Posted on 12/21/2007 11:46:49 AM PST by WesternCulture
George Costanza is *in the building*...
What a highly educative thread this has developed into!
Thanks for the response.
Below, I’ll try to be PC, moral and serious.
Yesterday, my local Social Democratic art advisor over here in Sweden, Mrs Saabrina Borkström, tried to dissuade me from posting these images on Free Republic.
“Americans lack a deeper understanding of things like art and culture”, she informed me. “The tread is bound to deteriorate within seconds. You see, Americans have no traditions. Just consider the fact that in their country, people who aren’t real military officers are allowed to call themselves ‘Colonel’ just because they’ve founded a fast-food chain” she went on. “Furthermore, they are fixated with sex, but not in a civilized and orthodox Freudian way like we Europeans are” she added.
I objected to this, arguing that there are uncultivated people everywhere, even in Scandinavia.
“Hardly”, she answered. “European education is superior to all other forms of intellectual training and spiritual upbringing”. Mrs Borkström continued by telling me that “Stockholm is the Renaissance Florence of our time, no city in the world is more cultivated, liveable or boasts a higher Volvo per capita rate”.
I riposted “More than 1/5 of all visitors to Florence, Italy, the art capital of the world, are of American origin and no other nation publishes more academic material about ‘il Rinascimento’ than the US does on an annual basis”.
“That doesn’t count” Saabrina said. “I’ve seen all of Michael Moore’s films, I know what I’m talking about. Those uneducated ketchup addicted rednecks come to Europe just to find out if McDonald’s actually tastes the same all over the world”.
I responded “If Americans are so uneducated, why do we award them so many Nobel prizes?”
Upon this Saabrina started yelling “The power of Marx compels You!”. When this didn’t help, she ordered me to leave her office. Then, she slammed the door like only an enraged, university educated Swedish feminist can.
My conclusion is that even if there are certain flaws to European as well as American traditions and ways of thinking, cultural progress does still exist.
On the whole, civilization is on the right track, even if some might say it’s not running fast enough.
I’m convinced the whole world one day will become sophisticated and French.
Greetings from Sweden - Land of Socialist meatballs, blondes with funny accents, safe and politically correct cars and deadly accurate Excalibur missiles (great American/Swedish accomplishment)!
Very good!
“Very good!”
- Thanks.
Have a great weekend!
Wow! Great!
Bookmarking.
:’D After the first paragraph, I just had to check. :’)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_language
Along with the other North Germanic languages, Swedish is a descendant of Old Norse, the common language of the Germanic peoples living in Scandinavia during the Viking Era. Standard Swedish is the national language that evolved from the Central Swedish dialects in the 19th century and was well-established by the beginning of the 20th century. While distinct regional varieties descended from the older rural dialects still exist, the spoken and written language is uniform and standardized. Some dialects differ considerably from the standard language in grammar and vocabulary and are not always mutually intelligible with Standard Swedish. These dialects are confined to rural areas and are spoken primarily by small numbers of people with low social mobility.
[that Wikipedia thingee is amazing — all this time I thought it was about croquet]
Thanks also, numberonepal. :’)
Buddha statue from 6th c found in Viking hoard in Helgo, Sweden
Biblical Archaeology Review | March/April 2005 | “Worldwide” editor
Posted on 04/27/2005 2:26:07 AM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1391864/posts
Crystal Amulet Poses Question On Early Christianity (Denmark - 100AD)
Denmark DK | 3-9-2007
Posted on 03/09/2007 2:37:30 PM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1798187/posts
Rain Uncovers Viking Treasure Trove
The Local | 9-14-2007
Posted on 09/15/2007 12:57:04 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1897059/posts
Report: Ancient Roman graveyard found in suburban Copenhagen
IHT | October 10, 2007 | Associated Press / Roskilde Dagblad
Posted on 10/11/2007 2:55:59 PM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1909864/posts
with love,
NordP
Most all of the art was commissioned by wealthy individuals for display in their homes. The subjects of the art were either real people or mythic gods.
Consider the artist, wanting to make the guy who is paying for the art feel “good” about themselves. I mean, WHO wants to live in a place where even the ART WORK has more going for it than the owner? Solution, deemphasize certain areas of the art to make the “old man” feel better! I mean, what Roman guy wouldn’t want to be able to say, “Yeah, I got more swingin’ than old Zeus himself!”
The art owner feels better, the artists gets paid a handsome sum, the owner shows off his new art to the rich friends and neighbors, they ask who the artist is and is he available to decorate THEIR homes with more art! It is just the old adage in action, “Make the customer KING!”
At least, that is my theory.
“My mother wants to know when she can have her land back?”
- It’s understandable if different minorities around the world feel they are being oppressed and claim that other people have ‘stolen’ their land.
However, all ethnic groups were nomads a long time ago and therefore it’s hard to say exactly what land belongs to this or that people.
Another aspect is of course that different ethnic groups constanly are mixing with each other.
I don’t wish to disrespect anyone, but I doubt that it is possible to decide exactly what is and what is not original Sami territory.
There goes the teaching I had that depth perspective in art was basically an invention of Renaissance Florentine artists.
I agree...just 'ribbing' you.
:’) The Renaissance artists did study it, and gave us modern perspective. The best of the fresco artists of the ancient world did a great job with realistic portrayals, so they have had some kind of text on which they relied. Michelangelo got the equivalent of his postdoc studies when a Roman sculpture (marble, from a Greek work, by Greek sculptors, probably a bronze) was dug up in 1506. I’ve actually seen a pretty silly allegation on the web that the Laocoon group wasn’t Roman-era, but instead was the work of Michelangelo. :’) By the time Michelangelo saw this in Pope Julius’ collection, he’d already done the Pieta and the David, either of which blast most prior works right out of the water. :’D
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/h/images/hellenstc_laocoon.lg.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoco%C3%B6n_and_his_Sons
great post thanks
No central heat...
Thank you for the site. It’s wonderful!
Hey! It was a 'Roman thing'!
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