Matisse And Picasso In Lincoln

In Lincoln today a narrow blue and gold window in the weather revealed the cathedral's limestone façade in all its glory. John Ruskin declared Lincoln Cathedral out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles . . .  

Secondhand bookshop on Steep Hill . . . 

Norman house on Steep Hill, now home to Imperial Teas, one of my favourite shops . . .

After a salad in Pizza Express we headed for The Collection, Lincoln's museum and art gallery. We'd come to see the Modern Masters touring exhibition —  Picasso, Dali, Matisse and Warhol prints from London's V & A . . .

Here's a famous picture of Picasso taken by the French photographer, Robert Doisneau. Picasso looks so alert and playful. Those bread fingers! 

This iconic etching, The Frugal Repast, was one of the first prints Picasso ever made — and it's acclaimed as one of his best. Picasso was always ready to explore new media, and quickly became an outstanding and original adept at many different printmaking techniques. These thin figures at such a frugal table give a world-weary sense of isolation and melancholy . . .    

In contrast,  Picasso's delightful aquatint, The Flea, showing a lady removing a flea from her derrière, makes you smile in its depiction of such a private moment . . .  

Matisse loved printmaking. He was especially fond of portraying nudes. Indeed, he rarely used models with any clothes on at all.

Blackwell

On our last day in the Lake District we visited Blackwell, the Arts & Crafts House.

The view from Blackwell over Lake Windermere and Grizedale Forest towards the Dunnerdale Fells.

Blackwell is one of Britain's finest houses from the turn of the 20th century, and is an icon of Arts & Crafts architecture. The house (designed by MH Baillie-Scott) and its furnishings very much embody the ideas and philosophy of John Ruskin and William Morris (Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. WILLIAM MORRIS). 

Morning coffee would have been nice sitting on this flower-bordered terrace, but the weather was cold, so we sat inside.

Jane Tomlinson

Jane Tomlinson (1964-2007) died yesterday evening. In July 1990 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In August 2000 a scan revealed multiple secondary cancers. These cancers were pronounced incurable. She was given 6 months to live. Since then Jane took part in marathons and triathlons. She also completed 3 long and gruelling bike rides: from John O'Groats to Land's End, from Rome to Leeds and from San Francisco to New York City. She was given a BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award; and the Queen awarded her the MBE and the CBE. She has raised over £1 million for charity. She was - she is - an inspiration. But Jane would have been the first to point out that most people with terminal cancer could not or would not want to do what she did, and why should they? Who would - even if totally fit and healthy? The point is this: unless we really can't help it (and for some this may be understandably impossible), try not to give up. No matter how short life is. Whatever we do. For, as Ruskin said, There is no wealth but life.

No Wealth But Life

Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 August. I'm denying myself the high fells for 2 days and enjoying some low-level walks. Walk 1: Elterwater - Skelwith Bridge - Colwith Force - High Park - Fletcher's Wood - Elterwater (very pleasant); Walk 2: A circular stroll round Tarn Hows (disappointing, rather tame - it's such a well known, picture postcard beauty spot, but just too pretty and not wild enough for my taste). Also visited Far Sawrey (where a dog was lying fast asleep in the middle of the road), Near Sawrey (busy because of the tourist attraction, Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's farmhouse home), Hawkshead (spoilt by more tourists, gift shops and Beatrix Pottery) and Coniston (not impressed - even if meant partly in jest, this notice in the Sun Hotel car park immediately got my back up: "Freeloaders risk being clamped and are at risk of negotiating release with the rottweiler"). However, though Coniston Water is not my favourite Lake, spending several hours on its eastern shore at Brantwood (see photo), Ruskin's home, was the highlight of these 2 "rest days". John Ruskin (1819-1900) lived here from 1871 till the year of his death. He's buried in Coniston churchyard. One of the greatest figures of the Victorian Age, he was a polymath and eccentric genius. The local Coniston folk looked upon him fondly and called him "The Professor". He was passionate about all things that interested him - which was more or less everything. He was a writer, an artist, a poet, a critic, a social reformer, a geologist, a meteorologist, a botanist, a conservationist, a landscape gardener and much more. He warned of the dangers of factory pollution, fought to improve the working conditions of the city poor, championed the Pre-Raphaelites and was the intellectual influence behind the foundation of the National Trust. He advocated the minimum wage 150 years before Tony Blair. He was a man of ideas but also eminently practical. His genius lay in the multiplicity of his talents. Nowadays people like this are in short supply - we tend to specialize in one thing at the expense of all else. Diversity is unfortunately not a characteristic of our own age, a time when science and art, experience and imagination, the practical and the conceptual are poles apart. Sadly Ruskin suffered from periodic bouts of mental illness - many have put this down to an over-active brain! Among the multitude of quotes one could cite from Ruskin, how about this one: There is no wealth but life. Beautifully and succinctly put. And so, so true.

Miniature Mountain

I'm on the fells, among the tarns and by the lakes. In Wordsworth and Ruskin country. I'll blog about it when I get back. In the meantime here's a Ruskin quote: There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. He also observed that a stone could be considered a mountain in miniature. More of Ruskin later...