Category: Famous Person

Introduction

An American Mathematician who worked, for 35 years for NASA as a Mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics were plays an important role in the success of U.S. spaceflight. She is identified as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist.

Biography:

Gola Katherine Coleman was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, U.S. She is having another name called Katherine Goble. She started high school at the age of 10 In 1937, she earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and French from West Virginia state college,(now it is called as West Virginia State University). Then she moved to Virginia and took a teaching job. In 1939, she was selected to be one of the first three African-American students to enroll in a graduate program at West Virginia University. After studying math there, she decided to Marry James Goble and start a family life. But James Goble died in 1956, then she married James Johnson after three years. In 1953, she started working at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics(NACA)’s West Area Computing Unit, She calculated complex mathematical calculations manually for the engineer’s program. Her Computations were essential to the success of the early U.S. space program. During the segregation of NACA, the West Computers are segregate to form National Aeronation and Space Administration (NASA)

Katherine Johnson was a member of NASA s Space Task Group. In 1960, She did an important job, that is she co-authored a paper with one of the group’s engineers and this work is all about the calculations for placing a Spacecraft into orbit. She received credit for this work Overall, totally Katherine Johnson authored or co-authored 26 research reports during her career.

In NASA, Mercury program(1961-1963), Katherine Johnson plays an important role in crewed space flights Remarkably, in 1961, she calculated the path for freedom 7, freedom 7 is the spacecraft that put the first U.S astronaut Alan B, Shepard, Jr in space. She worked to verify the electronic computer, which had planned the flights correctly. In 1969, Katherine Johnson also calculated the when and where to launch the rocket of the Apollo 11 mission, which sent the first three men to the moon. She retired from NASA in 1986.

Achievements and Recognitions:

Katherine Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama on 24th November 2015.

In order to Recognize her work, On May 5, 2016, a new building of 40,000 square feet was named “Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility” in Virginia.

Katherine Johnson also received a silver Snoopy award; this award is usually given to those who have made outstanding contributions to flight safety and mission success.

On the BBC’s list of 100 women of influence worldwide in 2016. In the year 2016, NASA stated that “Her calculations proved as critical to the success of the Apollo Moon Landing program and the start of the space shuttle program, as they did to those first steps on the country’s journey into space”.

On May 12, 2018, She was awarded an honorary doctorate by the College of William and Mary.

In August 2018, west Virginia state University established a STEM Scholarship in honor of her and founded a full-size statue of her on the campus.

In 2019, an announcement was made as one of the members of the inaugural class of government Executives Government Hall of Fram.

Death:

On 24th February 2020, she died in Newport News, Virginia, U.S. She died in her 101st year.

Summary:

She made a lot of contributions with her mathematics skills to NASA. Because of her contribution, NASA made many successes in its space projects. However, she died from this world, her achievements made her name still be remembered for a long while.

Art has changed and developed in drastic ways throughout history. You can often tell when an artist created by the methods and techniques that they learned and perfected. An artist who inspires me because of his timeless art and independence from other art movements that were developing during his career is Edward Hopper. Hopper’s unique American realism celebrates modernity, while also reflecting the isolation that parallels it, and the meaning and brilliance of his art continues to reflect many emotions surrounding current events.

Edward Hopper was born on July 22, 1882, in Nyack, New York (Biography.com). At the time, the region Hopper grew up in was well known for its artistic influence, as it was home to the Hudson River Art School. Partially because of this influence, he began drawing and creating art at a very young age. He studied art at the New York City School of Art and Design, and although he planned on going into illustrations, he found his true passion in creating paintings. He made commissioned illustrations for magazines after he graduated, but felt unfulfilled and bored. Hopper always talked about his love for painting, though, and after a major exhibition of his creations, he was able to make it his full-time career. Hopper married his wife, Josephine, in 1924, and she quickly became the muse and reference for his art (edwardhopper.net). Their marriage was unhealthy, and Hopper pressured Jo out of her own art career. In January of 1942, Hopper completed his most recognizable painting, ‘Nighthawks’, and it instantly became well-known and admired. Hopper remained popular until the rise of Abstract Expressionism. However, he continued to create many significant artworks until he died in his studio on May 15, 1967.

Edward Hopper is well known for his distinctive style, which developed through experience, reference, and desire to represent a different side of life. At art school, he studied under Henri and learned the importance of expressing emotion through art, and as someone who was known for being awkward and reclusive, this spoke to Hopper and began to manifest itself into his works. He visited Europe three times between 1906 and 1910 and took inspiration from the Impressionists and their use of light (edwardhopper.net). As he lived in New York, his paintings became more distinct as they reflected his feelings of isolation in public spaces, and he perfected this aesthetic and style throughout the rest of his career.

Hopper’s art is influential and timeless in many ways. Many admire his use of realism to express emotions, which he does through setting, lighting, and subject. His art expresses loneliness, isolation, and otherness in the modern world, which is a phenomenon that has only become more prevalent as time has passed. His art speaks to many because of its relatability and message. Recently, many have used him as an inspiration to express the period of isolation the world is experiencing and adapting the settings and characters in his art to mirror modern life (openculture.com).

Hopper’s art remains iconic in its resonance and meaning to this day, and his art shows the world in an unusual, personal way. His legacy continues, as works like ‘Nighthawks’, ‘Room in New York’, and ‘Hotel Lobby’ showcase life in a way that many experience but few can describe. Hopefully, people inspired by his art (like myself) can learn to better express and identify beautiful aspects of the harsh and unique period of history that is currently unfolding.

The Road to Versailles, Louveciennes: The Morning Frost

The painting that I chose for this analysis is The Road to Versailles, Louveciennes: The Morning Frost by Camille Pissaro. This painting was done in 1871 when Camille Pissaro lived in the Parisian suburb of Louveciennes. Pissaro completed several other paintings depicting this same street during different seasons while they lived here. The medium of this painting is oil paint on canvas, and the finished painting is twelve and seven-eighths inches by eighteen and one-eighths inches. Including the frame it is currently displayed in, it is slightly larger than twenty-two inches by twenty-seven inches. This painting is currently residing at the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, Texas.

It looks as though this painting is showing how the area the artist lived in, looked during the colder months, so in either the fall or winter seasons. The leaves are beginning to turn orange, brown and yellow, and fall to the ground, and there is a small amount of either frost or snow on the grass and leaves. The grass is still slightly green, but also beginning to die in the cold, and turn brown. Everything in the painting is very soft and lifelike, but with a hint of idealism as well, giving it a naturalism representation. This painting also has elements of the style of Jon Constable and J.M.W. Turner added into this artists’ own personal style, giving it a unique but also familiar feel to it. Pisarro seems to have been influenced by their style during his time living in this particular Parisian suburb of Louveciennes. There are a few people in this painting, but only one person is completely visible and distinguishable. This helps give the impression that perhaps the suburbs here were not too busy during the early mornings and also adds to the sense of calmness the rest of the painting manages to portray. You can also see a building in the background that looks as if it might be a house.

As far as the visual elements in this painting, the lines are organic, not geometric. The objects and lines represented here are depicted as they would look in real life. The branches are irregular, and the leaves and frost are randomly dispersed throughout, as opposed to being perfectly in line with each other and mathematically dispersed. The painting is also 2 dimensional, not 3 dimensional, although the lines make it feel as if it has more depth than it actually does so it almost feels 3 dimensional in a sense. The majority of this painting takes place in the foreground, but far in the background there is a building and what seems to be a few more people, as well as a great deal more trees and greenery. This greatly aids in giving the painting more depth and helping the viewer visualize how far the path actually goes back. The ground in this is the actual ground and pathway, as well as the sky, and the figures in this are the people and the trees.

This painting is depicting an early morning, so the sun is rising and causing long shadows to be seen coming from the people and the trees. Because the sun rises in the east, the shadows are going toward the left side of the painting. In addition to the shadows from the early morning sunrise, the lighting is also very soft because the sun is not yet overhead and very harsh. This aids in make the painting seem very calm and peaceful and almost dreamlike. You can even see a bit of color in the sky from the sunrise in hues of light pink and orange.

The two prominent colors in this painting are orange and blue, which are complementary colors because they are opposite each on the color wheel. This color combination is known for emphasizing emotion in a piece of art. The cold tones of the blue manage to contrast with the warmth of the orange, making sure both of these colors stand out prominently in the painting. They work in harmony with each other to create this peaceful, serene morning. The colors are also a bit muted since it is depicting an early, cold morning view. In addition to this, the colors are also local colors because they are depicting what this street would likely actually look like at this time of year, at least through these colors.

This painting has visual texture with the trees and leaves on the ground, as well as what seems to be snow or frost on the ground. However, it does seem as if there is also actual texture on the surface of the painting because of the layered paint. This makes the clouds specifically, seem more prominent on the page than they actually are. This may have been unintentional, but it does add an interesting effect for the viewer to look at.

This painting manages to show a moment frozen in time, and there is also a small amount of motion depicted as well. You can see leaves falling off the trees and blowing onto the ground and into the sky. There is also the sense that the people depicted in this are walking along the path. This painting could have been painted from memory, but it is equally as likely that the artist painted it at the time it was taking place. One cold, early morning the artist either decided to paint from this spot, exactly what was happening in that moment, or take in the moment and recreate it from memory at a later time.

As far as design principles shown in this painting, even though there is a contrast from the two main colors depicted here, orange and blue, there is still a sense of unity throughout the painting that makes it feel as though everything belongs exactly where it is. The evenly muted colors also help to aid in this sense of sameness and unity. Nothing feels out of place or disjointed.

The symmetry of this painting is reading as being slightly asymmetrical. The right side is visually heavier than the left. On the right side, there are more trees that are closer together, and the path is also curving into the right side of the painting, aiding in adding weight. Additionally, the pathway in this painting is aiding in creating a rhythm with this curve. The pathway curves around through the center of the painting, creating a flowy rhythm and a sense of movement throughout. This flow of movement adds to the calm, slow morning feeling. On the left side of the painting there are fewer trees that are much farther apart, and there is also not a person on the left, and the path is curving away from it. Although one side is visually heavier than the other, there is still a flow throughout that brings everything together.

The emphasis in this painting is on the trees and the skyline. The subordination is on the people, or rather person, walking along on the pathway between the trees. The two are distinguishable in this because the trees and the skyline are the largest thing in the painting, and your eye is drawn to them immediately Whereas the person in the blue shirt walking along the pathway may be the second or third thing that you notice when looking at this painting. The proportion of the components in this piece of art are reasonably to scale with each other. They are also in scale in relation to normal size. The trees do seem to be somewhat large in relation to everything else at first glance, but they are not unreasonably large once the viewer becomes accustomed to how this painting is set up.

In conclusion, this painting showcases not only elements of several different styles of painting, but also a great deal of design principles and visual elements that all make this painting as peaceful and serene as it is. Everything from the asymmetry of the trees, to the building far off in the distance of the background, has a purpose and connection to this piece of art. Nothing feels out of place or unnatural. The colors are not only local to the actual depiction of this area in the fall but chosen specifically to contrast with each other and bring variety. The lone person walking the trail aids in making the scene appear calm and not busy or hectic. The way the shadows are shown on the ground, shows the viewer that the sun is rising, and the scene is taking place during the morning sunrise rather than the afternoon sunset. The emphasis on the trees and skyline that bring the viewer’s attention to the beautiful scenery, and then onto the people and civilization as an almost afterthought. Everything has its place. Every viewer who looks at this painting is also able to pick out different elements that stick out the most to them, depending on their preferences. Viewing and analyzing art is a very individual experience.

Roger van der Weyden his known for his Flemish painting style and he was active during the 15th century. He was involved in the Northern Renaissance and was active in places such as Brussels, Florence, and Ferrara. He followed the footsteps of two great painters, Robert Campin, and Jan Van Eyck who acted as his role models at the time. However, what made his paintings unique and different is the use of color in both the outside and the interior of the figures. He based his ideas on altarpieces and biblical subjects (De Loo, 1923). When creating altarpieces image or rather an art, he was ranked high and as being among the renowned artist of all the artists in the Northern Renaissance. Together with the likes of Robert Campin and Hugo van der Goes and the rest of the known artist of that period, he was able to create great renaissance paintings featured in Western Europe and hence was named as one of the greatest and most influential artist in the Netherlandish Renaissance.

One of the pieces by Weyden that was greatly influenced by Robert Campin is the painting known as “Descent from the Cross” and was created in 1435 to 1440. The picture was famous because of its use of sculpted figures together with strong primary colors; those are blues, whites, and reds. Also, the originality of the painting added to its fame. The artist also created the image in such a way that it portrayed a great extent of realism with the facial features showing many emotions, more specifically, the Virgin Mary’s face. The painting had influence and many impacts on the biblical arts and other European movements that were involved with painting, for instance, the School of painting of Cologne. He created more masterpieces that religious-related and some of them include; the seven sacraments altarpiece, the lamentation before the tomb, the adoration of the Magi and many more.

Weyden’s artwork from the early years but still survives today is the painting of the Virgin and Child and St Catherine in a Landscape. The works depict more of a relationship and association with Robert Campin’s works than it is with Jan van Eyck’s works. This is shown in the way the women faces look and how they handle the drapery as well. However, another early work shows a similar combination of influence, and that is the Louvre Annunciation artwork. In several ways, the work seems to be a critique of Robert Campin’s Merode Altarpiece as it eliminates most errors such as the glaring perspectival errors from this art. In the Seven sacrament altarpiece painting however, he shows the continued influence of Jan van Eyck in his works. One of Jan’s works, Madonna in the church has specific features Weyden uses. He places large scale figures against a vista down the church.

One of the paintings of Weyden that relate to the Houston painting “Virgin and Child,” is the Descent from the cross. In the painting “Virgin and Child,” Mary is shown seated in a location like a sculpture but projecting from the church wall. Above her, a small angel is holding a crown over her head. The crown depicts a grasp of realism in this painting. With it, the artist attaches heartfelt feelings in both Mary and the child in the art. The virgin in the painting is looking down, and her hands hold the son to signify protection. The child is relaxing and not worried about anything to show the satisfaction he gets from the protection of a mother, the virgin. Descent from the Cross is also full of emotions. The artist in this painting has determination to make the viewer’s share in the grief and agony experienced by those men and women who gathered around and witnessed the faded body of Christ. The painting shows the lifeless body being lowered slowly from the cross. The figures surrounding Christ are all overcrowded in an enclosed space that is about to imprison them. The figure of Magdalene wearing a creases dress is displayed to reinforce the emotional anguish she is suffering. Both the paintings pass a message of emotions depending on the situation and time. Something about these two paintings that makes them similar is the use of primary color. Weyden makes his paintings colorful by making use of a lot of reds, blues and whites colors on them, and both the paintings have these three colors.

Weyden’s ability to express human emotions such as sadness, suffering, and many others using the highly expressive faces in his paintings figures is considered one of his most significant contributions to the 15th-century art. The pictures of the virgin and the child in the painting bring out the emotions of a strong bond between the two. The feelings of love, innocence, and purity are also evidenced by the tender embrace of the two while the child anchors against the virgin’s shoulder (De Simone, 2014). Also, the gaze given by the child is enough to tell how pure and innocent he was and Weyden inspires such emotions of love, purity, and innocence to the viewers of his work through this painting. Romano in his art as well passes the same message but not with the same intensity that Weyden does. In Romano painting, the child is standing on his own but barely held by the mother. Also, the child’s arm is around the mother’s neck to signify the vital role played by a mother in children’s life regardless of their age. The two paintings pass the message of love between mother and child but in a different way. In Weyden’s art, the fact that the mother holds the child with both hands and a tight shows the need for a mother to protect the child and to love them while in Romano’s painting, the child’s having his arm around the mothers neck shows the need of a child to be protected by the mother.

Body language and facial expression is also another element of truth and meaning in these two paintings. In Romano’s art, the virgin and the child hare a flow, as their bodies are moving in the same direction, allowing them to engage with each other. That’s a strong body language acting as a sign of a strong relationship between the child and the virgin, the motherly love the virgin to the child and the embrace of the child as evidence for its need for comfort and support from the mother (De Simone, 2014). However, the Weyden painting shows the same affection but in a different way. The painting is rigid, and the body languages are standstill evidencing little emotion. Their gaze directed down is depicting inferiority. The significant difference between the two body language is that the Weyden painting passes a message of human beings being beyond understanding, while Romano painting depicts them with more human nature.

Both the paintings show a mother relationship with the child through the close nature of the figures. In Weyden’s painting, the mother holds the baby with both hands, and her face is glaring down at the baby to show the extent of love and strong desire to take care of the baby and watch them as they grow up. When viewers look at this painting, they connect to it through their daily lives in their families. For couples, they will learn something from it because they go through the same with their children and for young adults, they learn the virtue of love when they connect with their siblings at home. The connection pointed out here is between close relatives, and mostly this happens to people who are family. In Romano’s painting, both the mother and the child are looking in the same direction, and this connects to the viewer’s way of life where the adults are supposed to direct young ones on where to go, what to do with their lives and what to choices to make. The child in the painting is doing what the mother is directing him to do, and therefore parents are supposed to be guardians of their children. Since the two artworks are centered on the religious ideas of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, they have some aspects of Christianity and spirituality in it. The topic of love which is more evident between Mary and son Jesus is an example of what is expected of everyone with religious beliefs. Moreover, the purity and innocence that the baby Jesus represents is also expected of those who follow Jesus and call themselves Christians. Such people are expected to be pure in hearts and strive to do good so that in the end times, their innocence and purity will make them inherit eternal life.

In art, the term realism, sometimes known as naturalism refers to the mid-nineteenth century art movement that was characterized by subjects that were painted from daily life naturally. However, the term also generally means artworks that are painted realistically but in a photographic way. The Weyden painting of virgin and child is evidence of the application of realism in 15th-century art. Instead of styling the image of the Virgin and the child majestic figures with power associated clothes and jewels all over to show the aspect of royalty and power, the images are however portrayed as humble figures of Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, with flesh and bones like humans and ordinary clothing to help the common people associate with it and the religious faith wrapped in its meaning (De Loo, 1923). The same applies to the Romano painting. Also, both the image made use of oil which is another factor that made naturalism possible in art. The oil helps in producing a wide range of colors, a blend of tone, and extraordinary detail.

Northern European painters unlike the Italians did not make a demi-god of a man but could prefer to paint as he was with a consciousness of mortality, clothed and not nude, with the world carefully and loyally depicted in intricate detail against the actual backgrounds, domestic or landscape. The northern paintings tend to be smaller, and intimate due to the absence of fresco cold and damp in northern dimes. Also, the painting used oil and was contrasted with the Italian pictures, which were larger and with sunnier harmonies. The arts of the north were small scale, intimate and private compared to the Italians. Moreover, the northern arts used oil while the Italians used egg tempera. The Weyden painting is small, is more intimate given the closeness of the mother and the child, and more private as it only shows two figures. The Romano painting, on the other hand, is an excellent portrayal of Italian art with broad figures. The painting itself is big, has three pictures in it and there is no element of intimacy in it. In terms of which one is more detailed, Weyden’s is more precise. The figures are drawn with the colors in their natural state. The Romano figures are larger, the colors are faded, and the idea of the son standing makes it even more doubtable.

In conclusion, the artwork takes time to develop, and it started long ago. Both Weyden and Romano managed to create the painting of Virgin and Child, and although the two paintings seem to be different, the artist passed more or less similar messages. The human emotions and connections are seen through the body language and facial expressions in the two paintings. Moreover, the religious theme is brought about in the sense that the two characters in the art are that of Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. Renaissance development in Northern Europe and Italy can be seen by the aspects of color, light, and shade applied in the two paintings. The Weyden painting, for instance, uses a simple background to show how simple the art tradition of northern Europe has been while Romano uses a light color in the background to make his painting more detail with the use of light and color as it has been the tradition of Italy art. By looking at the slight differences in respect to color, light, and shadow used in both paintings, one can tell which one is more detail and which one is not.

References

1. Bomford, D., Roy, A., & Smith, A. (1986). The techniques of Dieric Bouts: Two paintings contrasted. National Gallery Technical Bulletin, 10, 39-57.
2. De Loo, G. H. (1923). Diptychs by Rogier van der Weyden-I. The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, 43(245), 53-58.
3. De Simone, G. (2014). Antoniazzo Romano. the burlington magazine, 156, 201.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. The town was booming, with several large manufacturing companies and thriving inhabitants of German immigrants. Ted’s grandfather and father owned a successful brewery and the future Dr. Seuss grew up in the midst of a bustling, prosperous extended household. A baby throughout World Struggle I, Ted acquired a way of patriotism that might stay with him his complete life. As a Scout, he labored to promote U.S. Struggle Bonds. In an oft-told story, he bought so many who he was presupposed to obtain an award, together with 10 different boys, from President Theodore Roosevelt. Nevertheless, in the course of the awards ceremony, Roosevelt discovered that he had solely 9 medals to present, and when he received Ted, standing at the finish of the row, he requested, “What’s this boy doing right here?” For the remainder of his life, Geisel suffered from acute stage fright and typically skipped talking engagements altogether.

As Prohibition loomed and threatened to place his father out of enterprise, Geisel was accepted into Dartmouth School. Enrolled as an English main, he proved to be solely a mediocre scholar. Ted divided his time between his research and writing for the Dartmouth humor journal, Jack-o-Lantern. It was there that he found his love of designing books with photos and phrases, although he stated it took him “nearly 1 / 4 of a century” earlier than he felt he had succeeded.

As Geisel’s senior 12 months got here to an in-depth, his father requested the place he’d be going subsequently. When Ted answered that he’d gotten a scholarship to review at Lincoln School in Oxford, his father instantly handed the information on to the city newspaper, which revealed it the subsequent day. Sadly, Geisel was exaggerating a bit when he stated he’d “gotten” the scholarship; he’d utilized it, however, finally was rejected. However, his father despatched Geisel to England in 1925 for a three-year keep.

It was throughout his time in Europe that Ted met his first spouse, one other American scholar named Helen Palmer. Geisel typically informed the story of how he and Helen broke the information about their relationship with Helen’s mom. The primary nighttime Mrs. Palmer met Geisel, Helen, out of the blue, stated, “Mom, what do you consider ‘this’ as a husband?” “However I don’t even know his title!” her mom exclaimed. Geisel reached into his billfold and pulled out a bit of paper. “Madam,” he stated, “my card.”

After Geisel and Helen married and moved to New York Metropolis, he began to get work in magazines and ads. His “Fast, Henry, The Flit!” marketing campaign for Flit bug spray was legendary, and he quickly branched out into different Customary Oil merchandise, the place his distinctive illustrations appeared to have the ability to promote nearly something. Throughout this time, he revealed his first kids’ ebook, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

As World Struggle II loomed, Geisel discovered himself more and more drawn to the warfare effort. He had no sympathy for isolationists and criticized them copiously together with the leaders of Japan, Germany, and Italy. He wound up in Hollywood, doing animation and screenplays for Colonel Frank Capra’s propaganda unit. At one level, whereas taking a movie to Europe to current to varied generals, he discovered himself caught behind enemy traces. Fortunately, he was rescued quickly by U.S. troops.

After the warfare, the Geisels, who had been now dwelling in La Jolla, California, took a visit to Japan to work on a cultural piece for Life Journal. Tiring of the film enterprise, Geisel needed to spend extra time on his kids’ books. With the appearance of the infant boomer technology, kids’ books have been in excessive demand, and “Dr. Seuss” grew to become the acknowledged grasp. He held exceptionally excessive requirements for himself and the folks he labored with, together with his spouse, Helen, who authored the Newbie E-bookA Fish Out of Water. Geisel was well-known in the writer’s workplace for paying shut consideration to the main points of printing, notably with regard to the colors utilized in his illustrations.

After a protracted sickness, Geisel’s spouse Helen died in 1967, 12 months after his first TV cartoon aired. Geisel was grief-stricken. Along with overseeing his enterprise features, his spouse had served as his major companion, collaborator, and motivator.

After remarrying Audrey Stone Diamond, he resumed his hectic schedule. Geisel produced movies practically yearly by means of the 1970s, and two to 3 books 12 months nearly without pause between 1957 and 1976. After 1980 he slowed down, publishing one ebook every 12 months, then every two years, till his closing ebook, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, was revealed in 1990. At the age of 87, Theodor Seuss Geisel was handed away from oral most cancers on September 24, 1991, in his dwelling in California.

George Gershwin’s music journey started at the age of 11 when his parents bought his older brother, Ira, a second-hand piano (Biography.com, 2019 ). George had a natural talent for piano and he took it up, eventually seeking out mentors who could help him hone and nurture his abilities (Biography.com, 2019 ) He went on to study with and impress the noted piano teacher Charles Hambitzer who stated in a letter to his sister: “…the boy is a genius” (Biography.com, 2019 ). After dropping out of school when he was 15, Gershwin played in numerous New York nightclubs and on The Tin Pan Alley and became a highly skilled composer after three years of playing for demanding customers and working as a rehearsal pianist for Broadway singers (Biography.com, 2019 ). He composed his first song in 1916 and was asked by Paul Whiteman to create a jazz number that would emphasize the genre’s respectability and he birthed “Rhapsody in Blue” (Biography.com, 2019 ). Gershwin wrote several songs for screen and stage including his orchestral composition ‘An American in Paris’ as well as ‘Porgy and Bess’ and ‘Shall We Dance?’ (Biography.com, 2019 ). George’s older brother Ira wrote the lyrics for many of his compositions (Biography.com, 2019 ).

George Gershwin composed over 500 works. His compositions include over 16 Classical works including the Famous Rhapsody in Blue (1924), 11 Overtures, 23 Solo Works for Piano, more than 31 Musical Theatre compositions, 31 Miscellaneous Songs, and composed music for 8 Musical Films (www.revovly.com, n.d.) Some of George Gershwin’s works include Porgy and Bess, Shall We Dance, Blue Monday and I Got Rhythm (www.revovly.com, n.d.). George Gershwin was popular for his Jazz and Popular Song Compositions (Microsoft® Encarta®, 2007).

Typical jazz instrumentation starts with a rhythm section that consists of string bass, piano, drums, and guitar (optional), and any number of wind instruments can be added to these instruments (Microsoft® Encarta®, 2007)’. The wind instruments are grouped into three sections in big bands – namely: saxophones, trombones, and trumpets (Microsoft® Encarta®, 2007). Even though there are exceptions in some styles, according to Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia Standard 2007, “most jazz is based on the principle that an infinite number of melodies can fit the chord progressions of any song” (Microsoft® Encarta®, 2007). The chord progression is repeated numerous times as each soloist is featured for as many choruses as they wish. Musicians improvise new melodies that fit the progressions (Microsoft® Encarta®, 2007). There are two formal patterns that are quite often found in songs used for jazz. According to Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia Standard 2007, “One is the AABA form of popular-song choruses, which typically consist of 32 bars in 1 meter, divided into four 8-bars sections: section A; a repeat of section A; section B (the “bridge” or “release”, often beginning in a new key); a repeat of section A (Microsoft® Encarta®, 2007)”. The second form is the 12-bar blues form, and it has deep roots in black American folk music (Microsoft® Encarta®, 2007). Blues songs have a standardized chord progression that is unlike the 32-bar AABA form (Microsoft® Encarta®, 2007).

Rhapsody in Blue Premiered as part of ‘An Experiment in Modern Music’ concert by Paul Whiteman at New York’s Aeolian Concert Hallin in 1924 on 12 February (Schwarm, 2019). It is well known for integrating Jazz Rhythms with Classical Music. Of all American concert works, Rhapsody in Blue is popularly known as Gershwin’s most famous work (Schwarm, 2019). It is one of the most performed compositions. According to Britannica.com. “Its opening clarinet glissando is one of the most recognized musical passages in the world.” (Schwarm, 2019)

The orchestration was created for solo piano as well as Paul Whiteman’s band. The band consisted of three woodwind players doubling one oboe, one clarinet, one sopranino saxophone in E-flat, two soprano saxophones in B-flat, two alto saxophones in E-flat, one tenor saxophone in B-flat, one baritone saxophone in E-flat, two trumpets in B-flat, two French horns in F, two trombones, and one tuba (doubling on double bass), a percussion section which includes a drum set, timpani, and a glockenspiel as well as one piano, one tenor banjo, and violins. The opening of the composition is written as a clarinet trill followed by a legato (17 notes in a diatonic scale) (Chen & Smith, 2008).

“Strong motivic interrelatedness” characterizes the composition and much of the motivic material is introduced in the first 14 measures (Chen & Smith, 2008). The composition starts and ends in B-flat major, then it quite early on modulates towards the sub-dominant direction and abruptly returns to B-flat major at the end (Chen & Smith, 2008). The opening modulates ‘downward’ through the key: ‘B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, G-flat, B, E, and lastly to A major (Chen & Smith, 2008). Rhapsody in Blue has a harmonic structure and modulations occur freely and easily, though not always with harmonic direction. Gershwin quite often uses a recursive harmonic progression of minor thirds which gives the illusion of motion. (Chen & Smith, 2008)

Bibliography

1. Biography.com. (2019 ). George Gershwin. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from biography.com: https://www-biography-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.biography.com/.amp/musician/george-gershwin
2. Chen, J. M., & Smith, J. (2008). How to Play the First Bar of Rhapsody in Blue. Retrieved July 27, 2019, from Acoustical Society of America: https://web.archive.org/web/20130425041259/http://www.acoustics.org/press/155th/chen.htm
3. Microsoft® Encarta®. (2007). Jazz. Microsoft Corporation 2006. Retrieved July 27, 2019
4. Schwarm, B. (2019). Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin. Retrieved July 27, 2019, from www.britannica.com: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rhapsody-in-Blue-by-Gershwin
5. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Geroge Gershwin American Composer. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from Britanninca.com: https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Gershwin
6. www.revovly.com. (n.d.). List of Compositions by George Gershwin. Retrieved July 27, 2019, from www.revolvy.com: www.revolvy.com/List-of-compositions-by-George-Gershwin

Ellen DeGeneres is a famous American talk show host. Despite facing many hardships and discriminatory situations when she became candid about her sexuality, Ellen utilized her famous platform to support the commendable causes of many organizations and individuals.

Ellen was born in Metairie, Louisiana, on the 26th of January 1958. She was a successful stand-up comedian before starring on her own TV show, Ellen. DeGeneres came out as a lesbian in 1997, becoming a detrimental LGBTQ rights activist. She is the host of an illustrious talk show (The Ellen DeGeneres Show) since 2003, and married Australian model, Portia Di Rossi in 2008.

In terms of religious beliefs, Ellen’s family raised her as a Christian Scientist, which revolves around the belief that people shouldn’t see doctors or take medication. Since her early life, Ellen has announced that she is spiritual but not religious.

In the 1970s, Ellen was a victim of sexual assault by her stepfather, as he attempted to ‘examine her breasts’ for any lumps. During this painful time, her mother was also diagnosed with cancer. DeGeneres first spoke up about her experience in 2005. She states, ‘I should’ve protected myself, and I didn’t tell her for a few years and then I told her, and then she didn’t believe me and then she stayed with him for 18 more years.’

In 1994, Ellen accomplished fame as an actress through her sitcom, Ellen. Three years later, her character stimulated colossal controversy as she openly acknowledges her homosexuality. As a result, DeGeneres faced a storm of criticism for the remainder of the season as many episodes featured gay themes. The show also received immense praise from LGBTQ rights activists. Unfortunately, ‘Ellen’ was canceled in 1998.

After this brutal time, Ellen felt humiliated. She even rejected the proposition that she was an LGBTQ advocate because of the critical backlash she faced. But despite the numerous hardships, Ellen remains optimistic, whilst demonstrating core values of courage, compassion, and service to others. She consistently donates money and services to worthy, charitable organizations such as UNICEF and the Children’s Health Fund. On top of this, Ellen utilizes her humor to raise awareness for perilous subjects and inaugurate herself as a positive role model for homosexuality.

Ellen DeGeneres is a true example of a perseverant, courageous character that continued to be humble even after she reached fame. ‘If this isn’t an example of ‘It gets better’ then I don’t know what is,’ DeGeneres said. ‘Time is a strange thing. I was at rock bottom and out of money, with no work in sight, but one step at a time, it gets better. It gets much better.’ She continuously shows determination in standing up for what she believes in, which has undoubtedly inspired millions worldwide.

Marco Polo was a well-known and important explorer. In this section, I will share what I have learned and what Marco Polo observed on his famous voyage to the East18. I focus on one of Europe’s most famous people, Marco Polo, and his medieval voyages on the Silk Road. Polo traveled through Asia and along the Silk Road15 and wrote about his experiences in Livres des Merveilles du Monde or The Travels of Marco Polo. Other explorers such as Christopher Columbus were inspired by Polo’s writings. During his travels to the East, Polo claims to have spent 17 years in China, where he met Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson and even served as a civil servant.

To fully understand the extent of Marco Polo’s travels, consider the following map, which shows what the East would have looked like in the 13th century. This map was drawn by Emanuel Bowen in 18th-century England. Bowen, a British engraver and print seller, drew the map based on Genovese’s originally translated account. Bowen is best known for his realistic atlases and map illustrations.

Marco Polo’s journey began in 1271, alongside his father, Niccolò, and Uncle Maffeo at the age of 17. Marco lived in Venice before his journey, raised by relatives, due to his father, a successful merchant, being in Asia and his mother’s death. Unfortunately, Marco’s mother passed away when he was a young boy, when Niccolò returned to Venice he learned of his wife’s passing and met his son for the first time. Niccolò and Maffeo decided to stay in Venice until a new Pope was elected; Marco, his father, and uncle departed on their journey East along the present day, Silk Road after waiting 2 years for the church to elect a new Pope.[1] From 1271 to 1295, Marco traveled through Europe and Asia, spending 17 years in China as visiting administrator to the Great Khan Kublai before returning home. His father Niccol, his uncle Maffeo and the Mongol emperor, the Great Khan Kublai, play important roles in his story.

Once Niccolò and Maffeo returned to Asia, a 3-year journey, with Marco and documents from the pope and holy oil from Jerusalem, that the emperor Kublai Khan had requested; Niccolò presented his son to the emperor and offered him in service.[2 The emperor was impressed with Marco, he had learned several languages on the 3-year journey and had also mastered four written alphabets.[3] The emperor was in need of a non-Mongol administrator in areas that [3] resisted having Mongol authority, one of the languages that Marco had learned was Mongolian; when Marco learned the speech and customs of the ‘Tartars’ the emperor decided to appoint Marco on various diplomatic and administrative roles from the emperor’s base in Dadu[4]. Marco would spend 16 years in China as a visiting administrator to several wild and distant provinces. On one of his journeys, it is believed that Marco traveled as far as the southern states of India.[5] The emperor was impressed with Marco, he had learned several languages on the 3-year journey and had also mastered four written alphabets.[3] The emperor was in need of a non-Mongol administrator in areas that [3] resisted having Mongol authority, one of the languages that Marco had learned was Mongolian; when Marco learned the speech and customs of the ‘Tartars’ the emperor decided to appoint Marco on various diplomatic and administrative roles from the emperor’s base in Dadu[4]. Marco would spend 16 years in China as a visiting administrator to several wild and distant provinces. On one of his journeys, it is believed that Marco traveled as far as the southern states of India.[5] Marco took notes of the places he traveled to the strange customs of the provinces, he was careful to take scrupulous notes, and the emperor was delighted with Marco’s notes. Marco traveled extensively throughout China and lived in the Emperor’s lands for 17 years. During these years Marco entertained the Emperor with stories and observations of the lands he had visited. The delighted Emperor would continue to send Marco on missions far from the Empire. When Marco returned home and after the publication of his book, the impact of his exploration of the East on Western Civilization was clear. The Polo’s journey to the East was once halted due to a civil war in the area around Bukhara. Fortunately, the Khan’s emissaries provided the Polos with the Golden Tablet, which served as a passport or sort of invocation known as a paiza. The Golden Tablet had an inscription, the words inscribed were: ‘By the strength of eternal heaven, holy be the Khan’s name. Let him that pays him not reverence be killed.’ The coveted invitation came because the Khan wanted to trade with the West and thought that the Polos were the right ticket. [6]

Marco’s long journey was admired, envied, and questioned by many after the publication of his book. The book was an important source of information about the culture, people, government, animals, religion, etc. to the people of Europe, furnishing a fresh view of the world and opening new possibilities for trade and exploration. Marco describes in detail how money is produced from mulberry trees [5] Marco went into detail about how the ‘inner ring which lies between the coarser bark and the wood of the tree’ [7] was steeped and pounded to a pulp until they were made into paper and cut nearly square but longer and how it was authenticated was much like a ceremony, ‘ if it were actually of pure gold or silver.’ [8] Marco’s book and account of Asian customs opened up new business opportunities; However, his book did not initially gain wide acceptance, inspiring even men to set out and become explorers or traders. Many people could not believe Marco Polo’s stories or trust his travelogue because his book was hand-copied and unnecessary changes were caused by translations. The publication of his book and description of Asia helped create maps that were used into the 16th century. His book became one of the most influential travelogues ever written, inspiring the likes of Christopher Columbus to explore.

As mentioned above, Marco’s book was not welcomed or received in good faith. Many couldn’t believe the tales of the strange animals and of a land unknown to many in Venice, Marco kept most of his stories to himself or only told half of a story so as to not lose believers [9]

Marco talks about his fascination with the grand houses found inside the city walls, he describes them as spacious and beautiful with ‘corresponding courts and gardens’ he also spoke of [10] animals he saw along the silk road one being Persian Lions, a species that is now extinct and of sheep; he, his father and uncle crossed a tall mountain range where he noticed sheep that had large horns [11] the species has since been named, the Marco Polo sheep. The Marco Polo sheep are subspecies of argali sheep and can be found in the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Hearing these tales of grand houses inside city walls and descriptions of exotic animals made it difficult to believe for many, though these critics had not traveled far from Italy, they could not believe the stories of these sheep with large horns or birds that were white as snow with a red beak and feet. [12] Though, as time passed, most of what Marco reported proved to be true, and it was accepted as such.

The Polos were eager to return home, and because they did not expect to be there for such an extended period, they requested to be relieved of their duties and allowed to return to their native country. The emperor was offended by this request because he had grown fond of the three men during their 17-year stay in China. The men knew they needed to leave soon as the emperor Khan was growing old and feared they would not be safe among the Mongols after his death but also, they were still wealthy but knew that without the emperor’s assistance, they would not be able to make the long journey back home before losing their wealth along the long treacherous journey home. Though the emperor was hurt by the request, he eventually allowed the Polos to depart but they were to escort a young maiden to Persia, a gift for the Khan of Persia. They traveled by ship, at the request of the envoys, though the emperor was not happy with the departure of the men he still granted them the Golden Tablet or known as the safe conduct that would allow for the men to secure supplies along the way. [13]The ship had lost six hundred men en route to Persia with the young girl and had taken two years to complete. When the Polos and the young girl arrived, they learned that the Khan of Persia was dead; The young girl was handed over to her son, who greeted the men and graciously accepted the young girl. The son of the Khan of Persia ensured the safe passage of the Polos through Persia; without his kind gesture, the men would never have crossed the country. The Polos learned that their former master, the Great Khan Kublai, had died and returned safely to Venice in 1295. The men were relieved to be home, but their family members did not recognize them because they were dressed in tattered clothing. and they had forgotten most of their mother tongue, making it impossible to communicate with them: only after the men had torn the seams of their clothes and revealed jewelry did their relatives recognize them.

Marco did not stay with his relatives for long, since in a war had broken out between a neighboring city, Genoa. As the Polo family was wealthy, they were requested to outfit a galley in, even before the men returned from Asia.[14] Marco sailed the galley and took charge of it while it was defeated by the Genoese off the coast of Curzola in September; Marco was captured and imprisoned in Genoa for 3 years. In doing so, Marco was able to tell his fellow prisoners about his adventure in the East, during which he met the romantic novelist Rusticiano de Pisa, who also became his cellmate. Rustician was able to write down the memories Marco told him in French and many people consider Marco’s book to be a romance novel, which is no longer due to the author Rustician but to the way he wrote down the memories. Many believe he romanticized the memories Marco related to him and his fellow inmates. When Marco was released from prison, he returned to Venice and married. Little is remembered of Marco after his time in prison, but the book was published and reproduced manually, which may also have resulted in some of the memories being slightly altered or molded into the language into which the book was translated. This is what made so many people suspicious of the book when it was first published because the books were hand translated with human error considered. Years passed and the book was widely established as true; Some still believe it was exaggerated between the flashbacks, but Marco was later able to recount before his death that he only said half of what he did in China, letting others know that he was telling the truth and hadn’t lied anymore. about his adventure east.

Marco’s voyage would not have become known without his book, but his accounts of China would not have encouraged European trade and exploration, and he would inspire many men to venture into the ‘unknown’. Although Marco was the most famous traveler of the Mongol Empire, he wasn’t the first; however, he was the first to arrive in China. A popular book long before the invention of the printing press, Polo’s Book was divided into four books. Polo’s description of his eastward voyage and riches inspired Christopher Columbus to travel to Asia by sea but along a different route. an annotated copy of Polo’s book was among Columbus’ belongings; Despite not reaching China and overthrowing the Kublai Khan dynasty, he was one of the many men who inspired Marco Polo. Reading and researching Marco teaches us that he was one of the few Europeans to see China in all its glory and splendor and we can read and learn about his famous voyage to the East through his book. Although he received no recognition during his lifetime (which he does now), he continues to inspire countless explorers to set out and see the world centuries after his death.

When we think about education today, we think about elementary education, secondary education, high school, and college education. This is the life of education we know and are used to. It was only during the middle ages that education slowly became more common. In the early 16th century, education was very different than what we see now. During the 16th century, education looked different around the world as well. In places like Egypt, kids did not go to school. Instead, young boys would have to learn new skills from the men in their families and the young girls would learn new skills from the women in their families. These skills were not academic skills as we hear today. The skills they learned were for farming and sewing and cooking. In Greece, many girls learned to read and write at home. Boys from wealthy homes started school at age seven and were escorted to school by a slave. During this time in Rome, children from wealthy families were educated by a tutor. Other boys and girls went to what they called primary school when they were 7 to learn to read and write and do simple arithmetic. When we think about 16th-century education in England, we know that this is the time when it really flourished. This was a time when grammar schools were formed and when a school day liked similar to what we see today. In France, practically all schools and universities were controlled by so-called teaching congregations or societies. Many people throughout history have gone to multiple schools, either by choice or because their parents put them somewhere to study. One example of this was French theologian, pastor, and reformer, John Calvin.

John Calvin was born Jehan Cauvin on 10 July 1509, at Noyon, a town in Picardy, a province of the Kingdom of France. His mother died during his childhood and his father wanted all of his sons to join the priesthood. Calvin attended the Collège de la Marche, Paris, where he learned Latin from one of its greatest teachers, Mathurin Cordier. Once he completed the course, he entered the Collège de Montaigu as a philosophy student. lived through the Protestant Reformation, which was a movement within Western Christianity in sixteenth-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Roman Catholic Church and papal authority in particular. In 1525 Calvin’s father, Gérard withdrew him from the Collège de Montaigu and enrolled him in the University of Orléans to study law because he believed that John would make more money as a lawyer than as a priest. After studying and going to the University of Bourges, by 1532, Calvin received his licentiate in law and published his first book, a commentary on Seneca’s De Clementia. Many of his works that followed were commentaries.

Calvin developed his theology in his biblical commentaries as well as his sermons and treatises. He helped popularize the belief in the sovereignty of God in all areas of life, as well as the doctrine of predestination. The theological approach advanced by Calvin has come to be known as ‘Calvinism’ because John Calvin renounced Roman Catholicism and embraced Protestant views in the late 1520s or early 1530s. Now, Calvinists broke from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century.

Artwork, such as paintings, can be a very delicate thing to produce, imagine, and understand. Not everyone can make a wonderful masterpiece nor can we all make the same exact replica of one piece of art. Every piece of art is different and unique and that is the beauty of creativity. One creative artwork would be Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. It is a 1942 oil painting that portrays people in a downtown diner late at night. The period in which this artwork was created would be the modernism period which is from the changes in the Western culture from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The style of this piece would be photorealism based upon the fact that this artwork looks like an actual photograph that I can simply hold up. Another great oil-painted restaurant-themed painting would be Café Terrace at Night created in 1888 by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. The time period for this piece would be post-Impressionist which was a French art movement from 1886-1905. The style of the artwork would be Cloisonnism which is a style of post-Impressionist painting with flat forms and are separated by dark colors.

When I look at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks painting, I see a diner called ‘Phillies’ open late into the night when most people are asleep beside the night owls. I visualize myself being outside on the street corner looking in, almost wondering if I should go in. The man and woman may be a couple, married, or simply friends. From far away it gives the illusion that they may be holding hands but examining the painting from a much closer view shows that they are not. Perhaps they may be strangers and have just met, two lonely people looking for some comfort. The man and the woman seem to have blank emotionless faces, but it seems to be that they may be talking to the server. The server up close almost looks as if he may be uncomfortable due to his unusual facial features. Hopper made sure to add this characteristic into his piece and not give anyone else facial expressions besides him. It almost makes me want to go into the diner to say hello and strike up a conversation to get to know him more. The man who has his back turned to us also makes me want to question why he is there by himself, this late at night. Perhaps he may be talking to the server, but I feel as if he is not talking to anyone and he is just sitting there alone at the diner all hunched over. Not knowing his facial expression gives me the curiosity to go inside and see for myself if he is sad or not. Part of me does not want to know because somehow I feel like I may not like the answer.

Overall the people in this painting seem to be lonely and perhaps lost within their own worlds. Edward Hopper was known to make his characters this way throughout all of his paintings, “The people in these paintings seem isolated in the midst of a lonely world recorded by Hopper…” Courtney Graham Donnell (1981). Besides the people in this diner, I feel as if Hopper wanted us to focus more on the diner itself. It acts as if it is the island of light within the darkness of this town. It must symbolize hope in a way, making you know that there can always be lightly found even in the darkest of times. The diner makes you almost feel invited with its fluorescent lighting laying on the sidewalks as you stand outside, however, there is no door to enter. Perhaps he did not intentionally make the door visible, so the viewer never had a way to truly get closer to the characters.

Within the painting Nighthawks, there are also many different composition works within this piece. For instance, Hopper is very consistent with his line work. the sidewalk, Diner, chair seats, countertop, and windows are all lined up together throughout the painting. Hopper made a point to make only the diner be the only Illuminating object within the painting. The shadows outside of the diner give almost an Erie and sinister feeling as you have no idea what may lie within those buildings. However, with the darkness lurking and looming, the light within the diner does balance the painting out. This of course would bring the value of the painting to life by having the diner seem so inviting to the viewer, as it’s there in the darkness. Even though there may not be many satisfying colors within this piece, Hopper creates a powerful message without having to say a word. “With all they contain, still everybody says how bare are the paintings Edward Hopper paints, and they are; but the emptiness is complete. There can be a kind of satisfaction in this.” Landers, J. (1986).

When I gaze upon the artwork of Vincent Van Gogh’s Cafe Terrace at Night, I am immersed in the beauty of this painting. Staring at it makes me feel as if I am standing just outside of this cafe and focusing on the nightlife going on just ahead. The dozen or so people sitting on the terrace seem to be having a grand old time. However many of those people are not strongly detailed as most, they are more so there to fill in the scenery. I noticed that the lines of the composition within this painting are drawing me towards the incoming horse and carriage in the center, again making me feel as if I myself was just strolling along and stopped to gaze down this streetway. Also as I analyzed the painting more, for a piece that is of the night there does not seem to be any black in the sky. Instead, he directs us towards the sky with his star-filled dazzling sky, one of the brighter pieces of the painting. “Although a night scene, the painting is devoid of the color black. Vincent states in a letter to his sister that, to him, the night is richer in color than a day”, as quoted from “Café Terrace at Night, 1888 by Vincent Van Gogh.” (2009).

Within the painting Café Terrace at Night, There are also many different composition works within this piece. As you may notice there is so much yellow color within the nighttime atmosphere that it draws your eye to every aspect of the painting. There are also many dark spots and shadows looming around the buildings, however, the stars in the sky are brighter than ever to catch your gaze and have you shift your focus from the dark to light. Time and motion are also a composition work that Gogh has put into this piece. As you imagine yourself standing there on the cobblestones you can see the wind moving through the tree leaves, you notice the pedestrians walking and going about their night down the way, you notice the server in the cafe is interacting with the customers and many of them are immersed in their conversations. Gogh also paid attention to the textures of the cobblestone walkway, the tree leaves, the sides of the buildings, and most importantly the sky.

Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks painting was made weeks after Pearl Harbor happened. With this being said perhaps he’s portraying the atmosphere of America through this Diner at the time of the beginning of World War II. I would say the melancholy vibe that this painting is giving off is a sign of the times for the United States. I’m sure the subjects are meant to reflect the emptiness of so many young men overseas that would otherwise be out and about in town had they not been sent overseas. Looking next to the lonely man on his left side there appears to be some sort of paper. I would portray it as the newspaper and perhaps he is reading about the devastations of the war. This would explain why everyone has emotionless or down faces within the diner, the bad news was just beginning for them.

Vincent Van Gogh’s Cafe Terrace at night was influenced by one of the cafes that he visited quite often. He decided to start painting at night as he preferred this look as opposed to the daytime. However, he did not want to use black in his painting for the sky. As he wrote a letter to his sister he expressed his enthusiasm about how he was able to come up and replicate the sky without using black. Allas the birth of the Starry Nights was born as this was the first time he used it. Perhaps initially there was no prior artwork to inspire him, but he created his own inspiration from this art piece. Leading to a series of beautiful paintings and creating a stigma in a society where his Starry Night pieces are on mugs and backpacks, who knew?

Hopper’s inspiration for his paintings, and perhaps Nighthawks as well would have come from the social realism painters were using with their works at the time. He uses descriptive and creative realism in his paintings by how he saw the world from his studio. Hopper paints more of an alone aspect within his artwork but within this particular piece, he was attempting to make the feeling and mood of being alone, but also possibly sad of the start of the war.

In Gogh’s Cafe Terrace at Night painting, I believe he referred to the styles of post-impressionism. He was an artist who regularly would paint things of an unnatural aspect and twist on things. He connected more deeply within his paintings and painted them how he wanted them to be viewed. “The impact of Impressionism in the artist’s art is apparent as there is the use of bright colors. This was the first time van Gogh drew, now known as his signature style, the blue sky with unrealistic stars which he used again in the same month in his other painting, Starry Night Over the Rhone, and in The Starry Night executed the year after.” Nitin. (2014). Gough is always stepping out of the norm with his art, he simply puts his own twist on his paintings that makes them more optimistic (for instance the use of yellow in all of his paintings is used to make things more cherishing) than other artists may have at the time.

Both of these works are astonishing and have made great impacts on artists after them. Each painting is portrayed and based on a real-life Diner/Cafe that the artists would usually visit. The perspectives in these paintings have the viewer looking towards the cafe or diner from a distance, which may be intended to give the feeling that the viewer is a passerby on the street. Both are paintings of cafes at night, which by today’s societal standards is not a common place to frequent, at least in our culture that is. Both are oil paintings, which were the most common use paintings in their times. The paintings have been replicated and parodied by various artists since they have been created, Nighthawks has many more references, however. These were painted during productive booms in the respective artists’ lifetimes; Van Gogh’s being during his time in Arles in 1888, and Hoppers being during the 1930s and 40s when he created some of his most famous works. Alas, unfortunately, both paintings were completed shortly before the artist’s health began to decline. Van Gogh had a mental breakdown shortly after completing Cafe Terrace and Hopper had several surgeries due to prostate issues. Given the similarities of these paintings, they are both magnificent and both are in museums to this day. These two great painters will be recognized for their work for a long time.

Reference List

1. “Café Terrace at Night, 1888 by Vincent Van Gogh.” (2009). Retrieved January 12, 2019, from https://www.vincentvangogh.org/cafe-at-night.jsp
2. Courtney Graham Donnell. (1981). Edward Hopper: The Art and the Artist. Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago (1973-1982),75(4), 2-3. doi:10.2307/4104228
3. Landers, J. (1986). Nighthawks. Mississippi Review, 15(1/2), 56-67. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20134084
4. Levin, G., & Hopper, E. (1996). Edward Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks’, Surrealism, and the War. Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, 22(2), 181-200. doi:10.2307/4104321
5. Nitin. (2014, March 20). Café terrace at night by Vincent van Gogh. Retrieved January 12, 2019, from http://artpaintingartist.org/cafe-terrace-at-night-by-vincent-van-gogh/