The "What Are You Doing This Moment" Thread

[Vimana]

D Activators.

 

[False Joe]

EDIT: SuperNinja'd @ GR

Owned.

My wisdom teeth have come in fine, no pain.

Minus the pain caused by me accidently biting the inside of my cheek a 101 times.

 

[Valerie]

I still have my wisdom teeth. Never had any problems.

 

[MannequinLimbs]

Just watched England v. France (Six Nations).
^-^

Now I'm exercising Jager (rat) and Kenya (hamster). Bastard things aren't even mine. But they tickle when they crawl on me. ;o

 

[genocide roach]

let me know how those d'activators turn out. im very curious.


i havnt bit my cheek yet, but it feels like i have food stuck back there constantly.
~gR~

 

[waif]

Mothing. I'm working on an essay in which I have to either analyze a pre-Civil War American religious painting from a non-religious perspective or a pre-Civil War American non-religious painting from a religious perspective. I chose Benjamin West's "The Death Of General Wolfe," a non-religious painting, which you can see here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Benjamin_West_005.jpg. There are 4 particularly obvious latent religious images toward this painting, as I see it. The foremost is the officers to the right of the painting actually having their hands folded in prayer. General Wolfe himself also resembles Christ coming off the cross, which in this case is the army banner behind him. The officer holding the banner could be a reference to Jesus actually bearing the cross to Golgotha. Also, the Native American to the bottom left of the frame could represent the noble savage concept, the goodness of man through God before the tainting exposure of man.

My band is writing a song about that painting...

 

[skeptik]

Post your paper Nec.

I'm tired of doing that...but okay.

General Wolfe, The Christ​

In 1770, American-born painter Benjamin West painted what was to be possibly his most famous painting, entitled “The Death of General Wolfe”. Manifestly, this piece is not a religious painting in a substantive sense. It is an historical piece which depicts the fall of General James Wolfe in the Battle of Quebec in 1759. In the painting, General Wolfe is in the foreground lying on the ground, his upper body being propped up by his fellow officers as he seemingly looks off into the distance. Above this scene, one of the officers is holding the army’s banner. To the immediate left and right of Wolfe is a gathering of other officers, looking on in a grieved and sympathetic manner; there is also a Native American closest to the viewer near the bottom of the painting, attired in traditional garb and bearing both a hatchet and a musket. In the background, the battle continues in all its fury, legions of forces on either side colliding with one another. In the right of the background, the army’s fleet can be seen. This juxtaposition between the reality of the battle continually storming on with the complete ceasing of all outside events which affects the officers of General Wolfe’s army as they look down upon his stricken body creates a sense of a suspension of time. The striking contrast raises this particular scene to an exalted level far above the less significant skirmish of thousands of men that are reduced to a background image. The death of one single man is the focal point of this painting, and is the object of attention for all of the men of import in the painting.

This may be the base interpretation of the manifest content displayed in this piece, but there is also a significant amount of latent religious symbolism to be found therein as well. There are four particular aspects that strike the viewer as possibly having symbolic religious meaning most explicitly. The first is the obviously religious act of the officers to the painting’s right who visibly have their hands folded in a sign of prayer. The most striking image, however, is of General Wolfe himself, who in this instance resembles Christ after having been taken off the cross, which in this case is symbolized by the army’s banner behind him. The officer holding the banner also resembles Christ carrying his own cross to Golgotha where he was crucified, man bearing his own instruments of suffering. Finally, the Native American could very well represent the noble savage concept, the inherent goodness of man instilled into him by the creator and the subsequent fall from grace after the poisoning influence of man. This is reflected in his bearing both the more traditional hatchet as well as the modern musket rifle, joining both elements together.

All of the surrounding officers together could very well reflect Jesus’ disciples and his other admirers following his being removed from the cross, stricken with grief and bearing a sympathetic expression. However, the officers to the right reflect the most overtly religious component in the painting, because they actually have their hands folded in prayer. They also have their heads bowed and their eyes closed, which is typical prayer conduct. The religious significance of this action is inherent in itself, requiring very minimal explanation. These men are visibly grieved by the fall of their comrade and are mourning their loss with their heads bowed in prayer.

General Wolfe in this piece is dramatically portrayed as a Christ figure, particularly Christ in death. His own death scene is compared to Christ’s death scene, being taken down from the cross after being recipient to heinous acts of torture and inhumanity, which could be a parallel to the inherent nature of war itself, an experience which General Wolfe had just gone through. In death, however, like Christ, West portrays him as having risen above the conflict, in a sense, in which he himself becomes the focal point of the painting, despite the fact that there are thousands of other men involved as well. Yet, as reflected both in his fairly standard attire and perhaps less than noteworthy belongings spilled out before him, it is clear that Wolfe did not position himself above his fellow men and officers, but rather, as far as West’s portrayal goes, he is simply a fellow companion, an equal, which is a very Christ-like quality.

Another curious element of latent religious significance in this painting comes behind Wolfe. There is an officer strenuously bearing the army banner behind him which takes upon the visage of a cross. It is apparent that the significance of this fact ties in to the previously mentioned death scene of Christ at Golgotha, but it may also precede that as well. The position of the officer’s body with respect to the banner is reminiscent of the Christ bearing the cross up to Golgotha. This theme may tie into the concept of man bearing the instruments of his own suffering, that man is the cause of man’s own damnation, and only through redemption through God can man be saved from himself. Another curious aspect of this image is the way in which the peak of the cross-like banner and the positioning of the surrounding officers bear the shape of a triangle. This seems to be a conscious effort on the part of the artist, and may very well represent the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three becoming one in a sense after Christ’s death.

Finally, the curious inclusion of the Native American in the foreground of the painting is significant as well. His particular features of highly minimalist clothing, body paint, feathered head dress, and traditional weaponry strike the viewer as a character out of place. Yet he is bearing a common, unifying element that all soldiers have, which is their musket rifle. The inclusion of this weapon connects this Native American soldier with the more traditional, ‘civilized’ Anglican soldiers. It is most striking, however, to behold his countenance, with his head propped up by his fist as he lay on the ground looking sympathetically at the dying man. This bodily position of the markedly different character reflects the noble savage theme, which is another tie to religious rhetoric. He is portrayed with having a certain sense of nobility, even in contrast to the very proper and contrived garb of the surrounding officers, which tells of an inherent nobility and goodness in the character’s nature. The savagery of the man ties into the sense of innocence and purity of having come straight from God. The noble savage is the purity of man’s spirit as given by God to man before having been tainted by the brutish nature of man. The Native American’s presence in this picture thus reflects the fall of man’s goodness and purity, because while he has that certain reverence and nobility in his countenance, he is still bearing a musket, and his sympathy is aimed at a fallen man (in both a moral and a literal sense).

Benjamin West’s “The Death of General Wolfe” is a curious painting in that, while its manifest content is not overtly religious in any notable sense, there is a significant degree of latent religious symbolism imbedded within the work. For example, the image of the officers praying, their hands folded and their heads bowed, is a clear reference to a religious tradition. The Christ-like visage of General Wolfe, surrounded by his fellow officers and beneath the army banner, could be interpreted as an allusion to the death of Christ at Golgotha after having been removed from the cross, as represented by the banner. The officer immediately behind Wolfe holding the banner may reference Christ’s own journey bearing his own cross. The formation of the officers and the banner also represent the Holy Trinity. Finally, the explicit inclusion of the Native American may be invoking the theme of the noble savage and the fall from grace suffered by man through his own doing.

 

[Vimana]

Being hungry and waiting for the lobster bisque and tuna.

 

[supseudonymous]

@Nec

What about the faint steeple in the clouds (back left) that the General is looking toward? You seem to have missed that.

 

[Kasz]

surfing the net.

 

[Valerie]

Playing WoW, I just witnissed a horde raid on an alliance capital city, I didn't get killed because I wasn't flagged for player vs. player, so they couldn't attack me.

 

[genocide roach]

wtf?

just a random WoW picture?
~gR~

 

[CAIRATH]

A N A L

 

[genocide roach]

secks
~gR~

 

[Valerie]

wtf?

just a random WoW picture?
~gR~

Didn't you read what I typed before it?

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

are you a nightelf mohawk? and do you ride on your frost saber?

 

[Valerie]

are you a nightelf mohawk? and do you ride on your frost saber?

Shut up foo'! I pitty the horde!

 

[cookiecutter]

Mothing. Stealing Dodens' joke and feeling a little tipsy. I just watched a weird/good Japanese movie with some friends after doing a little drinking. It was fun.

 

[sevag00]

Now listening to Vahagn and being uber depressed.

Nice to see someone is listening to Armenian metal.

 

[Zephyrus]

Just woke up and listening to some traditional music from India I borrowed from the radio station library. Thought I'd give myself a fresh perspective, and I may get more into world music soon.