Need good help, quick

Ive just got a small research task. Im studying William Blake (the Romantic poet, painter, etc). Im working on his painting Ancient of Days (below). Basically i need to write up a couple of paragraphs as to how the painting expresses and symbolizes idealism.



Thanks in advance.

Can anyone help me at all?

don't know if it will help but all i see when i look at it is god reaching into the universe, initiating the big bang and the starting of creation.

Hi interesting i am a fan of his works too...

I think if you put Realism works opposite to william Blakes Romantisism (idealisms) works you could come a pretty end in explaining the idealism in this Ancient of Days work of his....

as i see it ancient of days represents an ideal as in God is the Architect of the world, the creator of the material and spiritual which is ideal....where as for example works of Realism more put a light on cold objective views ....

see this link for example...

www.people.ku.edu...


my two cents..

Ahh thanks, i see what you mean. Thanks a lot, appreciated.

reply to post by serbsta


My perception of the painting cannot involve any kind of "big-bang" or "creationist" vision.

Why not?..... the clouds already exist, the wind already blows and the sun is shining.

And to me, the only idealism to be expressed here is the artists human perception of the unknown....not definative and certainly not a general one.

Seems like the main "idealist" concept here is from the mind of the artist.

Nice painting but not based on anything of substance imo.

A poet with a brush still uses imagination as the source.....or he would have done a landscape!

Have fun with your essay.

Originally posted by serbsta
Ive just got a small research task. Im studying William Blake (the Romantic poet, painter, etc). Im working on his painting Ancient of Days (below). Basically i need to write up a couple of paragraphs as to how the painting expresses and symbolizes idealism.



Thanks in advance.

so ur using ats to get members to do your homework for you?

pff

That's easy.
It is the zenith of idealism to expect someone to look at that picture and bail you out. Tell that to your prof.

I will take a totally different approach to this. To me this paiting represents the current conflict of good and evil. When you look at the picture there is definitly a battle between light and dark going on. In the upper right you can see the darkness encrouching on a bright son. The two rays coming from god's hand represent rays of hope in a darkness.

It makes me think that at one time the picture would be filled with more light but tides are now turning. God in the middle looks as if he is about to do something because the darkness has become so powerfull.

Also he is pointing down to the earth.

Just my take an alternative view.

I see that in a darker way.

Whether it is God or a god it looks like he is holding a cone of darkness over a certain area, presumably with people beneath.

Originally posted by predisposed

Originally posted by serbsta
Ive just got a small research task. Im studying William Blake (the Romantic poet, painter, etc). Im working on his painting Ancient of Days (below). Basically i need to write up a couple of paragraphs as to how the painting expresses and symbolizes idealism.



Thanks in advance.

so ur using ats to get members to do your homework for you?

pff

thats gotta be the funniest thing ive ever seen on ATS, its actually quite cute. Ya better hope your professor doesnt see this thread! :lol

[edit on 11/4/2008 by psychedeliack]

Originally posted by marsha law
That's easy.
It is the zenith of idealism to expect someone to look at that picture and bail you out. Tell that to your prof.

No, the Zenith of idealism would be to have the artists explanation of it!

And searching for others perspectives prooves the OPs willingness to expand their own views on the subject.

I would suggest an opinion be requested from your "prof" on the subject he/she has given you too. A good teacher won't just quote others. How good at they at gaining your trust with honest personal opinions. (or are they only going to follow their given script?)

Idealism in philosophy (probably the intended meaning in your assignment) is the theory that everything that exists in the physical world is in fact an imperfect representation of an ideal version existing somewhere else outside of physical creation.

Idealism is the basic tenet of Plato's writings.

For example, you see a chair. The chair may not be particularly beautiful, virtuous, or true. However, the chair will be beautiful, virtuous, and true to the degree that it resembles the Ideal version, existing somewhere else (perhaps Heaven). So an ugly or uncomfortable chair is a less perfect representation of the Idea "chair".

That being said, look at the painting. You have God in the form of a man, an Ideal man, if you will, reaching down into creation to create physical reality. He starts by taking the Idea "light" and creating it in physical reality. This seems to be the intended meaning of the painting. Next He will create all the other stuff, and then He will create man, an imperfect image of himself. All of these things He has created are imperfect since they are not the Real Deal but are only imitations of the Ideals. This, I believe, is the philosophical interpretation of the painting, using the Philosophy 101 definition of Idealism.