Tags
Aesthetics, Carnivalesque, Comédie-Ballet, commedia dell'arte, Harold C. Knutson, Jules Brody, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, pharmakos, pour rire, Tricksters
MONSIEUR DE POURCEAUGNAC.
ORONTE.
JULIE, fille d’Oronte.
NÉRINE, femme d’intrigue (schemer).
LUCETTE, feinte (false) Gasconne.
ÉRASTE, amant de (in love with) Julie.
SBRIGANI, Napolitain, homme d’intrigue (schemer).
PREMIER MÉDECIN.
SECOND MÉDECIN.
L’APOTHICAIRE.
UN PAYSAN.
UNE PAYSANNE.
PREMIER MUSICIEN.
SECOND MUSICIEN.
PREMIER AVOCAT.
SECOND AVOCAT.
PREMIER SUISSE.
SECOND SUISSE.
UN EXEMPT.
DEUX ARCHERS.
PLUSIEURS MUSICIENS, JOUEURS D’INSTRUMENTS, ET DANSEURS.
La scène est à Paris
Monsieur de Pourceaugnac
- a scapegoat
- aesthetically in the wrong
- a comedy in reverse
- an on-stage dramatist
- pour rire / for the fun of it
A scapegoat
I have already noted that Monsieur de Pourceaugnac seems a scapegoat, or pharmakós. which is not inconsistent with the role pharmakoi play in tragedies and comedies. Northrop Frye writes that the scapegoats, the pharmakós is “neither innocent nor guilty.”[1]
Aesthetically in the wrong
There is no reason why Monsieur de Pourceaugnac should be victimised in Paris, “this country,” or elsewhere. Arranged marriages were common in 17th-century France. Besides, had Julie found Monsieur de Pourceaugnac repulsive, he may not have married her. Monsieur de Pourceaugnac’s only problem is his name and/or looks, which has to do with aesthetics. Let us read Nérine:
S’il a envie de se marier, que ne prend-il une Limosine, et ne laisse-t-il en repos les chrétiens ? Le seul nom de Monsieur de Pourceaugnac m’a mis dans une colère effroyable. J’enrage de Monsieur de Pourceaugnac. Quand il n’y aurait que ce nom-là, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, j’y brûlerai mes livres, ou je romprai ce mariage, et vous ne serez point Madame de Pourceaugnac. Pourceaugnac ! Cela se peut-il souffrir ? Non, Pourceaugnac est une chose que je ne saurais supporter, et nous lui jouerons tant de pièces, nous lui ferons tant de niches sur niches, que nous renverrons à Limoges Monsieur de Pourceaugnac.
Nérine à Julie et Éraste (I. scène première)
[If he wishes to get married why does he not take a lady born at Limoges for a wife, instead of troubling decent Christians? The name alone of Monsieur de Pourceaugnac has put me in a frightful passion. I am in a rage about Monsieur de Pourceaugnac If it were nothing but his name, this Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, I would do everything to succeed in breaking off this marriage, rather than that you should be Madam de Pourceaugnac. Pourceaugnac! is it bearable? No, Pourceaugnac is something which I cannot tolerate; and we shall play him so many tricks, we shall practice so many jokes upon jokes upon him, that we shall soon send Monsieur de Pourceaugnac back to Limoges again.]
Nérine to Julie and Éraste (II. 3, p. 94)
In his analysis of Le Misanthrope and Dom Juan, Professor Jules Brody concluded that Alceste and Dom Juan were “aesthetically in the wrong, but morally in the right” or vice versa. I am paraphrasing Professor Brody.[2] Arranged marriages were relatively common in 17th-century France, so Monsieur de Pourceaugnac cannot be faulted for “buying” a bride who will be provided with a generous dowry.
We should also note that, in Scene Two, Julie is not ready to oppose her father’s choice of a groom beyond entering a convent.
Je le menacerais de me jeter dans un convent
Julie à Éraste (I. ii)
[I would threaten him to bury myself in a convent.]
Julie to Éraste (I. 4, p. 95)
Éraste requests greater proof of her love, but Julie tells him she must await the course of events before allowing further opposition.
Mon Dieu, Éraste, contentez-vous de ce que je fais maintenant, et n’allez point tenter sur l’avenir les résolutions de mon cœur; ne fatiguez point mon devoir par les propositions d’une fâcheuse extrémité dont peut-être n’aurons-nous pas besoin; et s’il y faut venir, souffrez au moins que j’y sois entraînée par la suite des choses.
Julie à Éraste (I. ii)
[Good Heavens! Eraste, content yourself with what I am doing now; and do not tempt the resolutions of my heart upon what may happen in the future; do not make my duty more painful with proposals of annoying rashness, of which, perhaps, we may not be in need; and if we are to come to it, let me, at least be driven to it by the turn of affairs.]
Julie to Éraste (I. 4, p. 96)
Julie is quite right. She has agreed to batteries and machines that will allow people, schemers, to promote her marriage to act, but no one was to go to far. However, it turns out measures taken to let her be Éraste’s wife are too drastic. When Sbrigani is done, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac will stand accused of bigamy and, unless a schemer saves him, Sbrigani, he may be hanged. In Oronte eyes, having abandoned Lucette, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is a méchant homme. Upon learning that Pourceaugnac abandoned Lucette, Oronte, Julie’s father, cannot prevent himself from crying. What irony!
Je ne saurais m’empêcher de pleurer. Allez, vous êtes un méchant homme.
Oronte (II. vii)
[I cannot help crying. (To Monsieur de Pourceaugnac). Go, you are a wicked man.]
Oronte (II. 8, p. 123)
When Pourceaugnac is being led away Oronte suggests that Pourceaugnac be hanged:
Allez, vous ferez bien de le faire punir, et il mérite d’être pendu.
Oronte (II. viii)
[Come, you will do well to have him punished; and he deserves to be hanged.]
Oronte (II. 10, p. 125)
A comedy in reverse
Not only is Monsieur de Pourceaugnac humiliated because of his name, but Molière also rearranged the usual cast of comedies so that Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is treated like a tyrannical pater familias, Oronte’s role. As for the eirôn, the threatened lovers and their usual supporters: laquais, valet, suivante, confidante, an uncle or avuncular figure, such as Le Malade imaginaire’s Béralde, Argan’s brother, they are pitiless tricksters: Sbrigani and his crew who unleash uninterrupted attacks on an innocent man. The person who will marry his daughter to a man she may be attracted to or find repulsive, is Oronte. Oronte, therefore, is the blocking-character or alazṓn. However, the man who is left in the hands of doctors threatening enemas and other procedures, the man whose creditors will be repaid by Oronte, the bigamist or polygamist who should be hanged, is Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, Oronte’s prospective son-in-law. The first doctor claims Pourceaugnac as un meuble, his property. Moreover, we are in Paris, where the accused is hanged before the trial. The play is such a charivari, hullabaloo, that Julie, Éraste’s innamorata, finds Monsieur de Pourceaugnac attractive and follows him as he is led out of “this country,” which is seen as an enlèvement, by Oronte.
Ah ! Monsieur, ce perfide de Limosin, ce traître de Monsieur de Pourceaugnac vous enlève votre fille.
Sbrigani à Oronte (III. vi)
[Ah, Sir! this perfidious Limousin, this wretch of a Monsieur de Pourceaugnac abducts your daughter!]
Sbrigani à Oronte (III. 8, p. 133)
She who would not be forced into a marriage, must marry Éraste, whom, she suspects, created all these pièces, comedies:
Ce sont sans doute des pièces qu’on lui fait, et c’est peut-être lui [Éraste] qui a trouvé cet artifice pour vous en dégoûter.
Julie à Oronte (III. vii)
[They are, no doubt, tricks which have been played upon him, and (Pointing to Eraste) it is perhaps he who invented this artifice to disgust you with him.]
Julie to Oronte and Éraste (III. ix, p. 135)
An on-stage dramatist
Yes and no. Éraste did not oppose Sbrigani’s unacceptable tricks. Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is not a théâtre dans le théâtre, but one could suggest that the dramatist is on stage and the play abundantly self-referential:
Je conduis de l’œil toutes choses, et tout ceci ne va pas mal. Nous fatiguerons tant notre provincial, qu’il faudra, ma foi, qu’il déguerpisse.
Sbrigani (II. vii)
[I am managing these things very nicely, and everything goes well as yet. We shall tire our provincial to such an extent that upon my word, he will be obliged to decamp.]
Sbrigani (II. 11, p. 125)
Julie knows about Éraste’s involvement in and provides a redressing of the comedy. She is the dutiful daughter who takes the husband her father chose for her:
They are no doubt tricks which have been played upon him, and (Pointing to Eraste) it is perhaps he who invented this artifice to disgust you with him.
Julie to Oronte (III. 9, p. 135)
Pour rire / for the fun of it
Although Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is cruel and machiavellian, it is for the main part an “all’s well that ends well.” But there are gradations within comedy. Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is a pour rire: for laughs, concocted one of the best among zanni: Sbrigani. In Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, wit prevails, and wit is ruthless. It is carnivalesque. My thesis director, Dr Harold C. Knutson, wrote a book entitled: The Triumph of Wit: Molière and Restoration Comedy. I could not end on a better note.[3]
RELATED ARTICLES
Sources and Resources
- Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is a toutmoliere.net publication.
- Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is an Internet Archive publication
- Our translator is Henri van Laun
- Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is Gutenberg’s [eBook #7009]
- Its translator is Charles Heron Wall.
- Bold characters are mine.
- Images are as identified.
- Pulcinella as scapegoat
- Vulgar Comedy (http://commedia.klingvall.com/commedia-dellarte/)
_____________________
[1] Northrop Frye, Anatomy of Criticism (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1957]), p. 41.
[2] Brody, Jules. “Dom Juan and Le Misanthrope, or the Esthetics of Individualism in Molière, ” PMLA, 84, 1969.
[3] Knutson, Harold C. The Triumph of Wit: Molière and Restoration Comedy, Ohio State University Pres, 1988)
Love to everyone 💕
Sincere apologies for rebuilding my post. In theory, this computer was repaired, but it wasn’t. A friend and technician will take me to a store. We will buy the computer and he will set it up.
© Micheline Walker
31 January 2020
WordPress
derrickjknight said:
Well done
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
It’s quite the play. Thank you Derrick. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
“Aesthetically wrong” is such a fascinating concept. It brings to mind another character (much later, of course) who was “aesthetically in the wrong” because of his appearance, Sirano de Berzerak.
I am glad you were able to work, dear Micheline.
Have a wonderful weekend,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
That is how it goes. I thought of Cyrano de Bergerac. Persons whose name ends in -ac are from Gascogne or their ancestors are Gascons. Rostand’s tirade about the nose is one of the best, if not the best, in French literature. Cyrano de Bergerac was a seventeenth-century writer. He had a large nose that attracted ridicule. So we’ve done Monsieur de Pourceaugnac. Sbrigani is the ultimate zanni (commedia dell’arte) and Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is a descendant of Polichinelle (commedia dell’arte). We reached our last play: L’Étourdi (scatterbrain). Afterwards, we read Molière’s two short plays on comedy (theory). I’ll will add dialogue to posts written in 2016 or earlier. Have a good Sunday.
Much love,
Micheline
LikeLiked by 2 people
koolkosherkitchen said:
I apologize for misspelling; sometimes my brain goes sideways…
I am looking forward to your analysis of the remaining plays, dear Micheline.
Enjoy your weekend!
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I often forget the correct spelling of words. We will be reading L’Étourdi (scatterbrain), an easier play than Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, but I loved working on Monsieur de Pourceaugnac. He’s also the person from out-of-town who doesn’t fit. He thinks he has dressed properly. Molière studied human nature.
After l’Étourdi, we look at Molière’s two short plays about his art.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
“Scatterbrain” is what happens to all of us oncw in a while!
Looking forward to your further posts, dear friend,
Love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
Molière wrote about all of us. He was a good psychologist and, obviously, a very hard worker. In L’Étourdi, Mascarille plans the marriage, but the young lover, Lélie, stands in the way of his stratagems. Mascarille is not the unscrupulous Sbrigani, but a rather forgiving zanni.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Most certainly, Moliere know people. So did every great writer, I think my interest in psychology was to a great degree inspired by reading Honore de Balzac.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
Yes, great novels and plays reveal a profound knowledge of the human mind and soul. That is why we study the humanities. I was literally shaped by Balzac, Flaubert and Stendhal. I can understand why Flaubert said: “Madame Bovary, c’est moi.” To a certain extent, we all reach beyond our grasp. On Christmas Eve, we celebrated at a nephew’s house. I was working on La Comtesse d’Escarbagnas. But when I was asked what subject I was working on, I said Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, because it is a well-known play. No one had heard of Le Bourgeois gentilhomme. My sister Diana would have known because we studied diction and drama. No one had heard of Molière. I was born before Quebec’s Révolution tranquille. It happened after we left Quebec. It did not affect me. My brother, who has died, returned to Quebec. I was with his children and grandchildren. I was sad.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I am sorry you had a sad experience, but it is strange to me that the young generation of French Canadians does not know Moliere, while the Russians do.
Balzac, Flaubert, Stendhal, Zola, Maupassant, all in complete collection of works in Russian translation are still on my bookshelves, but unfortunately, when I am gone, there won’t be anyone to inherit them. However, and fortunately, my granddaughter is fluent in French and reads classics.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I think Quebec wanted to produce professionals: lawyers, doctors… as quickly as possible. The programme probably differs according to the profession one has chosen. It was a strange experience.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I think I understand what you mean by looking at American professionals who are likewise limited in their exposure to humanities. It has always seemed peculiar to me.
Love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I also think Quebec wanted professionals. The CEGEP (Grade XII and XIII) prepare students for their future profession. Education is inexpensive in Quebec. There are literature courses in Grade XII and XIII, the Cégep years. I suppose students who take these courses may end up doing a B.A. in literature or one of the liberal arts, when they enter university. I had a harpsichord teacher who studied music after he finished medicine. He did a B.Mus. and a Masters degree. Studying the Humanities does not guarantee employment. Skills do. It’s money first, as quickly and inexpensively as possible. My doctor has a Masters degree and a PhD, but he teaches medicine and he may not have taken courses in the Humanities. A PhD in the Humanities does not get someone very far. These persons find employment outside Quebec and spouses are usually English speaking. Full-time university teachers earn more money in Quebec than outside Quebec. Courses are taught by “chargé(e)s de cours.” They travel from University to University. Teachers have not necessarily studied history and literature. I’ll go no further. Occasionally, I have to erase part of my comments to you.
Much love,
Micheline
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I’ve been in academia in the US, dear Micheline; I know exactly what you are saying. I can read those erased comments between the lines.
Be well, dear friend!
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
It’s probably the same world. I will never understand having to teach courses in areas I had not studied. I was able to prepare these courses, but doing so led to illness and seriously jeopardised my career. But what about the universities that let this happen? Academia!
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I completely subscribe to all your sentiments, dear Micheline.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
There are persons who are capable of preparing courses in an area they are not familiar with in a matter of months. But there is a price. Doing so is too stressful and may therefore affect a person’s health. Moreover, one is usually intimidated or literally bullied into learning a previously unexplored discipline. Such behaviour is unacceptable. Fortunately, I was born a happy and intellectually curious person. It helped me limit the losses. I own a lovely and spacious condominium in a building that is well located and well managed. So, in the end, matters are fine. I enjoy writing my posts. It’s my little community, a good community.
So, my dear we’re fine.
All my love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Of course we are, dear friend.
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
One needs to rebuild with what is left. My post on L’Étourdi is too long. I’ll have to find a way of making it shorter. Mascarille plays eleven tricks for the young lovers, but Lelio ruins every trick. How Molière put together so many tricks is surprising. He borrowed, but the play is seamless and it was a great success. My husband, who worked on Céline, was so happy I was deciphering Molière. He would say that I was safe.
Much love,
Micheline
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I am looking forward to your post, dear Micheline. Meanwhile, have a wonderful weekend!
Love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I published Act One and told the outcome. I must now list all blunders. It could not be done in one post. Mascarille is forever coming up with a new plan, and poor Lélie spoils everything. Mascarille is a good zanno.
Love and a fine weekend,
M.
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I am sure I will thoroughly enjoy the reading, dear Micheline.
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I must also analyse this play. That is the challenge. It is a very early play, but it features Mascarille. However, I must stop thinking about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. They’ve been on my mind. What is she doing?
I’m very tired and should get some rest. Have a very good weekend.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Have a nice, restful weekend, dear Micheline.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I’m not very well at the moment. I bleed easily, which means I cannot take aspirin. He prescribed medication that would be safer, but I wake up with blood in my mouth and severe nosebleeds. This morning, I didn’t take the medication. I’ll see him tomorrow. I’m now going back to my work. The sub-text is how far, morally, can a trickster go. It is expressed in a very subtle, but clear manner.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
You raise an intriguing question: at which point does a trickster become a menace?
Fell better, dear friend!
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
That is the central question in l’Étourdi. Sbrigani knew no limits, but Mascarille worries. Lélio has a conscience and Mascarille thinks about his salvation. Lélio is an honest individual. In Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, Julie wants to follow Monsieur de Pourceaugnac. He is the man her father chose and a good daughter tries to do as her father wishes. As well, in the end Sbrigani makes sure the Exempt returns Pourceaugnac home, safely. Dom Juan’s Sganarelle worries about his master’s salvation. Dom Juan is guilty of abandoning a wife, Elvire. If he returns to her, there will be no revenge. But Dom Juan will not return to her so a “deus ex machina” throws him into an fiery abyss. If Mascarille doesn’t tell the truth, Lélie does, which forces Mascarille to use a new stratagem. Basically, there’s order. I’m still unwell, but recovering.
All my love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Fascinating parallels. I am looking forward to full analysis of the play.
Be well and stay well, dear friend!
Much love,
D
LikeLike
r said:
I didn’t bleed this morning. It’s the medication. I had stopped taking it. So we good back to work: my favourite activity.
Loving one’s work is such a gift. I need not fear using images because my blog is free. It can therefore be ornamented. I wanted that freedom.
All my love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I am glad to hear that you are feeling better, dear Micheline. I agree with you; I have always taught my sons that they had to do what they loved doing, then they would be doing it well, and their work will be appreciated by others.
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I saw my doctor yesterday. They will have to treat my blood. I was disappointed because I prefer working. One must choose a career one likes. If one does, one is happier and so are co-workers and students.
All my love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I hope the suggested treatment is effective. Feel better, dear Micheline!
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
My computer died. So I am using a new computer. This time I asked a local technician to get me a computer to buy the computer and to set it up. So I can now continue my work. My doctor is sending me to a hematologist. I was still losing blood this morning. So, it’s back to L’Étourdi. The challenge is to remember all the tricks.
Treatment can stop it.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Congratulations on the new computer, and may it work for you effortlessly and efficiently!
I am praying for your health, dear Micheline.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
This new computer is a little jewel, but I will keep a second computer. Losing one’s computer is painful at our age. We are used to computers.
All my love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Losing anything is painful at our age, dear Micheline.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
Pray for me. The new computer has its problems. What would I do without you?
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Computer people call it “working out the bugs.” Every new computer goes through this process. We have to grin and bear, dear Micheline.
Have a nice, restful weekend!
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I think I am nearly there. But I have found the brackets. The computer has a multilingual keyboard.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Most computer do, nowadays, as well as most phones. This is what allows me to respond in Russian and Ukrainian.
Love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
My post is published. I borrowed brackets from another text. L’Étourdi is an exceptional comedy. For tricksters, rogues, the end just the means. which is Machievallian. But we are not in a political environment but in a struggle that leads to a marriage. I could not finish my article in two posts. I concentrated on one incident, the central incident, which is to make believe a father is dead so Mascarille and Lélie, the young lover his servant, can get money from the father’s friend. When the father returns, alive, Lélie, the blunderer, returns the money he borrowed, which is morally right, but wrong by a rogue’s standard. How will he buy Célie who is a slave?
One thinks of practical intelligence?
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Sounds intriguing; I can’t wait to read your post, dear Micheline.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
It has been published, but a third post is required. It’s a very good play and the last play, except for two little plays that constitute responses to criticism of one play. The second is a play within a play. All my love,
Micheline
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I do need to catch up on my reading, dear friend. I’ve had a busy couple of weeks and flickering internet. Sever has been replaced, all is now in order, but I am still somewhat busier than usual for several reasons.
I hope to read your posts soon, dear Micheline.
Love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
Don’t worry. Life keeps us so busy and the days are always to short
All my love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Very true, dear friend.
You be well and take good care of yourself!
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
We need not carry burdens that will crush us. We wait a little. I had to learn that lesson because a virus took away so much of my strength. I streamlined my life. Earning a living was very important. So I went to bed between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock. I also leave a little dust. But the kitchen and the bathroom are impeccably clean. That’s hygiene. It cannot wait. As well, one’s body has to be clean.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
You made decisions that were right for you, dear Micheline. I make mine every day as well. It takes age, I think, to acquire enough common sense to make these decisions.
Have a wonderful weekend, dear friend.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
Yes, they were right for me. I wanted to be able to earn a living doing what I liked best. I had another community: the artists. They were a lovely group.
But I made sure there was enough time to sleep or just lie down. I would not have survived the hectic life of my colleagues.
All my love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
Another thing you and I have in common, dear Micheline: I have also immersed myself into an artist community.
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
There is something very positive about immersing oneself into an artist community. Antigonish had more fine artists than most communities do. Some were people who fled the war in Vietnam. They became extraordinary Canadians.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
There is something invigorating about immersing oneself in art, and an artist community provides an atmosphere of art n the making, which is immensely exciting.
Have a wonderful weekend, dear Micheline.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
The University kept a studio for the artist community. It was our playground. For instance, every week, a few of us gathered to draw a model, usually nudes. First, we all drank a glass of white wine. We then started drawing (sanguine, or a chalk). We had to drawn our model in just a few minutes and draw him/her a second time, being given a little more time, and a third time… To my surprise, I did one nude that is my very best portrait of a nude male. We we used newspaper (unprinted), but inexpensive. One evening, I drew a man and it is one of the best portraits of a male I have seen. It sits in a tube somewhere in this apartment. When I die, it will be thrown away as will my books, my other paintings and drawings, my melodies, my manuscripts, everything. I so miss my Antigonish community.
That is life, good or bad.
All my love,
M.
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
I’ve never had an opportunity to draw in an actual art studio, especially nude models; I am a connoisseur, rather than an artist.
It’s a shame you have your paintings and drawings hidden, dear Micheline. Is there a reason you are not displaying them in your apartment?
Have a wonderful week!
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
I prefer looking at the art created by others. Now that my apartment is smaller I will display very few pieces of art. I very much enjoyed studying the fine arts. I sell my art or I give it to friends.
Have a lovely week.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
You never seize to surprise me, dear Micheline. You actually sell your art! All the more reason not to banish it to oblivion, I think.
Have a great remainder of the week.
All my love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
Yes, I sell my works, usually in group shows at art galleries. I don’t make a fortune, but it sells. My most popular art are small pieces resembling greeting cards or illustrations. I use coloured chalk and dress my characters in gorgeous clothes. I’ve always loved designing clothes, including my own. It’s a matter of instinct.
LikeLiked by 1 person
koolkosherkitchen said:
You are a woman of many talents, dear friend!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Much love,
D
LikeLike
michelinewalker said:
Have a good weekend.
Much love,
M
LikeLiked by 1 person