Redheaded

In the early 1700's Rococo supplanted the Baroque style. Rococo is much fancier than Baroque. It's signified by shell-like curves and much decorations. Rococo followers like "beauty"; silk, silver and porcelain.

In England, Rococo was always thought of as the French taste, and was never widely adopted as an architectual style. Nevertheless, William Hogarth helped develop a theoretical foundation for Rococo beauty. Though it does not refer to the movement he argued in his Analysis of Beauty (1753) that the S-curve (e.g the arm and leg of a woman, clouds...), which was prominent i Rococo, was the basis of grace and beauty in art or nature (unlike the straight line in classicism).

Rococo didn't last long, it was exceeded in the middle of the century by the formalis and balance of neoclassicism.


Thomas Gainsborough, Portrait of Jonathan Buttall, 1770.

Barouqe forms were still popular in the beginning of the century (as they would also be in the end). Baroque exemplified drama and grandeour. Baroque iconography was direct, simple, obvious and dramatic, it's a development from classical architecture. The Baroque period in Europe lasted from about 1600 to 1750 (From the Stuarts period to the Age of Enlightenment).

Baroque was designed to appeal the emotions rather than the intellect. Great Engish Barouqe architects : Christopher Wren, who, after the Great Fire of London, built over53 churches. He renovated the famous ST. Paul's Cathedral in English Baroque style.

Baroque started the era Age of Enlightenment, and was later supplanted by Rococo in the early 1700.

Adoration by Peter Paul Ruben, 1624, oil on canvas.

I've now started to study a bit on the British history. I will start with the Tudors, I don't want to go any farther than the 15th Century, that's way too far back in the history for me.

So, the Tudors. A bit of short fact first : The Tudors, also known as The Glourious Period. It's in the 15th Century, the years 1485-1603.

The first tudorian king started his reign at 1485, and it was King Henry VII. He is not as famous as his son, but Henry the seventh was very important to the monarchy in Britain. He saved a lot of money, he had the same ideas and opinions as merchants and farmers. He believed war and glory was bad for business and that business was good for the state.

Henry VII made an important agreement one year after his victory at Bosworth in 1485. This agreement dealt with tradeing with the Netherlands, which allowed England to grow again. Henry was very fortunate and became the wealthiest of kings in English history. Henry VII died in 1509.

His son Henry VIII made the English Church truly English. He closed down 560 monasteries between 1536-1539. Leaving many monks and nuns as wanderings beggars on the street. But this was acctually a very important dissolution for the British. Henry VIII wanted to be famous among the arising classes of landowners and merchants, so he either gave away the old land or sold it very cheap. This lead to a big breakthruough for farmers, they made their fortune thanks to the stone from the monasterier and they could start sewing a lot on the land as well. In 1552 a new prayer book was introduced, just to make sure that all churches followed the new Protestant religion.


Henry VIII
But England continued being Protestant, even though the popular religion at that time was Catholic. This was thanks to many Acts of Parliament between 1532-1536. When Henry VII was lying on his deathbed he told his son to keep England Protestant, he very much did so.

Henry VIII was married six times, he wanted a male descend to the throne, which he didn't get until very late. He had a son, Edward VI in 1537. Henry VIII died in 1547. Edward VI didn't live for a very long time, he died at 16 years' of age. Edward VI was only a child when he became a king. So the country was at first ruled by a council which was created by the Tudors.

Mary, the Catholic daughter of Catherine Of Aragron, became queen in 1553. Mary died in 1558, her half-sister Elizabeth took over the throne.


Catherine of Aragorn

This is the end of part one. Enjoy!

Long time no seen... Isn't that what they say? Hm... Yes, it is. But now I'm back in the game again. And here are a few new words I've learned along the way.

Nugatory - Something with little value, or having no force. Can also mean trifling.
Withal - From "with all", meaning Nevertheless, In addition.
Pell-mell - Almost like the Swedish expression Huxflux.
Shilly-Shally - To hesitate, an hesitation.

Now you've got a few new words. I hope you study well ;)

Well, I can't really do this during my job... But this is more fun than to work... Haha! Enjoy!

Abode (plural abodes) Old English.(obsolete) Act of waiting; delay.

And with her fled away without abode.

Stay or continuance in a place; sojourn.

He waxeth at your abode here.

(slightly dated) Place of continuance, or where one dwells; abiding place; residence; a dwelling; a habitation.

Come, let me lead you to our poor abode.

Ameliorate
Verb
to ameliorate (third-person singular simple present ameliorates, present participle ameliorating, simple past and past participle ameliorated)(intransitive) To make better, to improve; to heal or solve a problem.
They offered some compromises in an effort to ameliorate the situation.

Recital
Noun
(plural recitals)
The act of reciting; the repetition of the words of another, or of a document; rehearsal; as, the recital of testimony.
A telling in detail and due order of the particulars of anything, as of a law, an adventure, or a series of events; narration.
That which is recited; a story; a narration.

Poignant
Adjective
(obsolete, of a weapon etc) sharp-pointed; keen
incisive; penetrating
His comments were poignant and witty

Paroxysm (plural paroxysms)
Noun
A random or sudden outburst (of activity).
«There, on the soft sand, a few feet away from our elders, we would sprawl all morning, in a petrified paroxysm of desire, and take advantage of every blessed quirk in space and time to touch each other [...] » - Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita, 1955
A sudden recurrence of a disease.

Inexorable
Adjective
Unable to be persuaded: relentless
Impossible to stop or prevent: inevitable

Dirge
Noun
(plural dirges)
A mournful poem or piece of music composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person

catachresis (plural catachreses)

The misuse of words; applying a term to something which it should not properly desribe.
/wiktionary.org

Don't really  know when I will use this word. Maybe I could say catachresis when I've said another English word wrong so I can make up my mistake! haha...

I got an email from Dave today, I was delighted! Haven't heard from him in a while, so now I know he is still alive! I want to visit him, I'm so curious to see how he lives! Imagine, going to California! Visiting the best gay man in the world! The sun. The beaches. The Hispanics. The atmosphere. The culture, a.k.a the melting pot! =) I would just love it!!

Right, now I got to get back to my job - my unpaid job. Lucky me!