Art / Ian Fairweather and Lost Men, Hermit Painters. Part I

A moment for possibly my all time favourite painter, Ian Fairweather.

I, since a child, have always been mesmerised by the kind of post-war painter that lived as a hermit after the war.  Not quite able or not quite willing to fit back into society and so would paint off somewhere by themselves. 

I don't know what it was but I identified I suppose with a restless desire to be alone, to peacefully work. I would dream of of being a nomad. Alone. In the hills. By myself. 

Ian Fairweather was born in 1891 in Bridge of Allen, Stirlingshire, Scotland where he was raised by his great-aunt after his parents returned to India. He originally attended officer training school but changed to studying art after fighting the in the First World War. He studied at the The Hague Academy, The School of Oriental Studies and The Slade School of Fine Art.

In the following years he lived throughout Australia, China, Bali, Canada, Singapore and the Philippines.  He spent a considerable amount of time in Australia and is considered by many as an Australian painter.

When the Second World War came he fought again with the British Army in India from 1941-1943.

In the 1950s he built a hut on Bribie Island where he lived for the rest of his life except for occasional visits to London and India in the 1960s.

He died on the 20th of May 1974.

I do not own or have the rights to any images, paintings or words. 

Words / Waterloo Sunset

Waterloo Bridge - The Kinks, Monet, Cope and Film

I love The Kinks, always have always will but I wanted to share this one because of a, perhaps odd, obsession I have with Waterloo Bridge.  I don't know why but this particular bridge in London has always captured my imagination.  Its also captured the imagination of a great many musicians, poets and artists including Monet, The Kinks (as below), Mervyn LeRoy (the 1940 film Waterloo Bridge)  and Wendy Cope. 

Below is a video of The Kinks' classic with lyrics written underneath.  

Underneath this are some beautiful paintings by Monet.  Monet would often explore the same subject repeatedly, e.g. hay stacks, churches and finally water lilies.  These are known as his series paintings. We are lucky enough that in the early 20th century he chose to paint some of this captivating bridge.  

There are two films of Waterloo Bridge one produced in 1940 by Melvyn LeRoy staring Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh as well as an earlier version from 1931 staring Mae Clarke and Douglass Montgomery / Kent Douglass (Douglass Montgomery was a stage name).  Watch both.  They are very different but equally magnificent.  The leading men and women are very different and create very different characters from each other, not to mention the important plot differences.  They are also fascinating as cultural documents.  The original film is  set during World War I, then, in 1940 with Europe in another war the film was reprised to tell the tale of new but similar lovers, people cast out of place by large events finding one another. 

Dirty old river, must you keep rolling, flowing into the night 
People so busy, make me feel dizzy, taxi light shines so bright 
But I don't, need no friends
As long as I gaze on Waterloo Sunset, I am in paradise 
Every day I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time, Waterloo sunset's fine.

Terry meets Julie, Waterloo Station, every Friday night 
But I am so lazy, don't want to wander, I stay at home at night 
But I don't, feel afraid
As long as I gaze on Waterloo Sunset, I am in paradise 
Every day I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time, Waterloo sunset's fine.

Millions of people swarming like flies 'round Waterloo underground 
But Terry and Julie cross over the river where they feel safe and sound 
And they don't, need no friends
As long as they gaze on Waterloo Sunset, they are in paradise
Waterloo sunset's fine.

And here are the film posters to get your interest. 

As usual I do not own or have the rights to any of the music, images, paintings or words or anything else.  

Art / Style/ The Duchess of Alba

With her recent passing a look back at some of the looks of the controversial and most numerously titled Duchess 

And finally a look at the beautiful portrait of her ancestor, Maria Cayetana de Silva, the 13the Duchess of Alba, titled The White Duchess, painted in 1795 by Francisco Goya. 

A later portrait also by Goya of the same Duchess, The Mourning Portrait of the Duchess of Alba, also known as The Black Duchess, painted in 1797.