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Why Marx Matters

Many people agree that being cultured in 'the classics' is important for any education, especially to enrich the minds of young adults who seem to be so consumed by the ever-growing technologies at hand. However, what is your definition of "classic"?

How about Karl Marx? He may not be on your summer reading list but Marx's Das Kapital is still very relevant to our economic and environmental crises today. Just as Crime and Punishment was an exposé on the meat-packing industry, Marx's Das Kapital leads us behind the scenes of capitalism and the scandalous efforts to increase the gap between the rich and the working-class.

As Mike Wayne, author of Marx's Das Kapital For Beginners, states: "whether we are talking about the economic violence of the system...or the decreasing room to peacefully protest without being tasered or worse – all these problems and more can be traced back to the question of capital and unless we name the system within which these problems are developing, [these problems] are doomed to stay at the surface level, addressing symptoms at best, or making the problems worse by following the same discredited capitalist nostrums and prescriptions that are responsible for the problems in the first place."

Read more of Wayne's discussion in "Why Marx's Das Kapital still matters" here: http://bit.ly/KVM8y7

We The People

On this day in 1788, New Hampshire was the ninth and last state needed to ratify the U.S. Constitution. In the next couple of years four more states would ratify, forming the original 13 colonies of the United States.

Did you know that the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world? (Source)

To learn more about our constitution's history pick up your copy of U.S. Constitution For Beginners.

THE OLYMPICS FOR BEGINNERS Giveaway

Every day we will be posting an Olympics trivia question on Twitter, you can follow us here!

Don't forget that we are picking one winner every week! Enter the drawing to win A FREE COPY!

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!

This summer, the 2012 Olympics are taking place from July 27th to August 12th, in London. The Olympics bring together countries from all over the world for one purpose: friendly competition. These athletes train for years and only the best qualify to represent their country. People flock from all over to watch and support their country and every news station will broadcast the games.

The Olympics are an essential part of our lives.

But where was the idea first created and what about the games has changed since then?

Who revived The Olympics centuries later?

The Olympics For Beginners by Brandon Toropov spills all of the juicy details on the games that didn't make it past their first debut in the Olympics (such as live pigeon shooting), the politics involved, and everything that happened behind the scenes that we don't get to see.

Wow your friends with all of your knowledge about The Olympics by ENTERING the drawing to win a free copy! One winner is chosen every week!
More details are here: http://on.fb.me/JWYjJh

Book Launch A Success!

Last night Michael Wayne, author of Marx’s Das Kapital For Beginners, had a book launch party at Calder Bookshop and Theatre in London, UK followed by a lecture about why reading Marx’s Das Kapital still matters. The event was a success, receiving a crowd of around 50 people and many copies of the book were sold. 

Wayne is also working on some new projects including a film called "The Condition of the Working Class in England" and a revolutionary film about Venezuela.

Click here to order your copy of Marx’s Das Kapital For Beginners: http://www.forbeginnersbooks.com/marxfb.html

Thursday is Sartre's Birthday!

Jean-Paul Sartre was born on June 21^st, 1905 in Paris, France. Sartre is most known for his work in existentialism.

Sartre defined existentialism as "someone who believes and acts upon the following proposition as it applies to human beings: existence precedes essence". In a religious view, essence would proceed existence such as portrayed in the creation of man where God first thought of the idea of man, and thus created him. In Sartre's anti-God rebuttal, he states that there is no human nature, since there is no God to conceive it. In this sense, humans don't have any pre-conceived notions of how they should act, unlike animals who have predetermined instincts to kill their prey or or mate. "Each human being creates and re-creates his or her 'essence' in every moment through his or her choices and actions".

Although Sartre was not the only important existentialist thinker, he was the person who got the ball rolling and into the public's eye. His need for attention and public affection became the drive that allowed him to publish many works, including The Age of Reason, Transcendence of the Ego, and Being and Nothingness. Sartre embraced existentialism and the idea that it is a "harsh philosophy that require[s] individuals to take complete responsibility for every action, for what they are, and for their worlds". This philosophy led the French and promoted the idea of freedom while in German captivity during World War II.

To learn more about Sartre and Existentialism, check out Sartre For Beginners and Existentialism For Beginners.

Review of Marx's Das Kapital For Beginners on MidWestBookReview.com

The new review of Marx's Das Kapital For Beginners from Mid West Book Review is all praise. It states: "Marx's Das Kapital for Beginners" is a strong addition to any history, social issues, or economics collection. Click here to read the entire review: http://bit.ly/Lx2vlt

The Importance of Knowing the Classics

Many people have the warped idea that in order for a finished written work to be considered a creative masterpiece, it must be an entirely new idea— like a never before told story, or a marketing strategy that turns traditional advertising on its head.

But if you read between the lines of some of the most successful creative endeavors of the past few decades, you’ll find a simple secret that can yield dramatic personal and financial gain in creative industries.

The secret? Genius is about adaptation.

Nothing illustrates this concept better than the film industry. Producers, writers and directors have repeatedly adapted old stories into epic sagas on the big screen that have audiences lining up at midnight to attend. Andy and Larry Wachowski’s 1999 blockbuster, The Matrix, grossed a lifetime of nearly 200 million dollars in the box-office, was hailed by critics for the supposed ingenuity of its plot, and adored by fanboys for its unique special effects. The entire Matrix franchise, including Reloaded and Revolutions, went on to gross nearly 600 million dollars. And yet, the core concept of The Matrix is quite archaic. So archaic, in fact, that it dates back to 400 B.C.E. with the philosopher Plato.

Plato’s Theory of the Forms asserts that the sensations of the world around us are only representations of higher forms or ideas that exist elsewhere. So basically, if Keanu Reeves eats a thick juicy steak while he’s in the Matrix, the sensations he thinks he’s experiencing mirror an idea that physically exists elsewhere—the real world, which is ruled by robots.

Plato’s famous “Allegory of the Cave” suggests that the world we see before us is the one we will accept as reality. In the allegory, shadow puppets are the only creatures that the inhabitants of the cave believe to exist. Likewise, in The Matrix, the computer-generated replica of what life was like before robots took over is the only world Mr. Anderson knows—until he's unplugged of course, and becomes "Neo." The film is full of creative stunts, bullet dodging, and great catch phrases, and yet, it’s rehashing an idea that came thousands of years before the film industry existed.

Blade Runner, the 1982 adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is another example of this. The film essentially asks the same question that Mary Shelley asks in her masterpiece novel, Frankenstein, through the infamous monster: What does it mean to be human? The only difference is that Blade Runner uses androids to pose it. It’s the same question that screenwriter Terri Tatchell asks at the end of 2009 science fiction thriller District 9, when the protagonist, who has transformed into an alien, makes a flower out of scrap metal and leaves it on his wife’s stoop. Combined, Blade Runner and District 9 earned close to 150 million dollars. This might not have been possible had Mary Shelley never written Frankenstein.

Disney is the champion of borrowing ideas. The Lion King tells the story of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The Lion King 2 uses the setup of Romeo and Juliet. Oliver and Company—the one with the talking animals in Manhattan—adapts Charles Dickens’ classic novel, Oliver Twist. The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (very recently adapted into Snow White and the Huntsman, which has already grossed over 90 million dollars in the box office), are all spin-offs of fairy-tales by The Brothers Grimm. The list goes on and on, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is based on Victor Hugo’s novel written in 1835. The Great Mouse Detective couldn’t exist without Sherlock Holmes; Disney’s estimated value is upward of 60 billion dollars, thanks in large part to dead writers.    

The screenwriters, directors and producers of many  high grossing films must have been well-read people. They knew the classics well enough to know how to adapt the questions they raise into their own cultural climate for modern audiences to enjoy, and ponder. Technically, they even borrowed the concept of creative borrowing from classic authors, like John Milton. His Paradise Lost, after all, is the world’s earliest fan fiction of The Bible.

Sir Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Willa Cather, author of My Antonia says in Oh Pioneers! “Isn’t it queer: There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.” So knowing the classics is essential. If you create a work of genius that is entirely original, that’s great—especially since so many modern art movements, and today’s cultural landscape in general, strive for individuality. But sometimes, the best way to be creative is with a little bit of guidance from the old masters.

That’s kind of what we’re all about here at For Beginners—acquainting our readers with the classics.


-Dominick Sorrentino
Editorial intern

The Giveaway Is Now CLOSED

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Jane Austen giveaway!

Our winner has been chosen and we look forward to having more promotions in the future.

But good news - Jane Austen For Beginners is now available for purchase.

Go pick-up your copy at Amazon or check out our entire catalog here.

The Importance of Spoken Word

I have always been moved by the way words can jump out of the binding and seem to scream at me and rattle my bones. Some of my favorite poets such as Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and Sylvia Plath have transformed poetry into a gateway for people to walk blindfolded and allow themselves to feel the words. The very way the letters spill across the pages is an art form in of itself. And yet I have always been inspired by the voice of the poets, the way the vowels curve around their tongue and the hushed sounds of pauses. The idea of one person standing up on a stage and willingly giving their soul to the audience seems fearful, if not completely insane.

As of late, Spoken Word has become a big part of my creative life. Seeing as it was only touched upon in “Poetry For Beginners”, because it's hard to explain in written-form, I would love to explore the history and importance of spoken word.

(NYU Local)

Oral readings have been around since Homer's The Odyssey and were popular because of the necessity of oral teachings before the printing press was invented. African American and Native American poetry combined both the oral aspects of poetry and music so that it could be passed along through generations.

What began with The Beat poets in the 1960's inspired poets like Maggie Estep and who gave poetry a voice on stage. National organizations have sprung up since the 1990's, promoting the importance of women and youth and of poetry.

While some identify rap with spoken word, many poets insist that they speak in prose and rhythm compared to merely rhyme. Many educators believe in the importance of spoken word such as Sarah Kay who is an internationally known spoken word poetry teacher as well as the founder of Project V.O.I.C.E. which is a national movement that helps push spoken word into being included in lesson plans. Kay believes that spoken word encourages young people to speak their mind with the confidence that they will be heard. (Source) Spoken Word poets teach children that being different is beautiful, that their voices do matter, and while the world make kick them down for trying, there are people who will praise them for rising again.

Unlike the typical poetry reading where a poet will stand and read a perfectly constructed poem from a book, poetry slam events allow the speaker to start a riot with her message and earn her right for the spotlight in every syllable. I've heard poets from Taylor Mali speaking about the importance of teachers as role models to Katie Makkai talking about the problems with our society's twisted version of beauty and perfection.

Spoken Word poets force us to break down the barriers between fantasy and reality and confront our fears with pride. The Spoken Word movement has birthed prophets and preachers who transcend the societal cages that our modern world has constructed. They turn words into heroic measures, saving lives of young children caught in the winds of puberty and insecurities.

When I was first introduced to spoken word it was a breathtaking experience. There was a poetry event at the college I attend and a guest poet, a freshman at Syracuse University, read a poem about the girl he was in love with. His love turned out to be New York City. I remember how every word was powerful because of how he closed his eyes or the way his hands moved, the way he'd scrunch up his body just to reach to the skies as if proclaiming some bible verse. For those few minutes he taught me precisely the impact poetry can have.

-Claire Kennedy

Summer Intern

Shakespeare in the Park

On Tuesday, June 5th, The Public Theater in New York City will be holding “Shakespeare in the Park”, an event that is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Shakespeare workshop was founded by Joseph Papp back in 1962 and is now recognized as a distinguished cultural institution. The Public Theater, conducting free plays and musicals in the Delacourt Theater in Central Park, has housed a variety of Shakespearean classics such as Richard III in 1990 with Denzel Washington; Othello in 1991 with Raul Julia and Christopher Walken, and Twelfth Night in 2009 with Anne Hathaway.

This summer’s production will be As You Like It, from June 5th until June 30th. As You Like It has all of the drama, humour, and romance that you would expect of a Shakespearean comedy. It opens with our main character Rosalind being banished to the Forest of Arden. Love affairs soon arise and the forest that once seemed like a perfect escape turns into a wild adventure. Shakespeare seems to toy with soap opera cliches in his melancholy Jacques, love-obsessed Orlando, and dim-witted Audrey. “As You Like It presents a world in which clashing viewpoints on divisive matters eventually coexist. The reconciling tolerance and acceptance that Rosalind embodies ensures a newer, stabler kind of society, one that can laugh at itself.” (Shakespeare For Beginners)

“All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts.”
(Act II, scene viii)

For more information on Shakespeare in the Park visit: http://www.shakespeareinthepark.org/

-Claire Kennedy

Summer Intern

Marx's Das Kapital For Beginners Reviewed on ExpressMilwaukee.com

At first glance, the review by David Luhrssen for Marx’s Das Kapital For Beginners seemingly finds fault with the For Beginners series as a whole. However, as the reader continues to read on only praise for the book and the series can be found. Luhrssen writes, “For Beginners is anything but dumbed down and more of a selection of key quotes with exegesis.” To read Luhrssen’s review of Marx’s Das Kapital For Beginners, visit http://bit.ly/Jm7KCY.

The Harlem Renaissance and Poetry

The Harlem Renaissance was a movement much bigger than a single neighborhood in New York City. Though strongly associated with the African-American economic power of Harlem, the Harlem Renaissance was a widespread explosion of creativity among African-American artists, writers and musicians in the 1920’s and 1930’s, some of whom also had commercial success in mainstream culture.

Probably the best known Harlem poet was Langston Hughes, who was influenced by previous poets like Paul Lawrence Dunbar. Langston Hughes brought modernist ideas of using contemporary imagery and language to his personal and powerful poetry. One of his most well-known poems “I, too Sing America” seemed to be a direct response to Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing” which emphasizes Whitman’s attitude toward America, which is part of his ideal of human life. The American people have based its faith on the creativeness of labor, which Whitman glorifies in this poem. In “I, too Sing America” Langston Hughes addresses the issue of black rights. Hughes hopes for a better tomorrow white American’s will see how beautiful his people are and appreciate them.

The legacy of the Harlem Renaissance opened doors and deeply influenced the generations of African American writers and poets that followed more noticeably in the emergence of Hip-Hop.

To learn more about modernist poems and the influence of the Harlem Renaissance on poetry check out Poetry For Beginners! 

The Crisis of Capitalism

The faith in the global economy has been on shaky ground after Greece defaulted to a credit rating of “C”, the lowest level possible. The Eurozone, in turn, is positioned to fall back into another recession and even possible collapse should Greece decide to leave the union.  The effects would be catastrophic to say the least.  But how did we get here? How detrimental is our economic system? And was this foreshadowed by Karl Marx? Does Capitalism really have the tendency to self-destruct? Whether capitalism will self-destruct or not, we all can admit that it is in a state of emergency.

The source, however, can be traced back to the 1970’s when the excessive power of labor in relation to capital controlled the market. Through President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Thatcher, labor had to be “disciplined” and much of the means of production were sent offshore to countries such as India, China, and Brazil. By the 1980’s, capital markets had all the access to the world labor supply thus the blame was switched from excessive power of unions and labor to the excessive power of capital which became the new problem. To mitigate the excessive power of capital in the market, the practice of wage repression was put into place. Wages then became stagnant and national income level steadily decline over the next decade.

The decline in wages affected the purchasing power of the consumer thus sparking a gradual decline of supply and demand on overall goods. This problem was alleviated by pumping up the credit economy via credit cards and loans to a large consumer market, creating a large debt economy in the process.  Housing and credit markets tripled their debts over the past 30 years causing bubbles and crashes in its wake.

So as you can see, capitalism doesn’t necessarily solve its own issues, but rather moves them around from one market to another. You’ve heard in reports how the US economy is bouncing back, while in the meantime Greece defaulted. This is a perfect example of how the capitalist style in place today has been working for the past 30 years.

Karl Marx, who has studied capitalism for much of his life, observed that capitalism cannot abide by a limit. Rather, capitalism eventually destroys itself as it exploits more and more people until everyone has been reduced to worker status. The development of capitalism inevitably leads to its downfall. However, the system of exploitations does not disappear by itself. It is destroyed only as the result of the revolutionary struggle and the victory of the public.

And such a movement is happening across the financially devastated Greece and Socialist parties are regaining support after the default. So was Karl Marx correct? Only time will tell.

To learn more about Karl Marx’s theory be sure to check out Marx's Das Kapital For Beginners releasing May 29^th 2012.

Hip Hop and Poetry

One of the most important and maybe controversial things that happened to poetry in the twentieth century was the rise of Hip-Hop. Although Hip-Hop is a completely modern form, in some ways, it returns poetry to the old practice of oral tradition. Rappers employ all the techniques that poets do- with an emphases on rhyme and rhythm, and they are using the techniques as the way ancient poets have. In doing so, it helps the rapper and the audiences remember and recite what they are saying.

What makes rap controversial in the poetry world is whether to call it a poetic form. Hip-Hop straddles a line between song and spoken word. It developed alongside, but completely outside, modern trends in poetry. Yet you can read lyrics the same way you read poetry, applying the same critical eye, looking for the same techniques like imagery and allusion. Looking at lyrics, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who could defend the idea that Hip-Hop isn’t poetry. Some of the most interesting and complex poetry written today, especially in terms of meter, rhyme, alliteration, allusion and cultural reference, is going on in Hip- Hop. If you haven’t read any lyrics recently here are a few to start with:

Nas – “New York State of Mind”

KRS-One – “Higher Level”

Pete Rock C.L. Smooth – “They Reminisce Over You”

Tupac – “Dear Mama”

To learn more about poetic forms check out Poetry For Beginners.

Lacanians Rejoice! For it is Jacques Lacan’s 111th Birthday!

Jacques Lacan has been regarded as one of the most significant and influential psychoanalysts since Sigmund Freud.  Lacan always claimed that he was developing and formalizing ideas that Freud had worked on in the period from 1893 – 1938.  Freud founded a new discipline and treatment: psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis has two closely related aspects: clinical work and academic work. Clinical work is carried out with patients who suffer from a wide range of problems, including phobias, obsessions, impotence, anxiety, and hallucinations. The psychoanalyst uses only words in his treatment rather than medicine or physical treatments. Academic Psychoanalysis aims to study mental life in general and includes studies of literature and the social sciences.

Psychoanalysts are mainly divided into two groups respectively:  those influenced by Lacan’s work and those more or less loyal to the ideas of Ego Psychology and the International Psycho-Analytic Association.  Lacan’s ideas are mostly followed in France, Spain, Italy, and South America. While those who follow the International Psycho-Analytic Association are predominantly in North America and England, where Lacan’s influence has been felt the least.

While a close revision of Lacan’s theories demands a study of logic, science, literature and other disciplines, his ideas were mainly inspired above all by his clinical experiences with his clients. Though some claim his theories are overly intellectual, it is an attempt to grasp and make sense by what he as witnessed during his clinicals.

To learn more about Jacques Lacan check out Lacan For Beginners!

The Power of the Poem

The power of poetry should never be taken for granted. Simple lines of words strung together have the power to alter ones thought and the world. In the words of Robert Frost, “A complete poem is one where an emotion finds the thought and the thought finds the words.”

Perhaps the most famous poem in American history and one that sparked revolution all across the world since its conception is the “Declaration of Independence.” Sadly enough, many Americans are unaware that the scripture was meant to be read out-loud. As copies of the declaration circulated through the colonies, towns and cities alike gathered to hear the oration. Accompanying the poetic words were the shouts, huzzas and cheerful firing of muskets while emblems of the old regime were torn down.

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

That all men are created equal,

That they are endowed by their Creator

With certain inalienable rights;

That among these are life, liberty

And the pursuit of happiness.

The sentence is inscribed in an iambic pentameter, the rhythmic pairing of ten syllables for each line into five pairs, and is undoubtedly the most powerful line of poetry ever written. The words and rhythms in proud and defiant tones, presented a statement boldly marking the beginning of the end for monarchs and czars alike who claimed they possessed the “divine right” to rule over their citizens. This sentence will also brought about the end of slavery in the United States and its message is still as powerful today as it was over 200 years ago.

The Declaration deserves a second look this month and I encourage our readers to recite the passages aloud and feel the true meaning behind our Declaration of Independence.

To learn more about the different methods of poetry check Poetry For Beginners!

The Poet of Poets

April brings us National Poetry Month and we’ll kick it off with an examination of Shakespeare’s collection of sonnets.

                                            

Shakespeare’s sonnets are perhaps the most recognized poems in the literary world. The collection deals with themes such as: love, beauty, morality and time, all which contain the very essence of the English Renaissance.  But it is difficult to provide commentary for all 154 sonnets that bare the name of Shakespeare. Every commentary is the interpretation of the author who wrote them, thus replacing the application of our very own critical thinking.

These are what people usually talk about when they talk about Shakespeare’s sonnets: 154 finely wrought poems, perhaps composed at various points in the 1590’s. Some of them are hailed as among the finest poems in English literature. The sonnets are categorized into two groups: sonnets number 1-126 seem to be addressed to a young man, a friend of the poet, while sonnets number 127-154 feature poems directed to a darkly featured woman, addressed as the poet’s difficult lover which have come to be known as “the dark lady”. However all the poems with the exception of number 126, which is 12 lines long, follow a fourteen-line pattern, with a distinct rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg.

Some have speculated that these two categories are a sort of poetic autobiography of Shakespeare. The theory is interesting enough, and some of the sonnets certainly do seem likely to be rooted in personal experience, but few if any direct conclusions about the facts of Shakespeare’s life can be drawn from the sonnets.

Whether or not they reflect real-life personal entanglements, these varied poems are dense and powerful, demanding and breath taking. Unlike the plays, they are designed to be read rather than enacted; unlike the longer narrative poems, they tend to bring readers back for an infinite amount of reading. No short summary could do each sonnet justice. Take your time reading each one carefully. Let your emotion guide you through each passage which I’m sure you will find at least one. Read them to your loved ones throughout this month. Follow your interpretation. Heck that’s what poetry is all about!

To learn more about Shakespeare and his sonnets read Shakespeare For Beginners!

The Prince of Painters

A corridor down, Michelangelo is undertaking the greatest solo project in the history of the art world, the painting of the Sistine Chapel. Raphael Sanzio, working under the shadow of his greatest idol, will unknowingly become Michelangelo’s rival. Resentful of the young upstart, Michelangelo was especially demanding and even at times cruel to Raphael as they toiled away in the Vatican. This contention became the stuff of legend.

While Michelangelo painted the famous walls and ceilings of the Sistine Chapel, Raphael labored in the papal apartments that are now known as the “Stanze di Raffaello” (Raphael’s rooms).  The rooms are all of the fresco paintings. This technique is comprised of painting of plaster on walls, ceilings and other flat surfaces. An artist will apply plaster on the preferred surface and as it dried they would paint on the drying plaster giving the surface depth.  Unlike painting with oils, frescos provide clear luminous colors and its durability makes it the ideal style for regal and embellished murals. The four rooms of Raphael would earn him the nickname “The Prince of Painters.”

The first room is known as the Sala di Constantino (Hall of Constantine). Dedicated to the triumph of Christianity over Paganism, the frescoes illustrate the struggle from the life of the Roman Emperor Constantine. The most notable fresco is The Vision of the Cross. The fresco depicts the legendary tale of a cross appearing in the sky that led to Constantine’s victory over Maxentius. The Fresco is rich in color and symbolism with odd figures of dragon’s and dwarfs. The cross in the sky is emitting o powerful ray of light with the words “Εν τούτω νίκα” (By this, conquer) the divine message sent to Constantine.

The second room is called the Stanza di Eliodoro (Room of Heliodorus).  The room is a dedication for God’s divine protection granted by Christ. The most prominent fresco in the room is The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple. The fresco captures the story of Heliodorus who was sent to steal the treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem, but was casted away by angels who answered the prayer of the temples priest. In this room, Raphael focused on the emotions of each figure in the frescos. The figures portrayed are moving in dramatic ways that captures the viewer’s attention.  Lighting in each painting also gives the frescoes tension and vivid emotions not portrayed to such degree in the other rooms.

The third room, Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Signatura) gives credit to worldly and spiritual wisdom and harmony, a common theme in Renaissance humanist. The theme is appropriate considering this is where the papal documents are signed and sealed. The most prominent fresco and perhaps Raphael’s most famous work is The School of Athens which represents the degrees of knowledge and truth acquired through reason. At the center of the fresco are the two Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, highlighting the classical Greek philosophy popular to renaissance humanists. Take a step back and you can see the building is shaped like the Greek cross showing the harmony between Pagan philosophy and Christian theology.  This magnum opus represents the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the Renaissance era.

The Forth and last room is called the Stanza dell’incendio del Borgo (Fire in the Borgo) which pays homage to Pope’s Leo III and Leo IV.  The most noteworthy fresco is perhaps the Fire in the Borgo which illustrates Pope Leo IV extinguishing a ravaging fire with his benediction. If you look to your left you can see the incorporation of the classical story of Aeneas (the young man) carrying his father Anchises (the old man being carried) from the fires of Troy; Raphael is symbolizing that Rome has become the new great city of Troy.

The Stanze di Raffaello became Raphael’s greatest work of art. The “Prince of Painters” would forever live on in the four rooms of the Vatican to forever be remembered as one of the greatest artists to live. This concluded For Beginners three part series in Renaissance art leave us a comment and tell us how we did!

To learn more about frescos check out Art Theory For Beginners.

Magnum Opus

A crowd gathers around the masterpiece that is the Pietà. Each observer praised the sculpture as if Mary and her son Jesus were in their midst. One of them asked another “who was the man responsible for this work of genius?” The other replied, “Our Gobbo of Milan.” Michelangelo standing behind the crowed cringed in anger; he said nothing. Resenting that his work was credited to another, that night himself in the chapel with a light and his chisel and carved the words “Michaelagelus Bonarotus Florentin Facieba” (Michelangelo Buonarroti, Florentine, made this) on the sash running across Mary’s chest. This piece would be the only work he ever signed.

The Pietà depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after his crucifixion. The masterpiece was carved out of a single piece of marble. He believed that the marble not yet carved can hold the form of every thought the greatest artist has. In the Pietà, the genius lies with the balance of Renaissance humanism and classical Greek theory that makes both Mary and Jesus attain such beauty and naturalism. Giorgio Vasari, Renaissance painter, writer, historian and friend of Michelangelo comments:

“The rarest artist could add nothing to its design and grace, or finish the marble with such polish and art, for it displays the utmost limits of sculpture. Among its beauties are the divine draperies, the foreshortening of the dead Christ and the beauty of the limbs with the muscles, veins, sinews, while no better presentation of a corpse was ever made. The sweet air of the head and the harmonious joining of the arms and legs to the torso, with the pulses and veins, are marvelous, and it is a miracle that a once shapeless stone should assume a form that Nature with difficulty produces in flesh.”

-          The Lives

The sculpture retains the shape of a pyramid with the vertex located on Mary’s head. This gives the sculpture balance and gives the illusion that the figures are proportionate to each other. As you can see Mary is substantially bigger than Jesus, the reason being that it is difficult in depicting a fully grown man in a woman’s lap. Michelangelo tackled this by hiding the size of Mary with the full length drapery that she adorns making it appear as if they are naturally proportioned.

As we take a closer look, Michelangelo retained Mary’s youthful appearance. Mary, who was approximately in her late 40’s at the time of Jesus’s death, is depicted as a young, beautiful, elegant, robust woman. Some critics during his time complained that he made the Virgin too young to which he replied:

“Some fools say that he has made the Virgin too young, they ought to know that spotless virgins keep their youth for a long time, while people afflicted like Christ do the reverse”

-          The Lives

He was thought to also say that he was thinking of his own mothers face when, who had passed when he was only 5 years old, while he was working on the project.

 Michelangelo wanted the Pietà to be less about death and more of a sense of serenity. But there is a feeling of physical isolation between the two figures as in the real sense of death. Michelangelo himself, an orphan in his own right, you can feel how his life was poured into this sculpture. His magnum opus.

Learn more about Michelangelo and Renaissance sculpture with Art Theory For Beginners!