The excitement and inspiration of Job's prologue

[The Book of Job's] prologue with God's wager with Satan about Job's piety in the face of continual testing makes it one of the most exciting and inspirational books of the Old or New Testament.

Bob Dylan, The Philosophy of Modern Song

Well, that was unexpected. But it makes me want to go read the Book of Job!

Man Riding on a Horse

Bhimbetka rock painting showing a man riding on a horse, India

Today's quote by Bob Dylan about the Book of Job sent me looking for an illustration of one of my favorite passages from that book. I didn't expect to find something this ancient but it fills me with pleasure to think of how long men and horses have had an association.

Do you give the horse his strength,
and clothe his neck with a mane?
Do you make him quiver like a locust,
while his thunderous snorting spreads terror?
He paws the valley, he rejoices in his strength,
and charges into battle.
He laughs at fear and cannot be terrified;
he does not retreat from the sword.
Around him rattles the quiver,
flashes the spear and the javelin.
Frenzied and trembling he devours the ground;
he does not hold back at the sound of the trumpet;
at the trumpet’s call he cries, “Aha!”
Even from afar he scents the battle,
the roar of the officers and the shouting.

Job, 39:19-25

A powerful antidote to contemporary arrogance

The study of history is a powerful antidote to contemporary arrogance. It is humbling to discover how many of our glib assumptions, which seem to us novel and plausible, have been tested before, not once but many times and in innumerable guises; and discovered to be, at great human cost, wholly false.

Paul Johnson

Doge Leonardo Loredan

Giovanni Bellini, portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan
via Wikipedia

The Doge Leonardo Loredan (1501-1505) by Giovanni Bellini shows how a great master can turn a formal state portrait into both a penetrating study of character and an image of beauty. ...He had a wonderful eye for a face and huge skill at getting it down on panel. He broke the old Venetian tradition that a ruler could only be presented in a formal "medal" profile, by showing the Doge Leonardo Loredan in an almost frontal position, a faultless work which many would rate one of the best half-dozen portraits ever painted.

Paul Johnson, Art: A Modern History

All I know is that when I look at this portrait it almost looks as if someone photographed a modern face and stuck it between the hat and cape. Simply amazing.

The Meeting Scene

Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506), The Court of Mantua
via Wikipedia

I love how realistic this is. I discovered it in Paul Johnson's "Art: A New History" where he tells us:

The Camera delgi Sposi, being an exercise in contemporary realism, is perhaps the most authentic presentation of court life in Italy's golden age that we possess. The painter actually witnessed it, and the two main scenes, one outdoors (The Meeting), one indoors (The Signing of the Contract), take us straight into the world of marriage diplomacy, ceremony, intrigue and secret manoeuvering we read about in letters and chronicles. That world was later described by Machiavelli in The Prince and by Castiglione in The Courtier. But Mantegna's cold brush brings it horribly to life. I say horribly because, though there is exquisite beauty in the room, particularly in the rendering of the young, their elders have hearts of ice. ... there are no tricks about the figures, which have a Flemish realism. They are the actual faces of living people--fifteenth-century Italians of the urban, courtly breed, whispering in ready ears, hiding their deepest thoughts, making honeyed speeches, dissimulating and boasting, Cutting a bella figura while keeping their poignards sharp, strutting for effect and feigning every kind of emotion ... As in all Mantegna's works, one learns a great deal because, though a master of illusionistic devices, he always tells the truth.

Truly this man was the Son of God!*

In short, we must dismiss any idea of Jesus being a simple figure. His actions and motives were complex and he taught something which was hard to grasp... How could the intentions of God be conveyed so as to be understood by all men and for all time? Equally, how could any solution contain elements meaningful for all types and temperaments of men, as well as all races and generations: the activist, the militant, the doctrinaire, the ascetic, the obedient, the passive, the angular, the scholar, and the simple-hearted? How could it impart both a sense of urgency and immediacy, and at the same time be valid for all eternity? How could it bring bout, in men's minds, a confrontation with God which was both public and collective, and individual and intimate? How could it combine a code of ethics within a framework of strict justice and a promise of unprecedented generosity? These were only a few of the evangelical problems confronting Jesus. Moreover, he had to resolve them within a preordained series of historical events which could be adumbrated [suggested or disclosed partially] but not forecast and whose necessary enactment would terminate his mission.

A History of Christianity by Paul Johnson

I never looked at Jesus' ministry in those terms. What an impossible task and, yet, He did it perfectly. It just affirms, in my mind, His divinity and God's omnipotence. *Mark 15:39

The Garden of Earthly Delights

(Center panel) The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503-1504) by Hieronymus Bosch,
the best of his forty works that survive, uniquely combines medieval and renaissance,
horror and humour, religious and secular values, and figures and landscape. (Paul Johnson)

 I read an entire large art book on Bosch and wound up with a real appreciation for his work, as bizarre as it often looks. The author's premise was partly based on disproving what Paul Johnson mentions in his Art: A New History, that Bosch was a member of a quasi-heretical congregation. This was the first time, to be honest, that it occurred to me that these large art books could be written to prove or dispute others' scholarship. Silly of me, I know, since that goes on in every other field so why wouldn't that be the case for art?

At any rate, the point I enjoy the point Johnson makes about how "reading art" was a popular pastime. Popular or not, it's something we've lost in our age and which I appreciate learning a bit about under Johnson's tutelage.

Yet there was laughter in art, even if double-faced. It is a common modern view that Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450-1516) painted the horrors of life and death, and aimed to terrify and to enforce repentance, by his alarming compositions. ... But he also aimed to excite, to thrill, to fascinate and to amuse. There is literary evidence, unearthed by the sharp reader of texts as well as pictures Ernst Gombrich, that collectors bought Bosch for that reason. He made them laugh at folly and its consequences, as Hogarth was to do 250 years later. The minute events of his gruesome tales were fantasies and obviously so. Yet by painting them in the Flemish tradition of realism and attention to detail, he made them seem credible at a certain level, and because credible hilarious. So the men laughed uproariously when, alone with their wine, they collectively considered a Bosch work, and put on straight faces and didactic expressions when their women fold appeared and asked to have the painting "explained."

Religion, Government, and de Tocqueville

What makes de Tocqueville's account memorable is the way in which he grasped the moral content of America. Coming from a country where the abuse of power by the clergy had made the anticlericalism endemic, he was amazed to find a country where it was virtually unknown. He saw, for the first time, Christianity presented not as a totalitarian society but as an unlimited society, a competitive society, intimately wedded to the freedom and market system of the secular world. "In France I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom pursuing courses diametrically opposed to each other," he wrote, "but in America I found that they were intimately united, and that they reigned in common over the same country." He added: "Religion ... must be regarded as the foremost of the political institutions of the country for if it does not impart a taste for freedom, it facilitates the use of free institutions." In fact, he concluded, most Americans held religion "to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions." And de Tocqueville noted on an unpublished scrap of paper that, while religion underpinned republican government, the fact that the government was minimal was a great source of moral strength:

One of the happiest consequences of the absence of government (when a people is fortunate enough to be able to do without it, which is rare) is the development of individual strength that inevitably follows from it. Each man learns to think, to act for himself, without counting on the support of an outside force which, however vigilant one supposes it to be, can never answer all social needs. Man, thus accustomed to seek his well-being only through his own efforts, raises himself in his own opinion as he does in the opinion of others; his soul becomes larger and stronger at the same time.

A History of the American People by Paul Johnson

This strikes me as something we all would do well to remember these days.

If Only More Americans Felt This Way

From A History of the American People by Paul Johnson

This book is dedicated to the people of America -- strong, outspoken, intense in their convictions, sometimes wrong-headed but always generous and brave, with a passion for justice no nation has ever matched.

Dedication

I have not bowed to current academic nostrums about nomenclature or accepted the fly-blow philacteries of Political Correctness. So I do not acknowledge the existence of hyphenated Americans, or Native Americans or any other qualified kind. They are all Americans to me: black, white, red, brown, yellow, thrown together by fate in that swirling maelstrom of history which has produced the most remarkable people the world has ever seen. I love them and salute them, and this is this is their story.

From the Preface

How refreshing.

Mr. Lee Wing

Mr. Lee Wing, via Traces of Texas

This is via Traces of Texas which, as far as I am aware, is only on Facebook. For those not on Facebook, here's the story that goes with this wonderful photo.

Circa 1900, Mr. Lee Wing, owner of a Chinese laundry in El Paso. The story of the Chinese in El Paso is not generally known: I will relate it in further detail in a subsequent post. Suffice to say that quite a few Chinese laborers were brought in to build the railroads, particularly in south Texas. When the job was completed, many of them remained in El Paso which, to this day, has a vibrant Chinese community. In fact, if you go to the Concordia cemetery in El Paso, there is a large, walled off, separate section for folks of Chinese descent ----- the only such section that I am aware of in any cemetery in Texas.

Virgin and Child with Saint George and Saint Anthony Abbot

Antonio Pisanello, The Virgin and Child with Saints George and Anthony Abbot
via Wikipedia

[Pisanello's] amazing Saint George in the London National Gallery, in his mostly silver armour, and wearing an enormous straw hat to protect him from the sun-radiance of the Virgin and Child, is the most mannered picture of evil in existence.

Paul Johnson, Art: A New History

I am absolutely captivated by Saint George's hat. I also was struck by the modern feel of the painting in the way the rays of the sun radiate into the atmosphere, causing it to radiate in turn.

Egg Curry

Egg Curry

This is Wikipedia's picture of the day today. Isn't it beautiful? It is also perfect for beginning a Lenten period of fasting from meat every Friday, proving that meatless doesn't mean flavorless.

Markmaker by Mary Jessica Woods

On a huge spaceship that is more like a world than a vessel, Mariikel is a talented markmaker in a society where people's marks (tattoos) are the record of their lives. Parentage, clan, and accomplishments (both good and bad) are there for all to see. The markmakers are careful to record the truth and only the truth. Society is based upon this certainty.

The problem is that Mariikel was ordered to put an exile mark on someone who he thinks wasn't guilty. As Mariikel tries to correct his mistake, he comes across forgotten outcasts who he helps as an attempt to atone for his error. This additional information provides a perspective which most others don't have. That provides a fascinating context for what comes next as he is continually comparing people's beliefs and political developments with what he knows to be true.

This is just the set up for an exciting story that also examines conscience, honor, truth, family, history, and politics. I was fascinated by the details of the marks and the rich, real seeming world. Mentioning politics might make this sound stodgy but it is handled in a way that helps us see the vibrant society and the problem of having one group of people who are the markers of truth. What happens if the markmakers' judgment doesn't agree with the most powerful groups? That affects everyone from a lot of angles which we see as the story progresses. This is a debut novel but the author was masterful in the way she escorts the reader into the complex culture.

I was gripped by the story early on and couldn't wait to get back to it each night. When the story was transitioning to the third act it did sag some while we waited for anything to happen. However, once it did, the book took off again with a bang — a big bang — as all the repercussions of Mariikel's actions exacerbated the flaws in the political system.

Clearly this is the beginning of a series and one that I look forward to following. Highly recommended.

Kleine-Torte

Kleine-Torte
by Edward B. Gordon

A lovely bit of patisserie, n'est-ce pas? Possibly perfect for a Valentine's Day celebration.

To My Dear and Loving Husband

Of course, Anne Bradstreet said this better than I could, but she captured my feelings precisely.

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay;
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
Anne Bradstreet, 1600s

Bollywood* Beginner Movies 10-12 — Comedy-Horror, Mollywood, and True History

Part 1 looked at romantic comedies. Part 2 branched out to action,  romance, and myth. Part 3 took us to where India intersects with our movies in Shakespeare, thrillers, and modern life.

Now, we're looking at the Bollywood take on comedy-horror and true history. We hadn't heard any of the history in these movies and you might be surprised too.

To give you a sample of what other movies are offered by other regions, we'll also sample a couple of movies from Mollywood (Kerala language Malayalam movies). Also, because I love these movies a lot.

 COMEDY-HORROR

10. Stree

Comedy-horror that isn't gory. In the small town of Chanderi, the menfolk live in fear of an evil spirit named "Stree" (Woman) who abducts men in the night during an annual festival. It was super fun while being quite suspenseful in places. (My review. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)

MOLLYWOOD

11. Kumbalangi Nights

Four brothers living in a fishing village share a love-hate relationship with each other. Their relationships change when the three oldest help the fourth stand by his love. This is a Malayalam language film (hence "Mollywood") that gives a good sense of what South Indian movies can be. Confusing at first, just let it wash over you. (My review. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)

• Maheshinte Prathikaaram
  (Maheshinte's Revenge)
  A villager in a small town swears off wearing shoes until he gets revenge from a local thug. Starring my favorite Malayalam actor (yes, I have one), this is a charmer. Again, just let it wash over you at the beginning. (Scott and I discuss it here. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)
  

TRUE HISTORY

12. Raid

Sometimes the hero is a taxman. An honest IRS officer and his team raid a powerful politician suspected of evading taxation on an epic scale. This gripping story is based on actual events during 1981.  (My review. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)

• Airlift
  When Iraq invades Kuwait in August, 1990, a callous Indian businessman becomes the spokesperson for more than 170,000 stranded countrymen. The result was the largest evacuation in history. (My review. Scott and I discuss it here. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)
  
• Raazi
  The riveting account of a foreign intelligence (RAW) agent who, upon her father's request, is married into a family of military officials in Pakistan to relay information to India, prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. (My review.)
  

For my complete list of recommended films, go here. The list begins with what I've seen most recently.

* "Bollywood" as I'm using it is shorthand for Indian movies in general. The Indian movie industry has a lot of different centers that are based on regional languages and storytelling styles. There will be a few recommendations from others as we go, however, generally speaking, Bollywood (Bombay/Mumbai) offers the easiest entry points for Western viewers.

Autumn Brook

Autumn Brook, Maxfield Parrish

The Snow-Storm by Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Snow-Storm
By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,

Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,

Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air

Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,

And veils the farm-house at the garden's end.

The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet

Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit

Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed

In a tumultuous privacy of storm.

Come see the north wind's masonry.

 

Out of an unseen quarry evermore

Furnished with tile, the fierce artificer

Curves his white bastions with projected roof

Round every windward stake, or tree, or door.

Speeding, the myriad-handed, his wild work

So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he

For number or proportion. Mockingly,

On coop or kennel he hangs Parian wreaths;

A swan-like form invests the hidden thorn;

Fills up the farmer's lane from wall to wall,

Maugre the farmer's sighs; and, at the gate,

A tapering turret overtops the work.

And when his hours are numbered, and the world

Is all his own, retiring, as he were not,

Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art

To mimic in slow structures, stone by stone,

Built in an age, the mad wind's night-work,

The frolic architecture of the snow.

Bollywood* Beginner Movies 7-9 — Shakespeare, Thrillers, and Modern Life

Part 1 looked at romantic comedies. Part 2 branched out to action,  romance, and myth.

Now we're looking at movies that intersect more with what we'd think of as Western movies. However, these are all distinctively Indian.

SHAKESPEARE

7. Omkara

Othello, Indian-style. Fairly faithful and gorgeous adaptation with gangsters. (My review. Scott and I talk about it here. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)

• Ram-Leela
  Romeo and Juliet, Bollywood-style. A less faithful but even more gorgeous adaptation but it examines the families in a very Indian way. (My review. Scott and I talk about it here. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)
  

THRILLERS

8. Kahaani

A 7-month pregnant woman arrives in Kolkata from London to seek her missing husband with nothing to rely on except her memories and a photo. This thriller blew our minds. Hollywood would be proud to make this movie. (My review. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)

• Fan
  They had me at Shah Rukh Khan playing his own stalker. This is a solid thriller and a real star vehicle for King Khan who proves he can really act. (My review here. Scott and I discuss it here. Hannah and Rose discuss it here.)
  

MODERN LIFE

9. Piku

Piku juggles her life as a successful architect and caring for her 70-year old hypochondriac father. When they take a road trip from Delhi to Calcutta, the owner of the local cab company has no choice but to drive them personally since none of his drivers are willing to endure Piku or her eccentric father. (My review here. Scott and I discuss it here. )

• The Lunchbox
  A mistaken delivery in Mumbai’s famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a connection through notes in the lunchbox. (My review here.)
  

NEXT

Part 4 will feature comedy-horror, Mollywood, and true history

For my complete list of recommended films, go here. The list begins with what I've seen most recently.

* "Bollywood" as I'm using it is shorthand for Indian movies in general. The Indian movie industry has a lot of different centers that are based on regional languages and storytelling styles. There will be a few recommendations from others as we go, however, generally speaking, Bollywood (Bombay/Mumbai) offers the easiest entry points for Western viewers.

Fish Market in Venice

Carl Feiertag - Fish Market in Venice