The original Listening material is from ETS-iBT online.
I listened it and tried to typ it down.
Red marked places are the places I made mistakes.
Art Appreciation
Listen to part of a lecture
in an art appreciation class. The professor has been
discussing the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.
One of the things that
attract people to Vermeer’s work is that he is
able to so clearly capture a moment in time on canvas.
His paintings are often likened to photographs
in this way, like his painting called the art of painting which shows a simply scene but with such subtlety
of detail that fills the picture with meaning. A word about (And what about) the title though; The painting is sometimes referred to with other
titles like ‘the artist in his studio’, and ‘allegory in painting’. But there is a good reason to call it ‘the art of
painting’. Vermeer didn’t keep his paintings. He generally used them to pay his debts except for
this one. He held on to it after he finished it. So it must have held the importance to him.
But after his death in 1675, his wife gave the painting to her
mother. And in the legal documents that’s associated with
the transfer, it was referred to as a painting in which is depicted ‘the art of painting’, okay? So, let’s take a look. What we see is an artist’s studio? The artist, his back
is toward us, so we don’t see his face. Maybe it's supposed to be Vermeer himself. He is painting a portrait of a young woman. She is standing by a
window wearing… she is got a laurel wreath on
her head. Now, in ancient
Greece, crowns made of laurel branches were rewarded to poets
who’d achieved a
certain honor or distinction, and also to atheletic,
victors of athletic contests. They conferred
glory and honor on their wears. She is also wear… holding, sorry, she’s holding some kind of horn,
enn, kind of trumpet. Now trumpets are used to spreading
or announcing the fame of the worldly people. So, a lot of artists of Vermeer’s time used them in
their paintings to symbolize fame. And she is
holding a book, in her… with her left hand, eee, possibly the works of the Greek historian
Thucydides. The laurel wreath, the book, and the trumpet, suggests that the woman is Clio,
the ancient Great Muse of history, the Greek’s goodness of history. You see, using one of the
nine sister Muses from
Greek’s mythology was a popular device in 17th century’s paintings,
which supports that’s
part of why she’s identified as Clio. She is also been
identified as the personification of the concept of
fame. So, several concepts seem to converge in her,
fame, history and glory. On the table there is a
mask, which is a symbol for
artistic imitation. And, and behind her is a map,
a tapestry with a map
of Netherland in 17th century, another object connected with fame. As Vermeer’s
home, that’s would be the area where
artist’s fame could spread. So, how are we to understand all the symbolism? The standard interpretation
is that the artist we see is painting a picture of the Muse—Clio. He is capturing the image of fame and honor.
Suggesting that this, the artist’s job is
honorable. Maybe the painting is a statement to about the honor of making art that artists hold or
should hold as a special place in society, which
was an issue that
was debated at that time. What a role was the artist
in society, whether painters should be recognized as crafts people like carpenters,
or as uniquely creative people special, like poets? So, the painting seems to
be paying honor to the art of painting, seems that artistic imitation should
confer fame and honor upon paintings. Now, that’s the common wisdom,
they received opinion about this painting, so to speak. But, look again at the young
woman, doesn’t she look rather, I don’t know,
relaxed, casual, indifferent to the artist? In Greek mythology,
Muses are goddesses who inspire people to
achieve greater things. They are ideals. Does
she look like embodiment of the ideal, like someone
to inspire the artist? Well, some of the observers say
that her poses were very Muse-like. In fact, that’s rather odd. She’s holding that trumpet awkwardly, like she is unfamiliar with it. And
she is gazing downward
at something on the table, like what’s
really interest to her. It’s an odd thing to be looked at. So, her face doesn’t
convey the sense of goddess,
but of a human. So, maybe she is not a Muse at
all, which will give the painting entirely different
meaning. Maybe what Vermeer’s saying, and this alternative
interpretation is fairly new. Maybe its
meaning is that the artists whose intent on achieving fame
and glory will be focused on the wrong
things. He’s got the wrong goals. Maybe Vermeer’s saying that the artists would be going down
the wrong path if they’re inspired by the visions of glory and fame, instead of by trying to see and capture what’s real, what’s
human, which is what artists are to focus on.
