A Defence of Difficult Art

Introduction Wow! To address the elephant in the room, it’s been over half a year since my last post. Calling this slacking off is the understatement of the century! It’s been a particularly busy half a year; I’ve recently moved and I was suffering from a severe back pain which was preventing me from spending … Read more

The Horror of Saturn Devouring His Son

An inhuman, horrifying expression. A dark palette reeking of bleakness, save the pale skin of the victim’s body. There’s little doubt that Francisco Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son is a masterpiece of the Grotesque – but what makes this painting so effective? In Roman myth, there is a prophecy that one of the sons of … Read more

Top 10 Kunstlieder

Kunstlied

Ah yes – the Kunstlied. One of the most popular genres in classical music. Often associated with the Romantic period, their lyrical, contemplative nature is ideal to brood over the beginning of Autumn. Here are my top 10. A Kunstlied (German for ‘Artistic song’) is a poem set to classical music. Unlike the traditional Lied … Read more