Abstract This paper discusses Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 masterpiece film, "Le Mepris" which is based on the 1954 novel, "Il Disprezzo," translated as "A Ghost at Noon." It specifically compares the attributes of the character, Camille Javal and the actress portraying her, Brigitte Bardot. The paper suggests that the two women seem to be modeled off one another, relying on their sexuality as a means of power.
From the Paper "Upon inspection of Godard's Camille, adapted from Moravia's Emilia, and Brigitte Bardot, who portrays Camille in the film, the two women seem to be almost one and the same. Both act and speak in a manner that speaks of their lower-class background. Motivated to advance in financial, social, and professional fields, the women make use of the one attribute that will quickly and effectively help them to reach the top: their sexuality. Camille employs her feminine wiles to manipulate her husband, until sensing that he has nothing further to offer her, she casts him aside. Similarly, Bardot cultivated for herself a "sex kitten" image, by feigning youthful innocence, simultaneously playing up her womanliness."
This paper presents thumbnail sketches of six Impressionist artists: Claude Monet, Eduardo Manet, Pierre-Augusta Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt and Camille Pissarro.
Abstract This paper explains that Claude Monet was the leader of Impressionism; his "Impression: Sunrise" painted in 1872 gave the term Impressionist to this group of painters who followed the style of Eduardo Manet. The author points out that Mary Cassatt, the only American and woman of the movement, painted scenes of people engaged in ordinary daily activities. The paper relates that the last true Impressionist Camille Pissarro inspired Post-Impressionist painters such as Matisse and Cezanne.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Impressionist Period
Claude Monet: The Movement's Pioneer
Eduardo Manet: The Movement's Inspiration
Pierre-Augusta Renoir: Using the Movement to Move to His Own Style
Edgar Degas: Representing Movement and the Working Class
Mary Cassatt: The American and the Woman of the Movement
Conclusion: Camille Pissarro: The Last Official Impressionist
From the Paper "Photography was invented in the 19th century. The Impressionist artists wished to bring a new element to art. They wished to show the artist's inner life. They believed that simply showing what existed 'in life' was not enough to justify the further existence of art. The Impressionist movement began in France, the heart of the art world of a late 19th and early 20th century Europe. "Impressionist painting comprises the work produced between about 1867 and 1886 by a group of artists who shared a set of related approaches and techniques. Characteristics of Impressionism were an attempt to accurately and objectively record visual reality in terms of transient effects of light and color." "
Abstract The writer looks at four paintings in this paper - "View of Toledo" by El Greco, "Saint-Sever, Rouen" by Camille Pissarro, "Waverly Place" and "Nedick"s? by Richard Estes. The writer shows how these paintings encompass not only the artistic ideals of the painters but also show how the genre of cityscape painting has changed over the years, beginning with the early Renaissance style and into the twentieth century.
From the Paper "The Spanish painter El Greco (1547-1614), born as Domenicos Theotokopoulos in Crete, emigrated to Italy as a young man and was trained in the traditions of Late Byzantine frescoes and mosaics. While still young, El Greco went to Venice where he became attached with Titian and later left for Spain to spend the rest of his life in Toledo. His artistic style is a strong personal blend of Late Byzantine and Late Italian Mannerist elements yet his strong sense of movement and use of light prefigures the Baroque period. As pointed out by Horst de la Croix, "El Greco's art is not strictly Spanish, though it appealed to certain segments of that society, for it had no Spanish antecedents and had little effect on future Spanish painting" (598)."
This paper is an essay by a "curator" who must choose between buying "First Leaves, Near Mantes" by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot or "View of Paris from the Trocadero" by Berthe Marie Paul Morisot.
1,670 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 0 sources, 2002, $ 54.95
Abstract This paper describes the thought process necessary when buying a painting for a museum: "First Leaves, Near Mantes"by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot or "View of Paris from the Trocadero" by Berthe Marie Paul Morisot. The author points out that when buying a painting for a public collection, artistic merits, representation of an important moment in art, a step toward the next discovery, subject matter, painting techniques and what the painting represents both literally and figuratively to the buyer are important.The author, after discussing all these elements, selects the Corot: Corot paints the trees with such strong strokes that it takes but a tiny squint test to see that what he has done in composition alone, and this is prefigure to the abstractions of the century to follow.
From the Paper "In fact, the Impressionists followed him just about the time Morisot painted Trocadero. She was, in fact, an Impressionist, even if she lacked the notoriety of her brother-in-law, Edouard Manet. (She married his brother Eugene.) Morisot had studied with Corot when she tired of the classical approach to painting. But yet, her subject matter is more like the subject matter of classical paintings than is Corot"s.
Morisot has chosen ordinary people, although in a more formal setting than Corot's setting in the glade. Conceivably, from their dress and the fact that the city of Paris and all its cultural attractions is prominently displayed in the painting, these people are less ordinary"more noble?than those in the Corot work. That puts it a step closer to classical painting."
Tags: plein-air, impressionist, squint-test, step, public
Abstract This paper examines three productions of Alexander Dumas' "La Dame aux Camelieas" in their respective social atmospheres. The three versions of Camille that are discussed are by Dumas, Matilda Heron and Charles Ludlam. The paper explores how each version is distinguished by the differing socio-geographical and chronological locations, each questioning different cultural conventions.
From the Paper "La Dame aux Camelias, by Alexander Dumas, is a critical play in the history of theater. Despite the fact that La Dame aux Camelias has been condemned by critics for having scenes that "are sometimes thin... ragged... and ... out of date" (Archer), among other discredits, the work is still considered to be an indispensable cornerstone in the evolution of realist theater - "although consistently described as a work of inferior artistic craftsmanship, its longevity testifies to its status as a story of superior dramatic interest" (Hamilton). La Dame aux Camelias is a product of many theatrical and literary influences, which include the tight construction of Scribe's "well made" play, the insight of the sociological novelist Honore de Belzac, and the literary devices of melodrama. However, La Dame aux Camelias differs from Scribe's well made play in that it raises the moral thesis of the play -- at most, it is considered "something to be disparaged as a sentimental by-product of the well made play" (Stanton). It is unlike Belzac's work in that his observations are restricted particularly to his own social milieu. "
Abstract This paper is a creative history paper that focuses on the history of France and the French Revolution. The writer was assigned to write the paper in the first person, assuming he was living during the time period of the French Revolution. Although creatively written, it is thoroughly researched and historically accurate.
From the Paper "I was born on November 21, 1815, one day following The Second Peace of Paris. This event unfortunately deprived France of a number of strategic posts in the north and east, and left France in an unfortunate situation, which required the country to pay a war indemnity of 700 million francs ? a heavy burden. At this time Louis XVIII was the King of France. My parents had explained to me that it was the bourgeoisie who had been the chief gainers from the Revolution. It was they who had been the largest purchasers of the lands confiscated by the Revolution and, they were now content to live on the revenues of these estates, thus forming a new class of landed gentry. My grandfather, along with my parents purchased large amounts of land during this period. The Loire Valley, is an exceptional area to produce wine- a successful cash crop because it is an area with superior communications, and the wine is easily marketed by river..."
Abstract This paper looks at how the literary French artiste' Colette, in a duet of short stories, "Gigi" and "The Cat", is able to explain some of the sexual nuances that make the sexes behave as they do; perhaps bringing some insight into our own present day relationships.
From the paper:
"Light vs. Darkness, Muslim vs. Christian, North vs. South, Football vs. Oprah, conflicts such as these rage on in our 21st century society. Of all conflicts the one furthest from resolution and the most highly contested seems to be the age-old battle of male sexuality vs. female sexuality. What do the opposing "dramatis personae" desire? How do they propose to attain it? Are the variances between the sexes really as vast as we"ve been led to believe" Through exquisite prose and imagery, the literary French artiste? Colette, in a duet of short stories Gigi and The Cat, is able to explain some of the sexual nuances that make the sexes behave as they do; perhaps bringing some insight into our own present day relationships ."
From the Paper " Camille
Alexandre Dumas fils (1824-1895) was the illegitimate son of the novelist Alexandre Dumas and a Belgian seamstress. Although his father acknowledged him as his son and for some time they were constant companions, Dumas fils was undoubtedly aware of the social position he and his mother occupied and the limitations of that position. Consequently, a reader is not surprised to find in Camille a sympathetic rendering of the courtesan, Marguerite Gautier. However, Dumas fils also establishes at the outset that he does not intend to excuse the behavior of courtesans. Instead, he merely offers the case of one courtesan who may differ in significant respects from people's usual expectations of a courtesan to demonstrate that courtesans should not be judged too harshly."
Abstract This paper focuses on the history and the discovery of the nineth planet in the Solar System, Pluto, and its lone moon, Charon. The paper discusses various theories about what originally propelled astronomers to search for this mysterious planet, known as Planet X, and how its name Pluto finally came about after its discovery.
From the Paper "John Murray, an astronomer from Open University in the U.K. proposes a theory in which two large objects may gravitationally affect the orbits of long period comets. These two objects would have to be about 32,000 AU from the Sun and extremely massive, about the size of Jupiter. John J. Matese of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette proposes a similar theory. His involves two to three Jupiter sized objects orbiting at about 2.3 trillion miles from the Sun. He says that their gravity is responsible for the deflection of roughly 25% of the known 82 Oort Cloud comets into the inner solar system. Matese says that these massive objects do not necessarily have to be planets; they may be undetected brown dwarfs ? undetected because the IRAS (Infrared Astronomical Satellite) of the 1980s was not sensitive enough to distinguish an individual brown dwarf against the galactic plane."
Abstract Claude Monet and Rembrandt van Rijn are fundamentally different in their approaches to painting. This paper explores Monet's fascination with water and Rembrandt's love of chiaroscuro (the interplay of light and shadow) as well as both painter's philosophies on time - Monet often denies the existence of time altogether, whereas Rembrandt often makes the use of time an important subject matter of his work. The paper analyzes two works by Rembrandt - "Madonna of the Cat" (1654) and "A Woman Wading in a Brook" (1654) to show his use of chiaroscuro and his philosophy on time. The paper also discusses works by Monet including "La Grenouillere" (1868) and "Camille on her Deathbed", which show his fascination with water and his belief in art about art, rather than about reality.
From the Paper "Rembrandt's concern with experience and reality is inherent his work. In his etching of 1654 of Madonna of the Cat, he shows a scene which is full of meaning, and thus time and experience. There is a paradox in the scene itself involving the interplay of light and shadow, which is quite often the case with Rembrandt's work. In the center of the etching, Mary is shown cradling Jesus in her arms. Traditionally, the pair is shown with a halo surrounding the fontanel. Rembrandt's etching seems to do this, although in actuality what appears to be a halo is simply sunlight filtering though the window. In this context, he places Mary and Jesus in shadow, instead of in the light, which one would expect in a Christian scene. He suggests a more Protestant view of experience, in which shadow becomes a metaphor for ambiguity, everyday experiences, and the placing of the divine on a more human level. He suggests his belief that God is dwelling on earth among the normal, everyday people, rather than in the brilliantly lit skies of Heaven. This in and of itself is opposite from what the Greeks believed in."
Abstract This paper examines "Therese Raquin", a novel by Emile Zola, which was first published in serial form in 1867 under the title of "Un Mariage d'Amour". It looks at how in the novel Zola used the "analytic method" to tell the story in which Therese finds herself. It demonstrates how while the literary ideal of the time was to use the "scientific method" to observe characters' behavior, Zola moves away from this with a moral, unscientific tone. It also discusses how Marcel Carne, a French filmmaker, adapted Zola's novel in his 1953 version of the story.
From the Paper "Edward Baron Turk (1989), upon meeting the elderly Carne during the 1980's, professes that the filmmaker saw himself as young. He was moved by the feeling of unfinished work. Thus, despite criticism to the effect that the quality of his films declined during the years both before and after "Therese Raquin", his ambition to make films never did. There is evidence of this in the film itself. The filmmaker recognizes that times have changed and thus the element of suspense is combined with the dark poetry of his previous works. The fact that he never believed his career to be over, moved him to continue exercising his profession in his old age. Even though these films never again attained either the quality or popularity of "Th?r?se Raquin", the fact remains that the filmmaker never lost his enthusiasm for his art or the values he depicted through it. The fact that he was working on a film when he died, demostrates this."
Abstract This paper provides a biography of Gabriel Faure, born on May 12th, 1845, in Pamiers, France, and looks at his musical career and his life as a composer. In particular, it examines his "Requiem", which was written shortly after the death of his father in 1885. It provides a movement by movement analysis and looks at how Faure's "Requiem" is a piece of extraordinarily beautiful musical sentiment. It analyzes how the delicate melodies and warm, dark orchestration create a rich and distinctly pious effect and how, with the greatest use of simplicity, Faure wrote a work that is of the most humanistic and tender nature.
From the Paper "Faure's Requiem embodies a very different feeling than many requiems by other composers. Most profoundly, the tone is more one of exaltation than fear. There is a sense of celebration of life as opposed to a fear of death. A good contrast would be to compare Faure's Requiem with Mozart's Requiem. With the use of thick orchestration and driving melodies Mozart created an urgent and, at times, a painful and agonizing feeling. Faure's Requiem is lighter and more understated. We can infer a lot about his ideas on religion from this piece. At this period the notorious Pope Pius X released an edict stating that church musicians and clergy needed to remove from their repertoire all music of secular and theatrical origins."
Abstract Director Gillo Pontecorvo's "The Battle of Algiers" and director Regis Wargnier's "Indochine" showcase French colonialism. The paper describes how, in "Indochine", the political aspects of colonialism form a backdrop to a love story set amid gorgeous scenery, while "The Battle of Algiers" is an uncompromising look at the bloody cost of French rule in Algeria. The paper shows that, while both films are set in different times and locations, "The Battle of Algiers" and "Indochine" clearly depict the cost of colonialism.
From the Paper "Gillo Pontecorvo's movie, The Battle of Algiers, was first release in 1965, and chronicles the French occupation of Algiers during the 1950s. The movie shows the struggles of the Algerian independence movement to win independence from France. Filmed in black and white, The Battle of Algiers is filmed in the style of a documentary, but it is in fact not. The movie begins in 1957, as the last remaining Algerian Guerrilla leader, Ali La Pointe (Brahim Haggiag), is pinned down in his hideout by the French military. As he contemplates his fate, La Pointe recollects much of the history of the Algerian independence movement, where Muslims struggled for independence from France. Ultimately, La Pointe chooses to die rather than to surrender, and the French are apparently victorious, at least for the time being."
Abstract This paper summarizes and analyzes Godard's film about the deterioration of a marriage between Paul Javal, a French writer and his wife Camille.
From the Paper "So eager is Paul to succeed, that he sells his soul to the devil, so to speak, and accepts the task of fixing a script for the American producer, Jeremy Prokosch, played by Jack Palance. The screenplay he has been hired to fix is by Friz Lang, who plays himself as writer and director of an adaptation of Ulysses. The film, being shot at Rome's Cinecitta studios and the Isle of Capri, is suffering due to Prokosch's over-bearing interference."
Abstract This paper examines how the main theme of the impressionist artists was the reflection of personal impression on canvas. The author reviews the work of impressionists Claudet Monet, Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissaro and Berthe Morrisot. It concludes that the contribution of Impressionists is invaluable because they set new standards of fine art, which gave birth to other categories of art such as post-impressionism, symbolism, primitivism and modern.
From the Paper "The father of the Impressionist movement is considered to be Claudet Monet (1840-1926), French painter of the late nineteenth century, who developed new technique when painting French landscapes on open-air. Monet came to the conclusion that a painting "made on the open air, has a unique freshness and liveliness, which is unable to be achieved when working in the workshop", where the theme is preplanned. According to Monet, painter had to change the way he perceives reality by fragmenting it into naive and primitive images, which formed the core of the aesthetic impression. Monet set a new task to the art, to reflect a momentary impression, to picture every moment and every element of objects motion in order to make painting alive."
