“Tis the gift to be simple,
’tis the gift to be free,
’tis the gift to come down
where we ought to be,
and when we find ourselves in the place just right,
’twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained
to bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
to turn, turn, will be our delight
till by turning, turning we come round right.
–Simple Gifts, 1848 Shaker Hymn
Good
and
quickly
seldom
meet
~Anonymous
L’esprit de l’escalier or esprit d’escalier (stairway wit) is the sense of thinking of a clever comeback in an encounter when it is too late.
The phrase can be used to describe a riposte to an insult, or any witty, clever remark that comes to mind too late to be useful— when one is on the “staircase” leaving the scene of the encounter.
The phenomenon is usually accompanied by a feeling of regret at having not thought of the riposte when it was most needed or suitable.
Featured: Stairway at the Louvre, Paris, 2007
“A man
should look
as if he bought
his clothes
with intelligence,
put them on
with care,
then
forgot
about them.”
-Hardy Amies
“Life itself is the proper binge.”
~Julia Child
As I bounce around online looking for images I always look for the extraordinary, the esoteric, the naive, and the emblematic of a time; works that are not the pieces we often see in design history books.
Just as a map helps us find our way and shows us where we are, looking at design from years past helps us better understand the trajectory contemporary design has taken. DesignObserver.
The novelist Alison Lurie wrote: “Whatever is worn on the head is a sign of the mind beneath it.”
Stephen Jones, the greatest milliner of his generation, disagrees.
“Whatever is worn on the head is a sign of what a person would like to be."
“The golden moments
in the stream of life
rush past us
and we see nothing
but sand.
The angels
come to visit us,
and we only know them
when they are gone.”
-George Elliot
“I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fake Chanel”
Following her counterfeit faux pas, the culture’s rebellious “bad girl” Courtney Love has been granted a reprieve by Karl Lagerfeld’s court. Fortunately, the iconic rock star is now decidedly back in fashion.
In this classic novel of old New York, Edith Wharton recreates the city of her girlhood in the 1870s. The Arion edition has been illustrated with photographs of the actual settings of the story.
“Truly a thing of beauty” according to Forbes magazine, this edition celebrates a classic of American literature. The book has a special status as an affectionate record of the streets and buildings of New York City. At every moment of the novel the reader knows where the characters are, walking down a particular street, standing in front of a certain address, looking out the window of a familiar room.
The Arion Press edition is illustrated with images of the novel's actual setting, as they are today, captured by noted photographer Stephen Shore who brought to this project a personal knowledge of the historic buildings and streets that made up Wharton's New York world.
New York Times art critic Michael Kimmelman raved: "The work’s laconic eloquence speaks of an era and a nation."
Francis Bacon's sickly serene Self Portrait 1971 is a refracted faceted face akin to some of Paul Cézanne's self-portraits which are reminiscent of cut precious gem stones reflecting light. Bacon painted with a very dry brush giving the sensation of a granular, grainy effect.
The melancholia mood is of a man melting before you: a disturbing image of a disturbed man in a disturbed century. This is one of the last great self-portraits Bacon painted before he went off the rails and went back into to the lazy worn grooves of inane illustration.
The Errant Aesthete©
July, 2007 - January, 2012
The Errant Aesthete©
All Rights Reserved
If you would like to reprint an article or repurpose a photo, please email for permission.
EMAIL: worddrawing@gmail.com
Well. The simple gift I thought to pass on – sharing, not courting – was found in the bottomless pit that is the blog list in my browser.
I had not visited this particular site in quite a while but as soon as it loaded I decided to myself that this is how some errant aesthete with a romantic accent might manifest. Click the pic top right too: that way be extensive visuality. Simpatico, no?
http://ostarc.blogspot.com/
And a simply fitting gift it is! Merci.
EA…. YOUR Gift is the simplicity of elegant eloquence…. What a
beautiful image of a lone bird perched on top of a spruce spire amid
a wintry forest cathedral to accompany your poignant New Year’s
greeting …… the sweet wisdom of the old Shaker hymn…. Tis The Gift to
Be Simple….. a particularly aching homage and salute to the
trepidacious, yet hopeful year ahead. During 2007 and 2008, EA has
been a respite I can depend on… with images and words that always
delight, inspire, charm, awe, provoke and intrigue… and links to
places that satisfy curiosity and provide intellectual food. Thank
you EA for these simple gifts….offered to anyone who’s curious and
ravenous enough to browse awhile. I look forward to more of the same
high quality cyber life in 2009. Your site is THE BEST by far… 2009
is already looking up…. And with new President Barak Obama sworn in
on Jan. 20, it’ll start the best in 8 years. =
Dearest Judy,
What a thoughtful response. I am deeply touched and moved beyond words. The gift in this
post, I believe, is the connection we (you and I made) in sharing and appreciating this wonderful
Shaker hymn randomly paired with what I thought to be an achingly poignant photograph. When you
speak of the “wintry forest cathedral” you describe perfectly the regard I have always felt for the sacredness
of nature and the simple essence of spirituality. The extraordinary exquisiteness of life just as it is.
It is a joy to know you care and value all that you find here. My gratitude is infinite.
-the errant aesthete
day is done harmoniously and effortlessly we can conceive is done each day
A place of gentleness, wit and beauty. On my next visit, I will search for wisdom, as well. It’s bound to be found somewhere within all this gifted creativity. Thank you for the experience.
My most humble and profound gratitude.