#Aristocratie

[oanthore]

Depuis un siècle au moins, une puissante vague démocratique a profondément transformé le régime de l’art. Désormais, chacun se considère comme détenteur d’une imprescriptible force créatrice et, conséquemment, s’estime en droit de s’exprimer comme artiste. Du même coup, la notion de grand art, en ce qu’elle peut avoir d’aristocratique, se trouve mise à mal, l’idée d’exception qui lui est inhérente se mariant mal à celle de multitude.

Jean-Claude Pinson - Le poème comme forme de vie

[raisongardee]

“Aimer le peuple est une vocation d’aristocrate. Le démocrate ne l’aime qu’en période électorale.”

Nicolás Gómez Dávila, Les Horreurs de la démocratie, trad. Michel Bibard, 2003. 

[hcdahlem]

Le rouge et le blanc

En imaginant le destin de deux frères engagés sur des voies politiques opposées, Harold Cobert réussit une fresque éblouissante, pleine de bruit et de fureur sur la Russie de 1910 à 1990. Un tour de force éclairant et éblouissant.

  En deux mots Alexeï et Ivan Narychkine ne sont que des enfants quand la révolution couve en Russie. Mais en 1917, les deux frères, fils d’aristocrates, vont choisir des voies différentes. Entre le rouge, bien décidé à faire triompher le communisme, et le blanc, en faveur d’un gouvernement réformateur et modéré, la guerre va s’engager. Ma note ★★★★ (j’ai adoré) Ma chronique Ivan le terrible,…

[theodoreangelos]

Princess Victoria Elisabeth Augusta Charlotte of Prussia (24 July 1860 – 1 October 1919), later Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen as the wife of Bernhard III, the duchy's last ruler Prinzessin Victoria Elisabeth Augusta Charlotte von Preußen, später Herzogin von Sachsen-Meiningen als Ehefrau von Bernhard III. von Sachsen-Meiningen Виктория Ел��завета Августа Шарлотта Прусская, принцесса, последняя герцогиня Саксен-Мейнингенская, обручилась с Бернгардом III, наследником немецкого княжества Саксен-Мейнинген Victoria Elisabeth Augusta Charlotte, princesse de Prusse et, par son mariage avec Bernard III de Saxe-Meiningen, duchesse de Saxe-Meiningen

[aristocraticmotorcyclist]

LES PLUS BELLES AFFICHES DE MOTOCYCLETTES

by Lorenzo Eroticolor © Aristocratic motorcyclist @

[randomnameless]

For some reason though in Hopes, he thinks he understands Faerghus as well as he understands Almyra.

That explains so much lol

We don't hear about "uwu forced marriages uwu" in the Alliance, but there are some books in the shadow Library about someone running away from a marriage (a Daphnel iirc? Claudia?) - and yet, there isn't anything suggesting this marriage was forced/piloted by the Central Church or anything.

Back to Almyra though, we know that like Adrestia, Almyra operates on a consort/harem system - Tiana is the Queen, but Tiana also has to "deal" with the children of her hubby's concubines, who try/tried to ice her son.

Again, pretty sure no Central Church is involved with the system where Papa Claude/Ionius has a myriad of consorts and children as a result.

Or maybe he could have thought his grandparents would never have approved of his mother marrying his father because Church wouldn't have approved it, or maybe Tiana already had a suitor/fiancée back in Leicester?

But

1/ that's just headcanon

2/ there are several good reasons why some people wouldn't be super happy at having the leader of the nation who invades and rampages in your cities every monday as a son-in-law.

You know who should have told him he was full of shit but never does because Naga forbids Claude being challenged in both games? Lorenz.

Lorenz is trying to find a suitable spouse (it's not forced marriage but arranged marriages?) because he thinks of his house's station and future - it's something pretty common for all nobles, and, wait, guess what? The Central Church doesn't have anything to do with Nobles trying to marry other Nobles.

Again, this thing is so ridiculous, coming from Claude, that either, as you said, he thinks he knows Fodlan and Faerghus in particular as well as he knows Almyra (aka a 12 years old orphan knows more about Almyra than him) so it backfires but no one is here to challenge him because Fodlan - or, he is trying to throw pasta at a wall to see if it sticks, and devoted people believe him because they like soggy pasta, idk.

Another reason why the whole "forced marriages" concept (that Rhea haters ate up like pie) is bullshit.

Speaking for Faerghus, since this seems to be an issue players point the finger at Faerghus for, it's just... not true? This NPC does understand there are political implications to his marriage, but he wasn't forced into it and neither was his wife. They married for love.

The only known case of an arranged marriage prospect within Faerghus' known cast is Ingrid, and that's something Ingrid has taken on for herself as well. She knows her lands struggle with crops and that her people go hungry. She's choosing to deal with a non-romantic marriage for her people.

But what about Glenn, you ask? There are two aspects to that:

The marriage was arranged when Ingrid was born, but it's worth noting the marriage was arranged between Gunnar and a childhood friend's son. She wasn't just being married off to just anyone. It was both a childhood friend (who Gunnar clearly had deep trust in)'s son, but also a family member of the royal family's right hand family. But what about the Houses paralogue, you ask? Gunnar wasn't aware of the man's crimes, but as soon as he found out he rejected the proposal. Gunnar cares about his daughter's happiness and wellbeing. The only reason they're searching for a marriage candidate is because Galatea lands desperately need the financial support.

Ingrid is the only case we know of where she's being "married off" (her endings rebuke this entirely anyway because she does end up marrying for love if paired with someone). Nobody else in Faerghus had a marriage forced or politically forced on them (and frankly I still fail to understand how the Church is supposedly at fault for concept of this being the case period anyway). Dimitri, the literal prince and at the time of birth immediate heir to the throne, was never forced to marry. Felix has never been pushed to marry. Sylvain has never been pushed to marry (despite how important it is that they continue that bloodline). Annette, a female, has never been pushed to marry.

In other words, the major political players have never put their kids into arranged marriage with a single exception of necessity for one family (Galatea), and in Rodrigue's case with Glenn, it was done with a childhood friend's lands' welfare in mind. Gunnar could have married Ingrid to anyone at any point, but the most important aspect of it is that when it was arranged without her say so (i.e. at her birth), it was done with the son of a man who Gunnar trusted implicitly.

After Glenn died, Ingrid was plenty old enough to have a say so in who she might be married to. Presumably the issue wasn't pushed on her for a while after Glenn died for emotional reasons, but once they tried again, Ingrid had a say in things. Her father sent her letters specifically for her input. No, she doesn't want to marry for political reasons, but she understands how much her lands need it. Still though, her father won't force her to marry some scumbag. If she tells him she won't marry someone, he accepts that.

In other words, the only argument that can be used for "forced marriages" falls flat on its face. It's not a regular practice in Faerghus. None of the heirs to specific territories are being married against their will. The only instance we know about isn't so extreme that Gunnar is just going for it and picking the best dowry without considering his daughter's happiness and health.

The one time it was decided before she was old enough to give her input, Gunnar didn't need to "consider" marriage prospects and be unsure who to pick, because it was planned between two old friends who trusted each other and presumably felt that their child would be safe with the other family in question.

My biggest problem with people saying this claim is supported is that for the most part, people just take Claude's words in GW at pure face value and assume it's absolute, definite truth when he gives nor has any evidence to back it up (mainly because he blames it on the Church, which still doesn't make sense because such things are out the Church's jurisdiction. No amount of "seeing what the world is like without Rhea" is going to change Faerghus' politics, so even if his claims were true, Claude would have to go talk to every single individual territory within Faerghus to realize the truth if he's that dead set on his view of this, as each territory does its own thing politically).

He brings it up like it's a fact in Faerghus, which as I've said before, he has literally no knowledge whatsoever about Faerghus, and it shows. He doesn't even know extremely basic things, such as the previous king literally dying in the middle of making friends with a foreign land. He knows that Lambert died in Duscur during the Tragedy, and that's... basically the extent of his knowledge and understanding about it. For some reason though in Hopes, he thinks he understands Faerghus as well as he understands Almyra.

It's also annoying because in Fodlan games, a character can just say something - literally anything at all - and it's eaten up immediately and taken at pure face value with no thoughts actually put into questioning its validity. And before anyone says "but Dimitri didn't argue this in Zaharas!" yeah, I'm aware, and I feel that was a huge reason why that chapter, trying to be the "we fight as allies this once" chapter, was a total flop, aside from other things (particularly in the SB/GW department with Dimitri and magically wanting to "talk things over" with someone who had just murdered one of his dearest friends mere hours ago tops in SB, or in GW where politics would demand more from him).

The games have a problem with trying to introduce false concepts through characters who don't know better (i.e. introducing incorrect perspectives that we're meant to understand are just perspectives and not the truth nor fact) but then not refuting those claims, despite the game itself as the story progresses outright denying those things, whether outright or passively (in the latter's case, again, other important political figures having no talks of marriage on the table at all).

In the screenshots, the NPC is aware that politics have to get involved with his marriage, but he wasn't forced to marry and neither was she. Not only does he mention it, but he wants people to know they married for love. He's basically saying he doesn't want people to misinterpret their reasons for marriage (wanting land, wealth, etc).

In Ingrid's case, it was started with that goal in mind, but it started out in safe hands. After that she always had a say in who she might marry, and ultimately didn't marry for political reasons. The one person who was possibly going to marry for political reasons in Faerghus and not out of love ends up not even doing that.

Honestly, in Claude's case, I feel like he was just written with no purpose in mind except to rock the boat unnecessarily, because everything he claims in regard to Faerghus is purely speculation on his part. He knows absolutely nothing about Faerghus (in both games, but his ignorance in Houses isn't malicious, whereas you could argue in Hopes he's attempting to overthrow what he believes are their systems when even if they were, it would still be none of his business) but talks like he's lived there or spoken to its people who make the decisions he claims are happening.

Also, the concept of Dimitri being forced to do this that and the other thing are just... not true? Dimitri is happy to be able to help others and make reforms for his lands. He likes that he's able to have the power to make good change and help people. He knows that you need a certain degree of power to be able to push things in a better direction and to have a voice. By having the most important voice, he can make other voices known that otherwise would not be. When people have no choice but to listen to the king, he can demand that other voices are heard.

Even in his A support with Shez, he believes his happiest moment will be when he dies after dedicating his life to "a peaceful kingdom full of joyous citizens". I get the whole "but he isn't living for himself!" side of things, but this part of this post is specifically about how Dimitri is supposedly "forced" into doing things because he's king; but plain and simple, he wants to be king because by having the highest power in his land, he can make positive change happen

"This bad thing is happening in the Kingdom!" Well now he can change that. He wants to change things in his land for the better, and he understands that his position is a necessity for that. That's why he's so upset when he's "rendered powerless by age" in Houses, i.e. can't ascend the throne yet. He wanted to make change and couldn't. He wanted to do right for the Kingdom, but he couldn't yet.

Basically what I'm saying is that people keep using Claude's Hopes rhetoric as "fact", but literally none of it is. It's all based on the most severe amount of ignorance in both games and him for some reason believing that he knows jack shit about Faerghus. That includes the marriage "issue", which while I'd say it may exist in Adrestia (ex. Bernadetta being planned to marry Ferdinand), does not exist in Faerghus as any sort of "issue".

I don't recall if it's really even present in Leicester? So either... Claude just pulled that argument out of his absolute ass, or he's seeing an issue in Leicester and for some reason assuming his country's politics are every country's politics, which is, again, total ignorance (and he makes no effort to ever found out if any of that is true).

[aurevoirmonty]

« Je crois en une aristocratie, car je la considère comme la seule force capable de créer ces raffinements qui rendent la vie supportable pour l'être humain de haute organisation. »

H.P. Lovecraft

[k-looking-glass-house]

..... Trust me.... The fangirl inside me (burning for every concept based on Maleficent) is trying her best to stay calm.....

Hmmmm if her original design drops.... Be sure we're all doom.... I'll spam you with every piece of content about her !!

Yes, yes and yes.......

*in my original art style now you know why I do edit and don't draw in my art style, doesn't fit Twiwon design (but *_* fits for some tomboy evil fairy princess !!) *

Gaahh I already cried enough in arc. 6... I took a break for arc. 7....because....do you smell it !??

The angst..... Finally after all Yana's trolling.... We have angst..... Huuh....

Now let's be traumatised that Malleus singing humming lullaby (in arc.7) is "his only memory" of his mother....

Yes.... Be traumatised just as I am....

And definitely please..... Maleficia being one of the big 5 mages in Twisted Wonderland.... No waaaayyy she lets her grandson alone....

Took time... But they made it with Lilia and....

And.... If that crow..... Is.... The father.... Nooo way by the great 7, that Queen Maleficia would not bring back his feather *** to Briar Valley, or be wronged by him !! She IS POWERFUL !! She could detect Malleus's overbloat from her kingdom 😩 !

Anyway...

🌸Let's enjoy some soft headcanon:

▪️Mallenoa/noire having her egg would definitely bring it everywhere showing off everyone how perfect it is !! How shiny and beautiful the shell is... That's a mommy dragon for you.

▪️She definitely has swinging mood, from crybaby "Lilia huuuh you'll help me right ?" , to "shrrhhhrrrrggg *hissing* don't touch my baby, I'll kill you !" . Even her husband is not allowed to touch it, let alone Queen Maleficia.

▪️She hoped for the baby to be healthy no matter its gender, but secretly tried to guess it using her flammes and light/shadow movement. Making the maids of the castle scared about such behavior.

▪️She creates nest everywhere.... Dragon instinct I guess.

▪️Sings lullaby to her egg while Lilia is watching (making him also sings lullaby later)

▪️She asks her mother every hours how much time again for her baby to be born. She is very impatient.

▪️She carries her egg around while using her tail... (please be canon ah ah)

▪️She also tells her baby, that she'll teach them how to be evil and mischevious, and how definitely it feels great to bother everyone around.

▪️When she is feeling her baby moving inside, she creates thunder of joy. Making the country worried and causing chaos.

▪️She wanted a rattle made out of precious metal and gems (dragon hello !! "once upon a time" tv serie hello !!). But with the crisis situation, weapons and protection charms were crafting first.

▪️She was scared of being hurt during the hatching process baby/mommy, that one night she came acrossed a mermaid who also had a "baby egg" telling her it doesn't hurt as she would think ! Making her relax since they're different species with related biological system (Sea Coral are their neighboor let me dream that Briar Valley has some mermaids... ) mommies emotional support !!

▪️When her baby would have hatched, she talked with her mother about travelling around the world to speak about fairies, magic, and peace. No more wars or sacrifice even if she's ready to get rid of humans. (She was a good relative of the Queen's Queendom of Roses of that time)

▪️Her mother kept reminding her that while being a egg, she was turbulent and kept kicking her shell, or putting the castle on fire.

▪️She decided of a lot of babies names with her husband. (a looooooong list)

▪️She received lot of baby birth gifts from Briar Valley's aristocratie, but the best gift was a pillow,... perfect to hold the egg and later let the baby sleeps peacefully without being bothered by their horns.

▪️She is called "mistress of all evil" and decided that her baby would be called "the ruler of abyss" , making her laugh "oh oh oh" like the evil fairy she is.

▪️She also wanted a bapteme and blessing for her baby just like the Disney. Making Lilia a bit perplexed and mocking her. But revealing soon after that she wants Lilia's blessing for "her perfect so perfect baby" and taking the role of their nanny. (making Lilia even more disgusted while looking at her shadowy smiling face)

▪️She also wanted the Blue Fairy (Bleue) to be part of her baby blessing. The enchantress (beauty and best fairy yes !) would also have take part of the fest.

.... That's all....

Told you we're doomed.....

Mallenoa Draconia and her egg.... Yes

[pechenlaf]

Okay so back in may I was writing a paper about St. Dmitry of Uglich and False Dmitry I* for my university and i was so passionate about it that i made Eastern Ortodox icon of these two (like the sketch a bit more than the result tho)

*Dmitry of Uglich was the youngest kid of russian tzar Ivan the Terrible, who died or was killed under still unclear circumstances in 1591, aged 8. False Dmitry was the young man aroun the same age as Dmitry who believed what he was miraculously saved Dmitry. Somehow this bisexual ginger man with main character syndrome managed to convince whole Tzardom of Moscow and even Dmitry's mother and became the tzar (he didn't like the title tzar tho, he proclamed himself an imperor lmao) and was mostly liked by his people untill he was killed in aristocraty riot in 1606. AND THAT'S WERE IT STARTED TO GET INTERESTING👀

Before the arising of False Dmitry, "true" Dmitry was basically nobody for general public in Moscowy — he was just another dead kid of a tzar, five of his older siblings also died as kids and nobody remembered or cared about them + firstly his death was proclaimed as "accidental suicide" and victums of suicide couldn't be buried properly there so he wasn't even buried alongside with his father and brothers, even place of his grave was almost forgotten by the 1606 but oh boy. EVERYTHING changed after the murder of False Dmitry. False Dmitry was immediately proclaimed as the traitor of Ortodox church, Antichrist, son of the Devil, and "new Judas" by new tzar while "true" Dmitry was urgently proclaimed as a saint, to oppose the "unholyness" of False Dmitry, and thats that i wanted to capture in this icon — False Dmitry with broken and darkened halo around his head holds the new and bright halo around the head of true Dmitry, because without him Dmitry wouldn't be remembered and proclaimed as saint. (...yeahhhh as you can see i love true and false Dmitrys with all of my heart, they're def my favourite historical figures, x) )

[croquissartoriaux]

Paradox of modern times: Jean-Jacques may have been dressed by the best tailors in the finest clothes and materials, nothing gave him such an aristocratic look as his frayed collars, ragged elbows and holey socks!

#croquissartoriaux #espritbourgeois #aristocratie #tweed #bespoke #cafe #elegance #dapper #menswear #menstyle #style #loafer #gilet #drakes #comic #cartoon #funnysketch

[francaistoutsimplement]

CACA NERVEUX...

(de M. Patrick Reymond)

Un médecin  a piqué un caca nerveux, "passeuh que", dans son rayon d'action, le RN a fait 38 % des voix, et que na ! il pisse par terre et s'y roule dedans.

Il faudrait lui apprendre que dans un état sensé être démocratique, c'est le peuple qui décide, et pas un quelconque juge, arbitre des élégances ou commissaire politique. Mais ce détail a du échapper à ce type, qui gagne plus que 99 % des villageois qui encerclent son cabinet, ceci expliquant cela.

D'une manière générale, le macroniste crétin, c'est le parasite, dans ce cas d'espèce, le médecin, fonctionnarisé par la sécurité sociale, qui se croie autorisé de braire et de donner son avis. De toute façon, toutes les cartes prouve que le vote macroniste est celui des parasites sécessionnistes du pays.

Moi, ce que j'ai constaté, c'est que les plus anti-immigration, sont les immigrés anciens, avec la cause suivante, ils sont directement en concurrence avec eux pour les logements, la formation professionnelle et les emplois. Chose, évidemment, totalement inconnu d'un médecin, qui, s'il a fait des études de médecine, n'a visiblement, aucune culture politique, sinon aucune culture, une intolérance monstrueuse, et une haine dévorante qu'il reporte et projette sur les autres.

Le parti de la haine, c'est l'extrême gauche, et le parti de la haine, c'est la bourgeoisie. Inutile de rajouter bourgeoisie macroniste, c'est synonyme. La bourgeoisie hait donc cette classe ouvrière en plus de la mépriser.

Bravo monsieur le médecin, vous avez fait dégouliner votre bave infecte et haineuse de tous ceux qui ne pensent pas comme vous. Avant de "prendre position" (j'ai dit braire et c'est mieux adapté), essayez de vivre avec 2000 euros par mois.

On en reparle. Cette petite bourgeoisie friande de haine sociale a toutes les caractéristiques de la noblesse de 1788. Elle a mérité le même sort, si elle n'est pas tuée par l'injection covidienne qu'elle n'a pas manqué de se faire faire en masse et à répétition. Ils sont plus méprisables encore que cette vieille aristocratie.

Petite anecdote. J'avais un ami qui avait épousé une femme avec nom à rallonge. Elle avait encore, dans sa bouche, le mot méprisant "gaulois", pour désigner les français, usage venu tout droit du 17° siècle. Elle avait eu quelques ancêtres, d'ailleurs, passés au rasoir.

(Source : http://lachute.over-blog.com/2024/06/caca-nerveux.html)

[niuttuc]

New budget Commander cards: Wilds of Eldraine: Multicolor and colorless

You know these by now, we’ll go color by color, mixing main set and commander set. Reprints can be included if they brought the price down under our bar or are otherwise notable. All the cards presented here are under $2 at time of writing Note that the set hasn’t officially released yet, so some prices may still be inflated, and others might spike in the future. Cards will be evaluated as part of the 99, not as commanders. This is the second of two multicolor write-ups, the other focused on the adventures from the set.

———

A 4 mana creature that needs additional mana AND to untap before doing anything is not a winning proposition she can do some pretty fun things with enchantments though, be them auras or not. By herself, she can pay two to scry 2 and draw a card with unbridled growth, for example, as many times as you have mana. Is that worth the effort? Probably not, but it's a fun option for enchantment decks. She does work with auras or enchantments with great etb effects like Sage's Reverie or Mantle of the Ancients... But those cards don't need help to be good already.

———

If you can avoid the third chapter, either through saccing, destroying, blinking, or removing counters from the saga, this is a great rate for clones, particularly nonlegendary, hasty ones. Hate Mirage is a decent card, and this trades immediate value for more value in the long term, but if this make you two (or more!) permanent clones for four mana, it's a great card!

———

Those creatures that make everything enter with a +1/+1 counter are usually already three mana at least. This is that, but enabling a bunch of enchantment synergies instead, and coming packaged with some minor upsides (Trample from the Monster Role and Ward 1 from the Royal Role will be the most common choices.) And this is a 3/4 ward 1, essentially, for three mana. It doesn't go infinite with Persist like the +1/+ counter variants, nor with tokens, but it's great at triggering constellation or pumping up an All That Glitters... Or a Virtuous Role from the same precon.

———

I mentioned in the Red write-up that Rakdos aristocrats was getting more and more tools lately, mostly focused on combat aristocraty things. This just gives an extra body and death trigger for every nontoken creature, which should do wonder in Aristocraty decks. And at the very least, it triggers by itself too.

———

This tappy legend that wants you to tap things is good when you tap things. If you have a deck built around that, like Rhoda and Timin, here's a couple new auto-includes! That might be in consideration for your command zone, to be honest.

———

Two mana looters are quite good these days, uh? Two mana for a looter that also flies and can pseudo-reanimate by itself with flying... Is probably a great option for any deck that wants to do things with their graveyard, but at its best in reanimator decks. And it can keep shifting afterwards! Not much to say here other than this is a great two-drop.

———

X/X flier for X is already pretty good, making a few food tokens along the way and then drawing you a card a turn makes this solid. At least, if you've got a deck to fit it in, Simic isn't the most food-y color.

———

And we close multicolor with a Faerie that wants you to play Draw Go. It's a bit weird that she doesn't have flash herself, unlike Nymris, but there's still a bit of value there. With that said, this would likely be pretty far from my preferred option for instant-speed payoffs.

———

I like Azor's gateway, looting like that on something that doesn't die easily is pretty convenient to see more cards, however, discarding is better than exiling cards. Here, we have essentially that, without the dream of flipping (which is vanishingly rare), but with the ability to do more shenanigans with Treasures or store up mana. This one will play better than it looks.

———

Another one that's likely to get brushed off, but this is I think a pretty underrated way to draw cards in commander at this point. Six mana is a lot, don't get me wrong, but it's in two installments and people do play their Rishkar's Expertises and Return of the Wildspeaker. This gives you a nice upside of managing attacks early, and then it's not uncommon to see four, five or more creatures tapped in commander, at which point this is more than worth the cost. You can activate both halves at instant speed, and the draw doesn't need to tap, so you can also tap down a thing before cracking it for one more card. I haven't seen many commander players mention this, but if you want a big burst of card draw outside of green or blue, give this crown a try!

———

A mana rock for 2 is not as notable for commander as it is for Standard, but it's still relevant to know about. There's plenty of other options for rocks, particularly colorless ones, but this one probably would go best in an equipment deck, as written on it, where it can pull double duty as a rock early and an equipment late. How often will that actually be relevant? Probably almost never, but it's on theme?

———

The cheapest Act of Treason that any deck can get access to, and one of the first. It's not super efficient or anything, but stealing creatures from the board outside of blue (and red for temporary like this) is very rare and is very potent. This one in particular could see use in white or blue to be blinked and reused, in black to sacrifice whatever you stole... It's pretty specific, but good to know about.

———

Reprint

This reprint didn't bring Soul-Guide Lantern under our threshold because it already was very cheap. It still is, cheaper than ever. It's probably the best non-committal option for graveyard hate outside of manabases, and responsible players do play graveyard hate. Do it. It's one sided, it's a single mana, it cycles if you don't need it, it can be fetched by Urza's Saga, and it has a new art that probably looks amazing in foil.

[joostjongepier]

Wat?   Fischer ziehen ein Netz ein (1657) door Reinier Nooms, Zwei Fischerkutter in stürmischer See (1831) door Louis Charles Verbroeckhoven, Vor Morgate (1840) door J.M.W. Turner, Raddampfer im Sturm (1863) door Louis Mennet, Gewitter über dem Meer (1847) door Anton Melbye, Küstenfischer (1848) door Andreas Achenbach, Ohne Titel (Studie) (1840) door Andreas Achenbach en Brigg und Lodsenboot (1842) door Jean Antoine Théodore Gudin

Waar?   Tentoonstelling Spiegel der Welt – Schlaglichter auf Seestücke aus drei Jahrhunderten in Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg, Hamburg

Wanneer?   7 maart 2024

Het Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg is groot. Het enorme gebouw telt maar liefst negen etages met werkelijk alles wat met scheepvaart te maken heeft. Van ontdekkingsreizen tot cruiseschepen, van uniformen tot scheepskanonnen, van een gigantisch schip in Lego tot een zeilboot gemaakt van colablikjes. De achtste etage is gewijd aan vier eeuwen schilderkunst over zee en scheepvaart.  Uit deze collectie is een overzichtelijke tentoonstelling samengesteld, die al direct op de eerste etage te zien is: Spiegel der Welt. De expositie is overzichtelijk ingedeeld en begint met het land dat in de zeventiende eeuw de scheepvaart domineerde: Nederland. Het land had meer schepen dan Frankrijk en Engeland bij elkaar. De winsten van de wereldhandel maakten van Amsterdam de rijkste en meest innovatieve stad van de wereld.

Reinier Nooms (ca. 1623-1664) schilderde een werk dat onmiskenbaar zeventiende-eeuws Nederlands is. Driekwart van het schilderij bestaat uit wolken. Daaronder vindt de actie plaats: vissers halen hun netten op. Terwijl de boot links nog in de schaduw van donkere wolken ligt, wordt het scheepje rechts verlicht door de zon die voorzichtig door het wolkendek prikt. Nooms was zijn loopbaan waarschijnlijk gestart als zeevarende. Hij signeerde zijn werk dan ook met met ‘R. Zeeman’. Waarschijnlijk was hij leerling bij de beroemde zeeschilder Willem van de Velde de Oudere. Het Amsterdamse Scheepvaartmuseum wijdde in 2022 een tentoonstelling aan deze schilder en zijn gelijknamige zoon.

Is het werk van Nooms opgebouwd uit slechts een paar kleurtonen, dat van de Belgische schilder Louis Charles Verbroeckhoven (1802-1889) is helder van kleur. Zowel de golven als de zeilen van de schepen lichten prachtig op. Niet alleen de schepen zijn prachtig uitgewerkt; dat geldt ook voor de wolkenlucht en de zee.  In dat opzicht mag Verbroeckhoven zich, hoewel hij zo’n tweehonderd jaar later leefde, plaatsen in de traditie van de zeventiende-eeuwse Nederlandse schilders van zeegezichten.

Vanaf de achttiende eeuw werd de suprematie op zee overgenomen door het Britse Rijk. Nederlanders, Spanjaarden en Fransen moesten in zeeslagen tegen de Engelsen het onderspit delven. Succesvolle buitenlandse schilders werden naar Groot-Brittannië gehaald. Als het om zeegezichten ging waren dat vooral Nederlanders (zoals de eerder genoemde vader en zoon Van de Velde). Hun invloed op latere Britse schilders van zeegezichten was dan ook groot.

Mijn oog valt op een klein werkje van J.M.W Turner (1775-18510. Geen schilderij, maar een werk in potlood en wit krijt. Turner stond bekend als ‘schilder van licht en atmosfeer’ en in dat opzicht is dit werkje een echte Turner. In enkele verstrengelde potloodstreken geeft de kunstenaar de contouren van een schip weer. Met wit krijt laat hij de zon op de branding schijnen en suggereert hij een kustlijn met een gebouw. In 2020 identificeerde historicus Ian Warrell welk voorval Turner hier had vastgelegd. In 1840 had men bij Margate twee schepen van de Oostindië Compagnie moedwillig laten vastlopen in het zand om te voorkomen dat ze hun lading in een storm zouden verliezen. De lading werd gered en de schepen gerepareerd. We zien hier óf de Claudine óf de Westminster.

Door de Franse revolutie veranderde er veel in de schilderkunst van dat land. Kunstenaars verloren met de aristocratie hun mecenassen en moesten zich aanpassen aan de markt. Ontwikkelingen volgden elkaar snel op. De Parijse Salon van 1824 vormde een waterscheiding in de wijze waarop critici naar kunst  keken. Het onderwerp van schilderijen werd ondergeschikt aan het experimentele gebruik van schildertechnieken.

Op het schilderij van Louis Mennet (1829-1875) zien we hoe een raderstoomboot zich een weg baant door de hoge golven. Het kleurenpallet dat de schilder heeft gebruikt voor water en lucht is klein. Deze tonaliteit wordt alleen doorbroken door het rood van het schip. De witte schuimkoppen zijn wollig geschilderd, wat de suggestie geeft van opspattend water. De mensen aan boord worden weergegeven met slechts een aantal willekeurig ogende verfstippen, maar op afstand werkt dit uitstekend.

Bij het bekijken van het schilderij van Mennet, ben ik als landrot blij niet aan boord te zijn. Het doek doet me terugdenken aan een boottocht die ik ooit maakte van Borneo naar het ‘paradijselijke’ eiland Pulau Tiga. Het stormde en de golven waren hoog. Het water was zo wild dat we bij aankomst niet konden aanleggen. Met de bagage boven ons hoofd moesten we naar de kust van het eiland waden. Op het eiland was van het ‘paradijselijke’ niet veel te zien was. Het hele strand lag, als gevolg van de storm, vol aangespoeld hout en andere rommel. De ervaring heeft me geleerd dat ik de zee liever op schilderijen zie dan daadwerkelijk overal om me heen.

In de jaren twintig van de negentiende eeuw ontstond in Denemarken een generatie schilders die sterk beïnvloed was door de Duitse Romantiek. De natuur en het alledaagse leven van vissers gingen het beeld bepalen. Daarbij werd de werkelijkheid vaak geïdealiseerd. Deze Deense ‘Gouden Eeuw’ (althans wat kunst betreft) bereikte tussen 1820 en 1850 zijn hoogtepunt.

Op Gewitter über dem Meer van Anton Melbye (1818-1875) zien we een zeilschip dat in de storm zijn mast is kwijtgeraakt. Het drijft onbestuurbaar op zee. De sfeer van dit werk, maar ook van de andere Deense schilderijen op deze tentoonstelling, is totaal anders dan de werken hiervoor. Er straalt frust van uit, zelfs als er een storm wordt weergegeven. De golven hebben geen witte koppen, maar zijn donker, soms haast zwart. Het schilderij lijkt op te roepen tot existentiële reflectie.

Mede doordat Duitsland niet over een eigen zeemacht beschikte, speelden zeegezichten tot laat in de negentiende eeuw nauwelijks een rol in de Duitse kunst  De vlootpolitiek van keizer Wilhelm II bracht daarin verandering. Zeestukken werden propagandamiddel met nadruk op het militaire aspect. Na beide wereldoorlogen verdwijnt deze militaire dimensie grotendeels, ten gunste van een, soms nogal nostalgische kijk op het verleden.

Andreas Archenbach (1815-1910) schilderde aanvankelijk dramatische zeescènes en scheepswrakken. Later ging hij zich meer toeleggen op het weergeven van het alledaagse leven van vissers en zeelui. Op Küstenfischer  verbeeldt Achenbach de terugkomst van een Nederlandse vissersvloot met zogenaamde ‘Buisen’. De boten zijn aan het aftuigen. Op de meest linkse boot is al een net in de mast gehangen om te drogen. Een groep mensen draagt de vangst in manden aan land.

De tentoonstelling besluit met een aantal tekeningen. Deze variëren van een tamelijk technische werkschets (Andreas Auerbach) tot een volwaardig kunstwerk (Théodore Gudin).

[let-the-living-beware]

Here is a little tangent about why Diabolik Lovers is a metaphor for how the lower class gets treated by the upper class. So welcome to my Ted talk.

First of I need to specify why and how. We, obviously, have Yui, a girl that didn't come from money joining a wealthy family to aid them in blood. We also can categorize the four families into the different types of wealth.

Sakamaki

They got born into wealth, as the children of an aristocratic family but not like the Tsukinami. After all the Vampires only got real power quite recently, and with that more territory and stuff. So they have wealth as the first generation.

Mukami

The Mukami got adopted into wealth, so they know the struggles of the lower class. However they forgot how it feels and discard the others problem while still being "jealous" of the people that got born into aristocrati aka the Sakamaki/Tsukinami.

Tsukinami

Finally my favourite Lil guys. Well one of them. They got born into a wealthy family, that had been rich for quite some time. After all the Tsukinami family had been the Royal family of the founders for quite some time. So they have long time wealth.

Kino

And Kino is self made wealth. He fought himself up the ladder.

And then there is our queen Yui, representing the lower class. She comes from a family that doesn't come from money and lives a quite simple life. If we can trust the phone she has in the anime because a flip phone wasn't the #1 thing everyone had during the 2010s.

What I think the main metaphor is how Yui gets send there. Like I said in the second paragraph Yui gets send to a rich family for blood. You can also exchange the blood for the term labour, she basically works for them if you wanna see it that way. And she gets treated horribly for it, just like lower class people get treated horribly by most rich people.

They don't care about opinions, safety and similar stuff.

[ekman]

Ce qui prédomine, finalement, c’est l’immense confusion des esprits, pour partie suscitée par le nihilisme ambiant. J’écoute et lis attentivement les réflexions, propos et interventions de nos penseurs, bloggeurs, auteurs, influenceurs et autres analystes issus ou constitutifs de notre camp, jeunes et anciens, plus ou moins engagés dans l’action politique ou intellectuelle – parfois les deux –, et je tente d’y retrouver mes canetons. Autant vous le dire : c’est pas gagné. Bien sûr, tous s’assemblent peu ou prou sur l’essentiel, à savoir la défense et l’exposition de notre patrimoine culturel, historique, intellectuel. Tous comprennent la valeur de notre héritage terrien, l’indispensable nécessité de sa protection et de sa transmission. Tous bien sûr ont clairement identifié les menaces, les périls et les écueils. Tous savent mettre au moins un visage sur cet ennemi de nature multifractale. Alors, quel est le “problème” ? En fait, on peut se dire qu’avec la droite – la droite des idées, entendue comme une entité polymorphe mais parfaitement identifiable –, le vers est dans le fruit. La droite produit une réflexion complexe, subtile, souvent esthétisante, toujours exigeante. Toute pensée de droite demande à son récipiendaire un effort intellectuel pour en comprendre l’architecture et la portée. Tant et si bien que beaucoup de velléitaires, tentés un temps par cet univers profond et vertigineux, se découragent par pure paresse, préférant vite les concepts de gauche, affreusement accessibles et souvent plats comme les Flandres. L’idée universaliste, par exemple, ne demande aucun effort particulier pour être entendue : il y est question de rabot culturel, de destruction de la transcendance, de palliatifs philosophiques. Tout passe par la négation de tout avant d’accoucher du mythe égalitaire, l’idée du “tout-vaut-tout”, cette croyance en l’infinie médiocrité héritée du catholicisme masochiste post-conciliaire. Hélas, cette perte de substance constitue le plus évident dénominateur commun ici-bas, ce qui se partage le mieux dans tous les domaines. D’où le phénoménal succès des lanternes de gauche, taillées sur mesure pour les crânes plats d’une contemporanéité particulièrement décadente. La droite parle d’excellence, de beauté. La gauche de progrès et d’égalité. D’un côté on se creuse, de l’autre on se vide. Car si l’excellence et la beauté sont le produit d’une éthique fondée sur la curiosité et la rigueur, le progrès et l’égalité se repaissent de matérialisme et d’illusions. C’est ainsi, je crois, que les gens de droite finissent par s’isoler de la masse humaine informe, toujours prompte à suivre la pente de la facilité et du zéro-effort. Cette aristocratie de l’esprit qui a entrepris le difficile combat de survivre à l’obscurantisme intrinsèque des Lumières, n’éclaire souvent qu’elle-même : c’est, précisément, la rançon autant que le paradoxe de l’excellence. J.-M. M.

[devosopmaandag]

Het lot van de stamper

Sla op het vollersblok

en laat me dat horen,

kloostervrouw.

Dit is een haiku van de beroemde Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694). Onlangs verscheen een bundel met vertalingen en toelichtingen door Jos Vos*. Zonder toelichting zou deze haiku wel erg raadselachtig zijn. Op een vollersblok wordt met een houten stamper stoffen zacht geslagen. Basho trekt op een van zijn vele reizen door een eenzaam berggebied waar veel kluizenaars zich vestigden. Vaak vonden zij troost in de oude Chinese dichters. Bashō verwijst in deze haiku naar een gedicht van Fujiwara Masatsune (1170-1221) dat eenzaamheid oproept door het geluid van het kloppen van de stof.

Laat in de nacht

waait de herfstwind

over de bergen van het schone Yoshino

en koud, in de hoofdstad,

klinkt het vollen.

Masatsune is op zijn beurt weer geïnspireerd door een gedicht van de beroemde Chinese dichter Bai Yuji (772-846) over het lot van verarmde vrouwen die in de nacht stoffen zacht slaan op het vollersblok. In de Japanse poëtica werd het geluid van het vollen een kenmerk van melancholische herfstnachten. De verfijning van de Japanse cultuur kan aardig duizelingwekkend zijn. Er is overigens nog een haiku van Bashō over dit onderwerp:

Was die stamper vroeger

een camelia

of een pruimenboom?

De stamper wordt door de Japanse adel in die tijd beschouwd als een kostbare schat. Bashō zegt daarover: 'Zeg eens, stamper, aan welk gebergte je ontsprongen bent en in welk gehucht een arm vrouwtje jou gebruikte bij het vollen? Vroeger was je een eenvoudig werktuig maar nu dien je als vaas en hang je boven de hoofden van de aristocratie.[-] Het nederige zal verheven worden, en het verhevene wordt gegarandeerd vernederd.” Bashō schrijft zelfs dat wij allen het lot van de stamper delen.

Natuurlijk dacht ik aan de 'ulekan' van mijn moeder, de stamper waarmee zij haar hele leven de kruiden en de uien vermaalde tot een 'bumbu', de basis van Indische gerechten. Vele jaren na haar dood gebruik ik hem nog regelmatig. Hij is gemaakt van de wortel van een boom. Op een heel andere manier is mijn stamper een schat geworden. Hij is direct verbonden aan moeders kleine rechterhand, aan de smalle vingers die zoveel kracht hadden. Niet langer is zij daar om mijn hoofd en schouders te masseren. Haar stamper, een kleine kostbaarheid, keukengereedschap.

Tienduizend maal wreef jij in de steen

blad en wortel tot geurend amalgaam,

hand werd hout en hout werd hand

tot aan het stille, bittere eind.

Zegt niet de oude dichter dat wanneer

de tienduizend dingen gezien zijn in hun

eenheid, wij terugkeren tot het begin en

blijven waar wij altijd geweest zijn?

Is mijn hand niet de jouwe?

Wacht niet weer een andere hand?

*'Matsuo Bashō – Verzamelde haiku's'| vertaald, ingeleid en toegelicht door Jos Vos | uitgeverij Atheneum – Polak & Van Gennep | 2023