Freedom

So I figured out why I didn't fall asleep unitl 2 in the morning last night..... It's because I didn't wake up until 11 in the morning yesterday... (And Nathaniel's snoring didn't help)

Bad Decision.

So yesterday was pretty busy:

Class
I had class from 11:50 to 3. Nothing too exciting... actually, I take that back. In Liberating Letters we had Professor Dallas Liddle come give a guest lecture. He is an expert on the Victorian Era (mostly literature stuff) and he talked to our class about Dorian Gray and aestheticism. Probably one of the most interesting lectures ever...

He showed us this painting:
Turner (http://www.paintinghere.com/painting/The_fighting_Temeraire_tugged_to_her_last_berth_to_be_broken_up_4177.html)

The general consensus with our class: Pretty painting, but not a masterpeice.

Professor Liddle then proceeded to explain the meaning of the painting... (There is no way I can do this story justice... I am sorry)

During the Battle of Trafalgar, the British ships were vastly outnumbered by the numerous battle ships of the French. If the French could just draw the British ships away, Napolean Bonoparte would be able to send forces to Great Britain and take control... so yes, this was a VERY important battle.

Basically, one of Britains most powerful ships was being attacked by three different French ships... the British were getting their butt kicked. But just as the French were about to board the British ship and take over, a little British boat, the Saucy Temeraire, floated inbetween two of the French ships by surprise and, basically, saved the entire British fleet...

That tiny little boat is the subject of Turner's painting:

The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last Berth to be broken up

Our class then decided that yes, this story makes the painting a little more powerful. Looking at it again,from a different perspective, some people decided that they view the painting in a completely different way and that it could be considered a masterpeice. This theory, that the more ideas a painting symbolizes (morality found in art), the better the actual peice of art will be. Art is more than just lines and colors and beauty... it holds moral importance.

Agree with it or not, I find it a very interesting theory. I wish I could do the lecture some justice...

P.S. That painting up there... the one that our class initially thought was "just pretty"... yeah, in 2005 it was voted to be the greatest painting in the any British art gallery.... How's that for "just pretty"?