it’s flora yukhnovich and i just love how like dynamic her work is, like nods to classics w this fun kinda twist
umm who else… another more modern artist, aida tomescu, i love her so much, there’s just Something about her pieces, also when i was doing my art a level i looked into her a lot bc i was thinking about process art and that sort of thing which was all really interesting to me
also i think i mentioned this another time but jenny holzer i LOVE, and dante gabriel rossetti (absolute icon like imagine loving dante so much, you change ur name to match his i love him), i also really like modigliani, him and those long necked women lmao, oh and OFC caravaggio i LOVE him (if u couldn’t tell i’m a Major renaissance girly)
anyway these are all just off the top of my head and there are many many more but i’m gonna shut up now lol tysm for asking, hope you’re having a lovely night too <33
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trilobiter · 2 years
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After reading into this story, I think that it's worth saying that the situation is a bit more complicated than it has been portrayed, or as the headline suggests. A human being, Jason M. Allen, used an AI program called Midjourney to create a work of visual art to his specifications, a process that he says took him over eighty hours. He entered the finished result into a contest and won first place.
I'm not an expert on art, but like many people I have a very strong relationship with it. Much of my thinking on art has been influenced by the common mythology around art and its role in modern society, a mythology which expresses the values we place on art. As I value art, I can't help having opinions on this - but since I'm not a visual artist, I'm not qualified to speak to the way this will impact those people economically. I am not optimistic on that front, but I won't get into it too much.
I think creative people of all types are right to be apprehensive about AI, because it seems that there is no reason, in principle, to suppose that it won't upend their livelihood in some way. Jason Allen says he was an active participant and creative controller of the process that resulted in his winning artwork, but as the technology improves it will be used to generate content in an increasingly automated way. I say "content" because what we're talking about is a kind of capitalist production of art-as-commodity.
If an AI program can generate an image that can win an art prize, then it can compose and record a number one pop song, write a best-selling novel, or direct an award-winning film. And I believe that when these things happen, the public will mostly accept it, because as odd as it sounds, it's not that different from what we've been trained to accept as culture. Pop music, popular books, and popular films have all been created in assembly-line fashion for over a hundred years, in a corporate structure aimed at maximizing returns from a market. Most people don't care that much about the ghostwriter of a bestseller, or the technical crew named in the end credits of a blockbuster. When AI gifts us with a bop, most people will shrug their shoulders, say "it's a bop," and dance.
A lot of people believe, intuitively, that making art should be difficult. AI makes art a lot easier, but in that sense, so does modern industrially produced paint, which comes in a variety of colors that Michelangelo could only dream of. We lionize the Renaissance masters because of what they achieved with simpler tools, though I haven't heard many people suggest that painters today limit themselves to whatever colors and techniques were available in 15th century Italy. Still, there's an inherent tension between possible through innovation, and what is thereby lost.
Like most things, issues like this make me think of Star Trek. Specifically, I think of Data from The Next Generation. Data is an android character with markedly android mannerisms, and is a futuristic depiction of what can only be called AI, who nonetheless is presented to the audience as a person with an interior life that is equally valid to a human being's. When Starfleet Command wants to compulsorily reassign and disassemble him, the show explicitly compares this to human slavery. We are meant to evaluate Data's character as we would a human crew member, and not as we would a typical piece of the show's futuristic technology.
Data wants to be seen as human, and he does human things like making art. He is shown to practice several creative arts throughout the show's run, including poetry, comedy, music, acting, and painting. He studies these arts, and attempts to replicate them, struggling along the way to find his own creative voice. His early attempts often seem to bear out the claim that, not being human, he cannot produce anything that is both original and genuinely moving. As time passes, however, this is no longer clearly the case. Attentive viewers will note that Data grows into an artist who does create with an original voice, even if that voice is characteristically like an android - in other words, characteristically like Data.
Optimistically, we may be looking at a future where an AI personality not unlike Data will create works of art that will move us all. But it is important to remember that Data is not just an AI, he is a person - and not simply because he is portrayed by a human actor. We as viewers can accept Data's legitimacy as an artist because the show takes pains to reinforce his legitimacy as a person. But Midjourney is not a person. It lacks anything like the interiority that defines Data as a person in our eyes. Midjourney is not learning how to paint so that it can become a real boy.
What Jason Allen did probably qualifies as art, and Midjourney can probably be seen as analogous to a brush or any traditional artist's tool. A tool like this could, conceivably, help artists achieve breakthroughs of the same magnitude as the discovery of perspective, or the conceptual leaps of modernism. But put that tool into the hands of people who aren't artists - say, the hands of a CEO who wants to cut costs on the latest product of the content assembly line - and I'm afraid I have to say that the result will only cheapen the art. It could be visually indistinguishable from the most beautiful human artwork I have ever seen, and it won't be worth remembering. It will have value only as a commodity.
When I think of some of my favorite works of art, music, or writing, I reflect on how what makes them my favorite is not simply that I appreciate the shape of a line, the resonance of a harmony, or the word order of a sentence. What makes the experience of engaging with these things meaningful to me is not just that they exist, but that they represent the attempt of a real human being, just like me, to communicate with other human beings just like me. What use is art without artistry?
The joy that makes art worthwhile, even art that was produced for commercial purpose, is the knowledge that it wasn't just produced for commercial purposes. It's not enough that the thing was made because the maker believed some one would buy it, but that they felt in their own soul that they could reach that person in a way that had nothing to do with money. If I can't believe that about an artwork, then I can't care about it the same way as the works I truly love. It has to be more than something to consume, at the cheapest prices available.
I don't think it can be denied that AI will change our relationship with media, or challenge some core assumptions we have about creativity. The real question is, what are human beings (and the truly sentient AI of the future) going to do about "art?"
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Hi! Can I get a Supernatural matchup?
- My Pronouns are she/her.
- Currently a university student majoring in clinical mental health (considering switching to art rn).
- I'm an artist, writer, and musician.
- I'm an INTJ and I'm a rather big fan of having my own personal time to decompress.
- I have a more detached social style so I'm considered "hard to get to know" sometimes because I'm not super social.
- I spend my time painting, playing piano, playing video games, or doing my own personal research.
- I enjoy going to literature events like poetry readings, and I also enjoy going to art shows.
- I go to oil painting seminars regularly and have my own personal collection of fine art and poetry.
- I'm an avid player of Dungeons and Dragons (I'm a massive Baldur's Gate fan) and my favorite thing about it is making up character backstories and doing art of my characters.
- I enjoy the aesthetic of tattoos and plan on getting a sword on my sternum.
- My love language is quality time/parallel play. I enjoy doing my own thing while someone else does their thing.
- I enjoy civil debates and going to theatre. I enjoy going to musicals and plays.
- My favorite musicians are Hozier, Type O Negative, Flora Cash, Florence and the Machine, Lord Huron, and Metallica.
- My favorite books are Crime and Punishment, Dracula, Pride and Prejudice, and The Strange Tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
- I'm a big fan of snacks and snacking and I keep a (large) bag of pretzels and a redbull in my tote bag.
- My family calls me a Renaissance reincarnation because of my varied interests.
(I have a preference for male/masculine presenting characters)
Hello! Here's your SPN matchup! I hope you like it! <333333
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(Romantic);
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Supernatural;
Castiel:
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🐝 Who knew that already being friends with Dean and Sam would lead you to meeting Castiel - you had known the boys for probably more than a year, and then you finally get to know the man behind all of the funny bee stories; though you are not too social with new people/people in general, Cas is the same, so you both go slow and slowly warm up to each other
🐝 Once you both get used to each other, it's not long until you become good friends - Cas sometimes get caught staring at you by Sam and Dean, and when he goes to them for help on these new feelings he's having, Sam gives him advice; near the end of the seven months of being friends, Cas gifts you the First Edition of Pride and Prejudice
🐝 Skipping to when you both are official, you and Cas spend some quality time together - when you're not in college studying or when you are not busy in general; you often bring Cas to the poetry readings or go to art shows - and when not out and about together, you both paint or just eat a ton of snacks while listening to music (my money says he likes Hozier too)
🐝 If you need time alone to decompress, Cas totally understands, he'll find something else to in the meantime, maybe go find some bees...
🐝 Cas loves learning more about you, your favorite snacks, hobbies, movies, and so on, he could spend hours just learning how to play D&D just so he could play with you or have a conversation with you about it; he loves how passionate you are in the things that you like, and how kind and understanding you are once he got to know you - he just massively adores you in general
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geralddurden · 9 months
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I would also love to hear some of your headcanons for Alfred and Alexia. Only if you want, of course.
My headcanons are related to the fanfic I am currently writing, so none of them are directly related to the videogame and its canon.
Anyway, here are some of the headcanons I am working on (subject to change), from childhood to adulthood.
Alexia Ashford
Her family nickname is "Lexia". She hates her name being confused with Alexandra and its diminutives (Alexia is the feminine form of Alexis, not Alexander).
His greatest passion (and obsession) is literature. He reads absolutely everything as a form of escapism or hobby, as well as for study or knowledge. Outside of his studies and work, he reads a lot of contemporary philosophy and enjoys writing essays or non-fiction. Although he also reads a lot of fiction, he does not usually write prose, preferring poetry. Outside of literature, his interests include contemporary independent music (the more niche and quirky, the better) and cinema, which he watches with his brother, with the exception of a few films that catch his eye because of their subject matter or style. His favourite franchise is Alien because of the xenomorphs (because of their association with ants).
Apart from biology and chemistry, Alexia is interested in computer science, especially artificial intelligence, and music composition with electronic synthesizers. She is also knowledgeable in various disciplines such as physics, anthropology, history, etc. She is a Renaissance woman.
Alexia tends to be introverted and socially conformist so as not to attract attention. Unlike her brother, her personality, hobbies and tastes are straightforwardly unusual, rather than stereotypical, which tends to make her seem odd to those who do not know her.
The origin of their sociopathic tendencies is related to their social isolation, both forced and voluntary, due to their differences in intelligence and personality.
Alexia's genius is based on an accelerated learning capacity, and a highly developed problem-solving and creative ability.
Alfred Ashford
His family nickname is "Alf", like ALF the alien. The nickname was given to him by his maternal grandmother before the series premiered.
He started playing video games at the age of 7, as an escape and a way of overcoming the boredom of loneliness and the absence of his father and sister, who were at university. Alexander gave him the video game E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 for his thirteenth birthday. As a teenager, his love of video games, especially the explicitly violent ones, would become one of his greatest passions and collections, along with music and film.
He is passionate about both high and pop culture. His favourite artist is David Bowie and his favourite film genres are slasher and snuff. His favourite serial killer is Michael Myers from the Halloween series.
His best and only real friend is his cousin Auguste Campbell, with whom he shares hobbies and sociopathic tendencies.
Alfred tends to be outgoing and socially normative, although his personality, hobbies and tastes are unconventional. He is not shy, but his lack of self-confidence makes him withdrawn and not as decisive as Alexia.
The origin of his sociopathic tendencies is related to the absent father syndrome with Alexander, his own insecurity at being compared to Alexia, and his contrast with Alexia's personality. He resents Alexander's incomprehensible indifference towards him, especially as he knows that Alexander had a very good relationship with his father Edward.
Alfred is gifted, although his talents come from the social sciences, the humanities and the arts. He has a talent for drawing.
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ahb-writes · 6 months
Note
Hi! I am not sure if this is the right way to do an ask, and I am not sure if you are the right person to ask, but in my worldbuilding, I am primarily basing my world off of an extrapolation of medieval alchemy.
Medieval alchemy is highly based off of works of arabic alchemists, and so on the one hand, I would like to incorporate arabic into my naming convention for vehicles (I am not worrying about characters yet).
On the other hand, I am an american with very little if any connection to cultures which use arabic, and I don't want to unwittingly stumble into a situation where I misuse the language and it becomes a source of problems for me or other people later. I have felt comfortable using greek and latin in naming convention because of their well-known connections to scientific naming schemes and alchemy.
I don't want to inadvertently offend anyone with my setting's design, but the language looks cool, and seems like it would fit really well given my setting's ties, is this something where sufficient research can help me do it properly? Is it something I should avoid to make sure that I am not offending anyone?
Again, apologies if you aren't the right person to ask or this isn't the right way to do an ask.
For clarity and direction on how to model and shape your worldbuilding efforts from a perspective of cultural sensitivity, you may consider consulting the fine folks over at Writing With Color; @writingwithcolor; who have assembled a delightful "general topics" masterpost that includes sections on worldbuilding and character building (creation and culture).
As for borrowing and adjusting naming conventions of other languages, never apologize for curiosity. Sometimes, we simply don't know something is mistake until we ask ourselves, "Wait, is this a mistake?"
To start, Islamic researchers, scientists, academics, and thinkers formed the foundation of what much of the world considers to be "modern" mathematics, astronomy, geography, linguistic scholarship and language translation, medicine, poetry, and more. It's easy and tempting to segregate different historical cultures or regions as we go back in time, but the truth is that it's all intertwined and mixed up (fun fact: We all use Arabic. It's just that most of us don't know it.). Arabic contributions to the Spanish language in particular? That's a serious rabbit hole of research. Global influence of Islamic architecture? Highly fascinating, and research that fills several peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, and dictionaries. Old libraries? Check out the history surrounding the House of Wisdom, also known as the Grand Library of Baghdad (destroyed in 1258 CE), for one of many examples.
I begin with this exploration of cultural mesh because when building a fantasy world that includes glimpses, touches, or influences from known historical periods, you have to dig around to know from where (or what) you're starting. You can't create something new and firm if you don't first have a solid idea of where you're starting from.
In the case of a fantasy environment that focuses on alchemy, with elements from the Arabic language and ostensibly from historical Islamic scientists, consider narrowing your focus those areas of study that will most heavily influence your story.
Curious about intellectual movements? Science? Medicine? A deep-dive into the Arabic Enlightenment may help (The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance by Jim al-Khalili; The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization by Jonathan Lyons). Art and natural science? Search for resources that offer a passing glance on the origins of science in medieval Islam (Science in Medieval Islam: An Illustrated Introduction by Howard Turner).
The point is to take a few steps back, before you take a few steps forward. You can get around not knowing the language, and you can circumnavigate your lack of firsthand experience with a culture, by deepening your knowledge of the language's origin and of the culture's most essential inflection points.
But it's all connected (e.g., I've worked my way through dozens of sources of medieval combat and warfare, and the same is true of arms, armor, and fortifications). Ultimately, you have to find your starting point (and stick to it). It's a lot of work, I know. But you don't have to read whole books. For example, you can try snagging a .pdf, and then read only two or three chapters, since those areas are the most relevant to your research needs (e.g., al-Khalili's book has chapters called, "The Lonely Alchemist," "Big Science," and "The Physicist," and Turner's book has a chapter on alchemy, plus separate chapters on astronomy and non-scientific astrology).
By understanding the foundation for the disciplines you use and the foundational cultures from which you take inspiration and influence: your language choices will be more accurately-sourced; your worldbuilding choices will be more detailed and lived-in; and your framing and contextualizing of these terms and influences will be more realistic and consistent.
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coffee-in-europe · 2 years
Conversation
january: black-and-white films, old records, red lipstick, classical music, gold earrings, city lights, garnet clothing, champagne, glitter, russian literature, snowstorms, art galleries, dimly lit restaurants, high-heels, chickadees, frosted windowpanes, silk shirts, espresso, pomegranates, snowy owls
february: candy hearts, roses, grapefruit, trench coats, mittens, dark chocolate, calligraphy, sealed envelopes, vanilla cake, ballet, romance films, chandeliers, late-night phone calls, musicals, aurora borealis, marshmallows, pink lipgloss, poetry, freesia, movie theatres, ballads, pressed flowers, stained glass, teacups
march: dark comedies, photo albums, lemons, cold rivers, baking, tidying, colouring, movie marathons, nonfiction books, newspapers, clovers, train rides, fashion magazines, pasta, orchids, podcasts, houseplants, sketchpads, yogurt, celestial art, bubble baths, charcuterie boards, moonlight, ice floes, crystal glasses, coffee dates
april: disney cartoons, rubber boots, tulips, mauve nailpolish, fresh vegetables, cold rain, journals, lavender, fresh eggs, pink blush, birdsong, morning frost, rosemary, tulips, foggy mornings, aloe vera, ponds, herbal tea, puddles, lilies, bunnies, floral sheets, marmalade, pastoral novels, frogs, english custard, lily pads
may: picture books, daisies, farms, warm breezes, cherry blossoms, early mornings, fresh-baked bread, gardening, childhood reminiscing, dandelions, honey, meadows, hummingbirds, butterflies, rainbows, sugar cookies, polaroid cameras, wild mushrooms, carnations, frescoes, silver lockets, brown bears, pancakes, rivers, greenhouses, white sheets
june: jean shorts, pop music, white wine, beach days, yoga, sunday brunch, ice cream, concerts, wildflowers, fluffy clouds, morning dew, cotton candy, turtles, popsicles, kayaks, watermelon, pineapples, vineyards, sparklers, bicycles, denim jackets, swans, asphodels, cocktail parties, gooseberries, lilacs, hollyhocks
july: adventure stories, oranges, lakehouses, campfires, festivals, disco nights, strawberries, figs, starry skies, iced coffee, fireworks, street markets, bumblebees, trumpet vines, strappy sandals, sunglasses, patio lights, linen, denim skirts, pizza, fruit smoothies, pizza, rainstorms, peaches, lagoons, white dresses, astronomy
august: golden sunlight, nostalgia, willow trees, nature poetry, sunrises and sunsets, picnic baskets, sunflowers, crickets, cicadas, colourful quilts, cherries, rolling hills, maxi-dresses, tall grass, dragonflies, crochet, renaissance art, vine tomatoes, overalls, roadtrips, hammocks, sunhats, waterfalls, tabby cats
september: coffee, book piles, croissants, long walks, classic novels, braided hair, notebooks, film festivals, apples, pears, farmers markets, forests, jigsaw puzzles, owls, tortoiseshell glasses, orchards, library cards, foxes, tweed blazers, climbing ivy, tea kettles, maple syrup, goldenrod, lanterns, waffles, boardgames
october: pumpkin patches, black turtlenecks, ginger pastries, fireplaces, wet leaves, ankle boots, corduroy, birch trees, cafés, bookshops, castles, caramel, rainy mornings, blustery nights, town fairs, countryside walks, cinnamon, nutmeg, old houses, black cats, bakeries, creeks, thick blankets, city blocks, white chapels
november: candles, red wine, ancient ruins, greek mythology, second-hand books, plaid blankets, mahogany nailpolish, mystery novels, museums, burgundy sweaters, dinner parties, gemstone rings, icy breath, black coffee, language studies, antique shops, white roses, cobblestones, lace, cathedrals, firewood, audiobooks, crescent moons
december: soft snowfall, christmas carols, pine scent, wool socks, irish stew, fairy lights, thick books, fantasy stories, throw pillows, shortbread, comfort films, window shopping, scarves, icicles, peppermint, carrot noses, angels, hot chocolate, skates, pinecones, caribou, gingerbread, crackling fires, hot toddies, cashmere
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dobaara · 2 years
Text
𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 ♡
ghazal! (also go by rya), she/her, 19, s.asian
hestiagf, mahjaabeen & scintillatea (terminated) -> warmthgf -> hauntedhousepdf -> oldmovieticket -> havingacokewithu -> oldmovieticket -> buriedheart -> splitlove -> havingacokewithu -> raatgf -> warmthgf -> dobaara
sideblogs: @basundii + @beingseen (writing blog) + a mutuals only blog (mutuals can dm/ask for it)
likes: fashion (currently studying) & fashion history, anime, mangas, kpop & kdramas, astronomy, the moon, perfumes, poetry, mangoes & oranges, history, taking photos of everything, good journalism, the renaissance era & it's paintings, heart shaped things, jasmine flowers & my mutuals!
hobbies: dressmaking, painting and sketching (line art & mandalas - under 'my art') reading and writing poetry (under 'my writing'/ 'my poems') the guitar & the piano
currently reading: Chouette by Claire Oshetsky / next read: I'm a fan by Sheena Patel / re-reading: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin / last film i saw: The Godfather (1972)
wall of text | substack
upcoming: a milestone celebration!
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blueiskewl · 1 year
Photo
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A RARE TRANSYLVANIAN PARCEL-GILT SILVER TANKARD MARK OF SEBASTIAN HANN THE ELDER, SIBIU, CIRCA 1697
Cylindrical, the white silver body chased in high relief and engraved with three scenes after engravings by Matthaeus Merian the Elder depicting the Labors of Hercules, Aeneas and Anchises fleeing Troy, and the murder of Servius Tillius, and engraved below each with description of scene, further engraved near upper rim HERCULIS HIS CIRTUS: MONSTROSAE TULLIA ET RARA AENEAE GRATIA, NOMEN HABET, the gilt loop handle formed as a female term figure, gilt hinged cover with finial modeled as a Roman warrior on horseback and opening to reveal a roundel chased with Cimon and Pero as an allegory of the Caritas Romana, inner foot rim engraved So offt mit kühlem Wein die Kanne man wird heben, soll Herr Sebastian in lieb und lobe leben, 1697 (As often as the jug is lifted with cool wine, Sir Sebastian shall live in love and praise, 1697), marked on base rim SH in an oval
Commissioned by Valentin Franck von Franckenstein (1643 - 1697) for his grandson.
11 1/4 in. (28.5 cm.) high. 52 oz. 4 dwt. (1,622 gr.).
Incorporating both high renaissance and baroque styles, Sebastian Hann is considered one of the most important Transylvanian goldsmiths of the baroque period. Hann was trained in Sibiu, where he joined the guild and eventually became the guild master. Approximately one-hundred works have been attributed to Hann, the earliest dating to around 1675. Hann’s works are recognized for their complex compositions and inclusion of historical and mythological themes, many based on the engravings of Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) and Matthaeus Merian (1593-1650). The success of Hann’s dense figural compositions is a result of the perspective he is able to achieve through detailed texturing and chasing. This tankard epitomizes Hann’s mastery of these techniques.
FRANCK VON FRANCKENSTEIN AND THE COMMISSION 
The present tankard and a second tankard, in the collection of the Hungarian Fine Art Museum, were commissioned by Franck von Franckenstein (1643-1697), as a gift for his grandson, shortly before Franckenstein’s death in 1697. Franckenstien was a Saxon count and a political figure in Sibiu. Remembered for his passion for the arts, Franckenstein wrote poetry, studied historiography, and was one of Hann’s greatest patrons. A pair of 1691 altar candlesticks (historically referenced as the ‘Franckenstein candlesticks’) are in the collection of the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu. A painted alabaster portrait sculpture of Franckenstein was found at a building site in Sibiu in the late 19th century and is now in the collection of the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. An engraved portrait of him is in the collection of Austrian National Library.
The commission of the two tankards from Hann was a massive expense, estimated to be nearly one-third of Franckenstein’s total wealth. Given the tremendous importance of the commission and the timing in relation to Franckenstein’s death, it is possible the gift was intended as a plea for care in his final months. More likely however, the commission and subsequent gift, was meant as a token of appreciation for the kind attention bestowed on an elderly grandfather by a devoted grandson.
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readyforevolution · 1 year
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Sonia Sanchez was born Wilsonia Benita Driver in Birmingham, Alabama. After her mother’s death in 1935 she lived with her grandmother. Her grandmother taught her to read at age four and write at age six. When her grandmother passed away in 1943 she moved to Harlem, New York where she stayed with her father Wilson Driver.
Driver attended Hunter College in New York City where she took creative writing courses although she graduated with a B.A. in Political Science in 1955. Continuing her education at New York University, Driver focused on the study of poetry. She also married and divorced Puerto Rican immigrant Albert Sanchez, although she retained his surname. She later married poet Etheridge Knight and together they had three children. They would later divorce.
In 1965 Sanchez taught at San Francisco State University. The course she offered at San Francisco State in 1966 on the literature of African Americans is generally considered the first of its kind taught at a predominately white university.
Sonia Sanchez released her first collection of poetry in 1969 entitled Homecoming. Her poetry was described at experimental and innovative; Sanchez was the first to blend the musical elements of the blues with the haiku and tanka poetry styles. She tackled many genres of literary art such as writing children’s books, and plays. Sanchez is most famous for her Spoken Word poetry books. She was awarded the American Book Award in 1985 for one of her best-known books, Home girls and Hand grenades.
Sanchez was a major influence in the Black Arts and Civil Rights Movements of the 1960s. She was an active member in the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) as well as the Nation of Islam. She was inspired when she met Malcolm X and used his vernacular in some of her poems. She left the Nation of Islam after three years of affiliation in protest of their mistreatment of women. She continues to advocate for the rights of oppressed women and minority groups.
Sanchez has received countless awards for her work including the P.E.N. Writing Award (1969), the National Academy of Arts Award (1978), and the National Education Association Award (1977-1988). She has guest lectured in over 500 colleges and universities. Her poetry has been heard worldwide in Africa, Australia, Canada, the Caribbean Islands, China, Cuba, Europe, and Nicaragua. Sanchez’s last faculty appointment was at Temple University in Philadelphia where she was the first Presidential Fellow at that institution and the first to hold the Laura Carnell Chair. Sanchez taught courses in English and Women’s Studies until her retirement in 1999.
Ms. Sanchez now resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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leosmasktails · 6 months
Note
6 and 16 for the turtle asks
6. How many of the Renaissance artists are you familiar with?
A lot lmao, I’m an art major so I had to take art history classes and I be knowing stuff and things about them
So I’ll talk about them rn :)
Leonardo da Vinci was actually like super into architecture, sculpture, painting, engineering, etc. Apparently his home life was kinda complicated cause his parents were never married.
He liked to dissect bodies and study them… 🫢
He did a lot of commissions and was super well known throughout Florence :)
Donatello was well-known for his in-the-round sculptures, but he also did a lot of bas-relief (bah-relief lmao like a sheep hehe). Donatello never married or had kids.
Michelangelo was well known for his stunning paintings, the most famous being the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He also liked architecture and sculpture, and he actually really enjoyed writing poetry :)
He was 17 when he sculpted “Battle of Centaurs and Madonna on the Stairs”, and he built Pope Julius II’s tomb
Raphael was the youngest of the Renaissance painters, dying at the young age of 37. He often had interlocutors in his pieces, himself being the one in “School of Athens”. He also painted the “Sistine Madonna” which is actually located in the church of San Sisto.
Brunelleschi developed linear perspective and created the dome for the Florence Cathedral. He is considered the founding father of Renaissance architecture.
Okay I could go on and on about Caravaggio, Botticelli, etc. but I won’t 😭
16. Favorite Theme Song?
Considering I’ve only seen ROTTMNT it’s gonna be that one, but I’ve heard the other themes and Rise is so hype and fun so it’s my favorite.
I gotta admit I love the mashup of the 2012 version with Rise though
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Quote
For the essence of humanism is that one belief of which he seems never to have doubted, that nothing which has ever interested living men and women can wholly lose its vitality—no language they have spoken, no oracle by which they have hushed their voices, no dream which has once been entertained by actual human minds, nothing about which they have ever been passionate or expended time and zeal.
Walter Pater, from ‘Pico della Mirandola’ in The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry.
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xtruss · 1 year
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Hebrew Wasn’t Spoken For 2,000 Years. Here’s How It Was Revived.
The religious language that lay dormant for millennia is now global, used by millions of people around the world—including in China.
— By Allie Yang | May 11, 2023
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The Codex Sassoon, the oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible, is set to go to auction this year. Religious texts like this one were a major factor in keeping Hebrew alive for two thousand years. Photograph By Wiktor Szymanowicz, Anadulo Agency/Getty Images
Today, Hebrew is a thriving language—used by millions of speakers around the world to communicate all their thoughts and desires.
That may have seemed almost impossible less than 150 years ago, when the language was thought to exist only in ancient religious texts.
For some two thousand years, Hebrew laid dormant as Jewish communities scattered across the globe, and adopted the languages of their new homes. By the late 1800s, Hebrew vocabulary was limited to archaic and religious concepts of the Hebrew Bible—and lacked words for everything from “newspaper” and “academia” to “muffin” and “car.”
Here’s a look at the bumpy road to modernizing Hebrew and the debates that surround its continuing evolution today.
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Girls learn ancient Hebrew in Samaria, a region in modern day Palestine 🇵🇸, in the early 1900s. Photograph By American Colony Photographers, National Geographic Image Collection
Hebrew Never Really Died
The Jewish people were once known as Hebrews for their language, which flourished from roughly the 13th to second centuries B.C.—when the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament, was collected. Hebrew was used in daily life until the second century B.C. at latest, experts believe.
But beginning in the second century B.C., Jewish people became increasingly ostracized and oppressed. Through the rise and fall of Rome, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and beyond, they were forced to migrate around Europe and adopted the language of the country they were in. They also formed new languages like Yiddish, which mixed Hebrew, German, and Slavic languages.
Still, the Jewish people were known as “People of the Book.” As part of traditions like studying the Torah and reading it aloud, Jews continued to learn Hebrew to read from the Bible and written Hebrew lived on for more than a millennium mostly through religious practice.
There were exceptions: more educated Jews exchanged messages in Hebrew, sometimes between merchants for records of business, says Meirav Reuveny, a Hebrew language historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A 10th-century trove of documents showed that some women, a group generally confined to domestic duties at the time, also wrote letters, exchanged legal documents, and recorded business in Hebrew. From the 10th to 14th centuries, there was an explosion of secular Hebrew poetry in Andalusia, Spain.
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Eliezer Ben-Yehuda reads at his desk shortly before his death in 1922. Historian Cecil Roth famously said, “Before Ben‑Yehuda, Jews could speak Hebrew; after him, they did.” Photograph By Lebrecht Music & Arts, Alamy Stock Photo
Waking The Giant
In the 19th century, most Jews in Europe were still second-class citizens when a new movement emerged that looked to Hebrew as a way to inspire hope through the Jewish people’s glorious past, Reuveny says. Hebrew revivalists wanted to expand the language beyond the abstract concepts in the Bible—they wanted to use it to talk about modern events, politics, philosophy, and medicine.
Among the leaders of the movement was Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, credited as the father of Modern Hebrew.
“One person cannot invent a language,” Reuveny says. “But he makes a good hero, something important for a social movement.”
Ben-Yehuda was born in 1858 in Lithuania, where Jews were heavily discriminated against and violent pogroms terrorized Jewish communities regularly. When Ben-Yehuda traveled to Paris in 1878, he was empowered by the growing Jewish nationalist movement he witnessed there.
He believed Jews needed a country and language to flourish. He moved to Jerusalem in 1881, where he and his wife made the decision to only speak Hebrew—despite missing words for essential modern items and concepts. They raised their son Itamar Ben-Avi to be the first native Hebrew speaker in almost 2,000 years.
In the beginning, Hebrew went through growing pains: the language needed many new words. Ben-Yehuda made a dictionary of new Hebrew words (including מילון, or milon, the word for dictionary). Hebrew newspapers across Europe invented their own words, too, Reuveny says.
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Left: A shop on New York City’s Lower East Side in 1940 is covered with signs written in Yiddish, which primarily uses the Hebrew alphabet. Photograph By Charles Phelps Cushing, Classicstock/Getty Images
Right: A boy learns the Hebrew alphabet as a member of a Black Jewish congregation in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, circa 1955. Photograph By Archive Photos, Getty Images
Many people saw this as an unwelcome change—swapping an ancient and sacred language to a new and strange one. Hebrew revivalists chose a difficult way of life by speaking only Hebrew, before it could meet the needs of modern life.
Gradually, the language was standardized in the early 20th century. The first Modern Hebrew dictionary was released in its completed form in 1922. Hebrew language schools were opened, then Hebrew became the language of instruction of all subjects in Jerusalem schools (the first in 1913).
After the state of Israel was established in 1948, people flocked from all over the world. Many young adults learned Hebrew through the young nation’s mandatory military service, though most families in Israel became Hebrew speakers over one to two generations.
Today, of the 9.5 million people in Israel aged 20 and over, almost everyone uses Hebrew, and 55 percent speak it as their native language. Around the world there are around 15 million Hebrew speakers; in the U.S., there are 195,375.
An Unstoppable Force
Modern Hebrew has changed significantly but still shares clear ties with Biblical Hebrew.
“King David and I could probably understand each other,” says Mirit Bessire, Hebrew language program director at Johns Hopkins University, who points out that it’s not all that different from modern English speakers attempting to understand someone using Shakespearean English.
The growing pains Hebrew experienced as it modernized during Ben-Yehuda’s time are echoed in controversies today. Inclusive language such as non-binary adaptations have proven difficult to adopt as Hebrew is significantly gendered, Reuveny says. Modern words and concepts like “gaslighting” also stir debate about how much outside cultures are affecting the language.
“Language does naturally evolve and grow. It’s inevitable. It’s not in our hands what our language does,” Bessire says.
Language fills the needs of its users, she adds—and today we have more needs than ever as social media and email connect communities of Hebrew speakers far beyond Israel. For example, Bessire says, there are Hebrew communities in China that are not Jewish but have become fluent in the language for business purposes.
“Hebrew is a language of proficiency,” Bessire says. “It's a language that you use for your everyday life, from technology to medicine.”
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