John Knowles, A Separate Peace
(Source: aseaofquotes)
Landscapes from Saint Rémy (1889)
As a Dutch post-Impressionist painter, Vincent Van Gogh influenced the 20th century art with his landscape paintings where he used vivid colors that made an emotional impact. The early works of Van Gogh were painted with a palette of somber earth tones and no signs of the vivid coloration that distinguished his later works. When he moved to Paris in 1886, he was inspired by the French Impressionists and was fascinated by the strong sunlight on the south of France. Since then, he used brighter colors in his paintings that helped him develop a unique style of his own which became known considerably in the later years of his life while staying in Arles in 1888. Van Gogh’s incredible Sunflowers series of still life paintings were loved by him and he felt that there could not be anything better to convey a sense of welcome, belongingness and happiness.
On 8 May 1889, accompanied by his carer, van Gogh committed himself to the hospital at Saint Rémy.
During his stay in Saint-Rémy, Van Gogh produced 150 paintings after he converted an adjacent cell into a studio. While he was confined to the direct asylum grounds, he painted the world he could see from his room, and ignored the bars that obscured his view. His paintings in the garden of the asylum included irises, lilacs, and ivy-covered trees. His paintings further ventured into the fields, of which he painted the wheatfields, olive groves, and cypress trees from the surrounding countryside view. This imposed regimen of his asylum life gave him contentment and helped him to think positively about his life and future.
Click images for details
Got A Girl
CrushObsession On: The Forgotten Lumberjills of WWIILike the many other amazing heroines of their time, the ladies of the Women’s Timber Corps, aka the Lumberjills, stepped into unconventional britches in order to keep the industry, and country, moving while the men were off at war. Of course, there was also some major stereotypes being chopped down along the way:
They faced prejudice from the male forestry workers, as this was pure manual labor and they weren’t expected to be tough enough. Needless to say, they proved them wrong. Their hands became calloused, they developed strong muscular arms and legs - not traits of a “real lady” at the time, but they relished the freedom and fresh air even if it did cause many aches and pains! I can imagine that many were unwilling or uncomfortable to return to indoor-domestic lives IF their husbands returned. For those who joined when young, or if widowed and having to start afresh, I believe it gave them a strong core confidence, and the toughness to go on alone.
Seriously, though. When someone inevitably makes a movie out of this, will someone please get a hold of me? I need to raid the wardrobe (I also can throw a mean knife).
Read more about the Lumberjills here!
detail of a portrait of maria fyodorovna by konstantin makovsky
