Person of the day, week, month, year...
 

The first person I introduced is Lei Feng, a young Chinese soldier, whose portrait is among the five idols on the wall of the West Point.

Lei Feng said, I think what I live for is to the better lives of others.

See the posters about Lei Feng from
http://www.iisg.nl/~landsberger/lf.html

Centenary birth anniversary of revolutionary leader
 

China held a musical performance Beijing on Tuesday night to mark the centenary birth anniversary of Ren Bishi, a former prominent leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Ren Bishi and Lei feng are the only two persons, to whom Mao wrote inscription in a highest level, followed by the other leaders of China. Both are Hunanese, were born in the year of dragon, died in the year of tiger.

Ren Bishi was called "the mother of CPC", for he charges interal affairs and his high prestige. He would be Mao's successor. Ren has a talent for portrait, since one of our SOG members is his grandnephew, his torch will be carried on even in this field.

We will see some paintings about Ren Bishi later. For his wife's story see: http://www.press.uillinois.edu/epub/...young/ch2.html

Hi SB,

You are related to the giant country of China, with a culture longer than most countries in the world.

I live in Denmark and I have had invaluable inspiration from the ink drawing tradition of China, and would like to see some of the present portraiture as it is done by portraitists.

Do you know any Chinese painters who have adopted the western style?

I once saw a landscape painter who exhibited in Denmark. He painted in a mix of western style an Chinese, which was fascinating.

Allan

Hi Allan:
Thanks! The earliest stories I read is Anderson's fairy tales.
For a brief review of modern Chinese art, please look at
http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.e...ew/newoil.html

Thanks for showing us the paintings.

Are you one of those Chinese who have learned danish to read H. C. Andersen in his mothers language? I am told that he is well known i both China and Japan.

"The Nightingale" ?

Allan

Hi Allan:
You started a very good topic: western and eastern art, that we'll discuss at another section.
I love Denmark no less than my homeland. Many oriental girls read "The Nightinggale", only one can become princess of a northen Europian country, maybe Denmark, years ago.
"The Nightingale" is a lesson for all our artists.

See Ren's commemorative stamp issued 20 years ago, he looks 20 years older than his age: http://www.stampconnections.com/hostimages/12636.jpg
and http://www.stampconnections.com/hostimages/7344.jpg
Three years later, added three more images for he was one of the top five leaders.

Hi B S

Do you say that artists have to read H. C. Andersen

Hi Allan:
Yes, remember "The nightingale" and Sorolla's words:
Get out and get busy!

The great poet Qu Yuan
http://home.att.net/~bobcindy/Qu_Yuan.html
was killed himself at the same place called Miluo where is Ren Bishi's hometown. A giant statue to Ren Bishi is there.
There are at least three statues are to my family connection:
One of the best known heroines, Zhao Yiman
http://www.marxists.org/glossary/peo...um/index39.htm
is Ren's sister-in-law. A 1950's movie is about her. Sadly, her son was severely persecuted in the Cultural Revolution, at the land his mother fought for.
Xiang Jingyu, the best feminist of revolution, treated my grandmother as her sister.

Hi S. B.

I find the ink drawing tradition to be outstanding. Do you know the painter Liu Zhongdong from the Guangdong Province

Hi Allan:

I don't know him. But I read that a Sweden lady falls in love when she saw a Chinese farmer who paints at Guiling.

And she brought him back to her country.

Allan:

You say China has 5,000 year's history? yet, Qu Yuan's image is one of only three of ancient Chinese figures in Chinese Art Gallery, in oil section. Counted less than 6% of total portraits of famous person.
Why?

* political repression and direction. (1957-1977)
* oil painting is harder to execute than Chinese painting.
* poor condition of artists, also political reason.
* weakness of artists.
* historical painting is more difficult.

Ancient figure is demigod.The viewers have imagination of their own from literature, stage, picture story book and more closely, in Chinese painting, a sketchy look. It may not be easily accepted if suddenly a more real image appears. Similar to analyze Bouguereau's image of fairy in "Art Through the Ages".

Even Repin's historical paintings were criticized.

Chinese painting website
http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_artqa/node_431.htm

There is something fascinating by the Chinese way of painting. When it is at its best it seem to be as natural as breathing or writing. But of course it take a lifetime to get there !!!!!!!!

I have put the picture of the Beautiful Horse Riders at the desktop to set the standard.

Thanks, Allan

Thank you, Allan:
You are a connoisseur for Chinese painting. Many of today's young Chinese artists who follow modern western trend, are not good as you.

"Tu Meng of the Tang dynasty (618-905) developed 120 expressions to describe different styles of calligraphy and establish criteria for them. The first 15 from his list, with explanations and English interpretations by Chiang Yee:

ability, mysterious, careful, carefree, balance
unrestrained, mature, virile, grace, sober, well-knit, prolix, rich, exuberant, classic "

Another Dragon--Ostrovsky:

"By Dec 1926 polyarthritis deprived him of almost all mobility and be became virtually bedridden. Nonetheless, in December 1927 he began a correspondence course at the Sverdlov Communist University in Moscow and he completed it in June 1929. In August, he lost his vision.

In 1930, undaunted by his paralysis and blindness, in Sochi, he began work on first novel, How The Steel Was Tempered. He also wrote articles for newspapers and journals and spoke often on the radio. In April 1932 he became a member of the Moscow branch of the Association of Proletarian Writers and in June 1934 he joined the Union of Soviet Writers. On October 1, 1935, he was awarded the Order of Lenin".
http://www.sovlit.com/bios/ostrovsky.html

I remember beautiful illustrations of his novel "How The Steel Was Tempered". Wish I could find later.

Honoring the centennial of Ostrovsky's birth
"Remebering Nikolai Ostrovsky"
by Anna Karavaeva

The editor who helped Ostrovsky prepare his proletarian masterpiece How the Steel Was Tempered recalls her first meeting with the writer, his struggle with illness, his fierce determination, love of life, and the great plans left unfulfilled by his death.

http://www.sovlit.com/thin/remembering_ostrovsky/[/QUOTE

To be frank with you Schubert, I don

Carl Marx said: (not a quotation) Even if one is erudite and possesses superb skill, but without high moral, he can not be a paragon and a great man.
"If he works only for himself, he may perhaps become a famous man of learning, a great sage, an excellent poet, but he can never be a perfect, truly great man".


Do not go to extremity either: prattle is not pragmatical.

Allan, before your remonstration, I tried to delete some links. I enjoy this dialog. You are expected to tell us about Anderson--next year in April will be 200 years old.

Hi SB,

Thanks for your reply. I was afraid that I had been too contrary, witch I did not mean to be.

I also appreciate this international dialog and believe that something fruitful is the potentiality of a sincere and sane debate.

I like to think of it as a brainstorm, because I don

My grandfather recall that in Moscow, a scientist of Soviet even doesn't know there was a W W I. That is good for him not for us, we need to study people.
Art is a door.
We need windows, too--philosophy, history, literatures, etc.

SB

They say that all good art is political and all political art is bad.

So why worry ? We do our stuff and history will tell.

Open Windows it is, or Apple, our common conscious !

Allan

Remembering Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)
See his portrait
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/rr40.html
http://www.meaus.com/reagan-portrait91.htm
http://www.icdc.com/~nshanks/reagan.htm

Clinton by...
http://www.icdc.com/~nshanks/inq_02.htm

Reagan on Time covers
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...onald%20Reagan

Lady Thatcher
http://www.richardstoneuk.com/thatcher.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...830620,00.html

Thanks
 

Thanks for sharing these website addresses with us, S.B.! I really enjoyed looking at them.

No, thank you!
See
http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/a-z/artA.asp

Ren Bishi, on Mao's right, wears glasses:
http://artchina.free.fr/items/clicimage.php?num=174

Ms Cohen:
Your name related to 40 years of introduction of Chinese art.
Thanks!
http://www.joanleboldcohen.com/about.html

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lMarx_Tomb.JPG
http://www.iisg.nl/collections/marx/

"The person who flings himself into spirited new life at the head of the procession, whose fate is enviable".

Commemorate 190th anniversary of Karl Marx's birthday
5-5-1818

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl...UNA_en___US232

the formula O + (N xS) + Cpm / T + He

http://www.ifbb.com/reports/JuanAntonioSamaranch.htm

Mr.Samaranch:
You may recall that,12 years ago, a Chinese presented a birthday gift to you at the opening ceremony in Atlanta, where arrived my friend and protege, Mr. Bu who endured a long journy by bike from China--Europe-US.. This year, you'll receive mine...

Happy birthday, Diana!
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page153.asp
http://images.search.yahoo.com/searc...s+diana&sz=all
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...iMemorial1.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfVCkLGJZhY

name hints fate
 

Diana ----- Daiyu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Daiyu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_Xiaoxu

Bowles & Bourky-----Baochai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xue_Baochai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redology

American wife
 

[url]http://209.85.135.104/translate_c?hl=en&sl=zh-

SB, what I find interesting and sometimes amusing about these is how the web-translator handles them:

"she grew up after the librarians have also engaged in the work. Although Alice is a democratic party, but she fell in love with the doors of the Republican Party from prominent families of Columbia debauchery son Charlie"

That one made me go after more coffee... :)

Michael:
http://209.85.135.104/translate_c?hl...NvipFkiOt_YqiA

Michael:
Yes, everyone is puzzled.
I'd like to read a book from you.
Thanks all who tolerate my B-English. Who do I should blame: Mao? Chinese?Confucius? Myself?...

No no, SB, I did not mean my post as any sort of affront to you or to the Chinese. Your English and grammar are fine. :)

I was amused by how the internet translators take one language and translate it so poorly into another language. The technology just hasn't reached that level of sophistication yet. :P

Michael:
Thanks!

http://209.85.135.104/translate_c?hl...cJmRFiza-H8UzA
Xingbang more difficult for us it not the case.
My translation:"Much disdress regenerates a nation", isn't this saying suitable for us too?

No more confusion:
http://blog.wenxuecity.com/blogview....7&postID=11228

Pablo Picasso joined the French Communist Party
 

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl...DGey3vU6kUPakg

...in 1950 received the Stalin Peace Prize from the Soviet government.[10] But party criticism of a portrait of Stalin as insufficiently realistic cooled Picasso