2021/10/11 The Muse inspiring the poet
The Poet and His Muse The Muse Inspiring the Poet 1909 < > Rousseau in the collection of the Basel Museum in Switzerland
When Rousseau wanted to create a portrait, he was not satisfied with observing and depicting, and when he decided to paint a portrait of Apollinel, he wrote in his letter: "I will choose a corner of the Jardin du Luxembourg as a background to create an important and attractive work". He measured the poet's nose, ears, mouth, forehead, hands and torso, carefully proportioning the body, and the man in the painting was the poet Apollinaire. The poet holds a scroll of manuscripts in his left hand and a quill pen in his right, with a solemn and serious look; the poet's muse is the painter Mary Laurentsen, her hair and neck decorated with flowers, the folds on the wide Greek robe obscuring her figure, the eyes looking straight ahead, the right hand naturally raised to make a gesture, as if guiding and enlightening, giving it inspiration, and the poet's eyes are looking at this gesture, thoughtfully. The grass ahead blooms with beautiful flowers of various colors, and the backdrop is leafy woods. The whole painting is innocent and rustic, with a unique style.
Muses (Greek: Μουσαι, Latin: Muses) is the collective name of the nine ancient literary goddesses of art and science in Greek mythology, the daughters of Zeus the Emperor and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. They were born and lived in Pieria, in the foothills of Olympus, and are often found in the Helicon and Parnassus mountains of Boeotia. Originally a goddess of mountain springs, the Muse later became the goddess of literature, art, and science, acting as a patron saint for poets and using Apollon, the god of music and poetry, as their leader. At the same time, they are the nurturers of Dionysus, the god of theatre. It is both a representation of art and art itself (the English word Music comes from the muse). The worship of the muse is generally carried out near the spring, and the Museum (originally meaning "the place of worship of the muse") in English is derived from this, which means to point to a place where the public displays knowledge. In the European world, poets often liken their creative inspiration to a muse.
Poets are inseparable from their "muse of inspiration", the existence of the muse, giving the poet passion, inspiration, and the source of creation. In literature, the muse is often introduced as an epic or story. They are often used as narrators of stories, and the author himself simply writes down their words.
(Dante, The Divine Comedy:
yes! O Muse of Poetry! Or noble talent! Please come and help me;
Or maybe it's my head! Please write down everything I have witnessed,
In this way, you will see your noble character. ）
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau (21 May 1844 – 2 September 1910)
Self-portrait of Henri Julian Felix Rousseau
The great french painter who has achieved great achievements is also a French late Impressionist painter. Born in laval, northwestern France, his father was a tinplate craftsman, he joined the army at the age of 18, fought in the Franco-German War at the age of 27, and then left Paris to become a customs officer. He was an amateur painter who began to paint continuously after retiring from his post at the age of 40, and was admired by the avant-garde artist Picasso and others at that time.
His painting is entirely self-taught, "there is no teacher except nature." ", with innocent and flawless eyes to observe the world and feel the true meaning of life, out of the love of painting with pure feelings, without any constraints, so his works have a primitive and simple and frank beauty, with a strong and distinct personality. His subject matter is all-encompassing, in addition to the suburban landscapes of Paris, but also the straightforward and direct portraits, magnificent allegorical paintings, flowers, and especially exotic large-scale fantasy works, which are inspired by his frequent observations in the parks, botanical gardens and zoos of Paris.
Representative works:
"Walk in the Village", "Tax Card", "War", "Sleeping Gypsy Girl", "MySelf Portrait And Landscape", "Country Wedding", "The Girl with the Puppet", "Dream", "Carnival Night", etc