January in review & Women in Arts : Paula Modersohn-Becker

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Self-portrait before a Green Background with Blue Iris, c. 1905

https://artsandculture.google.com/

Described as a precursor of German Expressionism, painter Paula Modersohn-Becker, who died in 1907, at the age of 31, has had a great impact on the art world for decades. 

She worked at fever pitch, producing 80 pictures in a year. She died in 1907, having sold three paintings in her lifetime, leaving behind a forest of letters and diaries.

Today, Modersohn- Becker is considered to been on of the pioneers of Modernism. Virtually unknown during her life-time.

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Paula Modersohn-Becker Foundation

http://www.pmb-stiftung.de/

"To sleep among my paintings is beautiful. My studio is very light during moonlit nights. Upon waking I quickly jump up and I look at my work: my paintings are what first meet my eye."

Paula Modersohn-Becker

The painter revolutionized the art world, eschewed traditional limits put on women painters, and produced art at a feverish rate of as many as 80 pictures a year — as if her personal time was running out. 

Elsbeth in the garden with glass ball c.1902

private collection

Paula Modersohn-Becker

credits: Paula Modersohn-Becker Foundation

The human form is very much at the centre of Modersohn-Becker’s work; children, old women, and Worpsweder peasants inspired her to undertake portraiture.

When she was 18, she joined an artist colony in Worpswede, northern Germany, where she met her future husband, Otto Modersohn.

Paula Becker decided to move to Paris to learn more about modern art and pursue her passion and ambition in paintings.

She, Picasso, and Matisse introduced the world to modernism and her work is still admired to this day, along with her courage and ambition.

Google Doodle Paula Modersohn-Becker’s 142nd Birthday
illustration: Duo Golden Cosmos

https://www.google.com/doodles/

Google Doodle:

There she is, you are saying ! Writing about Art and Doodles, once again. I know, I know. Being from Humanities, I love all the expressions of Visual Arts, Music, Literature, Linguistics.

Yes! It's impossible not to write somthing about this woman painter. Google is honoring Paula Modersohn-Becker’s 142nd birthday with a Doodle today, February 8.

"Renowned German expressionist painter Paula Modersohn-Becker was born on this day in 1876. Her art bears witness to her courage, boldness, and ambition - a temperament that greatly influenced her short but prolific career."

The Doodle reflects Paula Modersohn-Beckerartistic style depicting domestic subjects.

Resources: 

Google Arts : Paula Modersohn-Beckerartistic : between Worpswede and Paris

https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/paula-modersohn-becker/UAKCairRWHB0KQ

Die Malerin mit Kamelienzweig (Selbstporträt)

Paula Modersohn-Becker, 1907

https://commons.wikimedia.org/

I couldn't miss such an interesting woman painter. Now, let's back to the theme of this post.   January in review

As well, at the end of every month I put together a list of the most popular posts of January. You will find posts written in English and French. 

And now, it's time to the review of the most popular posts of January:

Here are the most popular posts of the last month:




Schools : Science fiction Day : Mary Shelley & other resources

Éducation : Prix Non au harcèlement ! Ressources

Science : Super Blue Moon & Lunar eclipse ? Wow ! Let's talk !

Literature : Virginia Woolf, the modern feminism novelist : resources

Wherever you are, I hope that those of you celebrating Carnival holiday or St Valentin's Day next weekend will have a wonderful time.

Thanks all the educators from around the world who kindly read my blog every day. 

Have a nice time wherever you are! Here, freezing! 

G-Souto

08.02.2018

Copyright © 2018G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

January in review & Women in Arts : Paula Modersohn-Becker by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Schools : Science Fiction Day : Mary Shelley the pioneer of gothic novel : Resources

Mary Shelley

credits: Getty Images

https://www.gettyimages.com/

Today, 2 January, we are celebration the Science Fiction Day. The genre was invented by a teenager girl, Mary Shelley, who began Frankenstein, a gothic novel in 1816, when she was 20 years old. Wow! She was in advance for her time.

Mary Shelley's 213th birthay (2010)

https://www.google.com/doodles/

• Google Doodle:

Google celebrated her 213th birthday on 30 August 2010. The Mary Shelley's Doodle has been dubbed as the creepiest Google Doodle ever, with the traditional multicoloured Google logo replaced by an image of a worn-down room containing a series of scary looking paintings and a shadow of a ghostly figure.

Shelley - who died at the age of 53 after long suffering from a brain tumour - is considered to be one of the earliest pioneers of Gothic, Romantic and Sci-Fi fiction style of writing.

Mary Shelley

Portrait by  Richard Rothwell (1840)

https://en.wikipedia.org/

Some biographic notes:

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, née Godwin, on 30 August 1797 in London, England was an English writer. Mary Shelley is best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus (1818). She was married to Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1816).

Frankenstein/ The Modern Prometheus

edition 1818

Mary Shelley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Two years later (1820), she published her most famous novel, Frankenstein, as a new novel from an 'anonymous author'. 

She also was a short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer.  

She wrote several other books, including Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), the autobiographical Lodore (1835) and the posthumously published Mathilde.

Lodore
Mary Shelley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Mary Shelley's works often argue that cooperation and sympathy, particularly as practised by women in the family, were the ways to reform civil society. This view was a direct challenge to the individualistic Romantic ethos promoted by Percy Shelley, her husband, and the Siècle des Lumières political theories articulated by her father, William Godwin, philosopher.

Shelley died of brain cancer on February 1, 1851, in London, England.

Mary Shelley employed the techniques of many different novelistic genres, most vividly the Godwinian novel, Walter Scott's new historical novel, and the Gothic novel. 

Things as they Are/ Adventures

Caleb Williams

1st edition, 1794

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

"In The Last Man, she uses the philosophical form of the Godwinian novel to demonstrate the ultimate meaninglessness of the world.^[ While earlier Godwinian novels had shown how rational individuals could slowly improve society, The Last Man and Frankenstein demonstrate the individual's lack of control over history."

Frankenstein

credits: art by Pablo Marcos

 https://en.wikipedia.org/

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a Gothic novel that tells "the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a grotesque but sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment."

Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition of the novel was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared on the second edition, published in France in 1823.

"As a child, I scribbled; and my favourite pastime, during the hours given me for recreation, was to 'write stories.'" 

Mary Shelley

Mathilda

Mary Shelley

https://www.amazon.com/

It was a century after her passing that one of her novels, Mathilda, was finally released in the 1950s. 

Her lasting legacy, however, remains the classic Gothic tale of Frankenstein. This struggle between a monster and its creator has been an enduring part of popular culture.

Shelley is considered to be one of the earliest pioneers of Gothic, Romantic and Sci-Fi fiction style of writing.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

 Kenneth Branagh, 1994

https://www.imdb.com/

When the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein 

Kenneth Branagh, 1994

https://www.imdb.com/

• Films & books:

In 1994, Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in a film adaptation of Shelley's novel, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Her work has also inspired some spoofs, such as Young Frankenstein starring Gene Wilder. Shelley's monster lives on in such modern thrillers as I, Frankenstein (2014) as well.

credits: David Keen's illustration for Asimov's Liar

@EssaysEmpire

Education:

National Science Fiction Day is celebrated annually on January 2nd by millions of science fiction fans across the United States.

January 2 was chosen for National Science Fiction Day because it's the e celebrating the birthday of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.

American author and Boston University professor of biochemistry, Isaac Asimov was born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov on January 2, 1920.  He was best known for his works of science fiction and his popular science books. 

I, Robot
Isaac Asimov
Fawcet 1970 rare cover
http://www.pinterest.com/

I, Robot kicked off the book series, and while the movie starring Will Smith has a lot of awesome tech, the book explains so much more about how humans react to robots. 

I, Robot

Alex Proyas, 2004

https://www.imdb.com/

Students love science fiction books and movies. I wrote some posts about science fiction, Twilight saga (teen sequel, books and films), Jules Verne, Star Wars, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Noel Adams), Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón).

Some of the successful films and television series that are recognized by science fiction fans include Star Trek-The Next Generation, The X-Files, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who and The Twilight Zone.

The Big Book of Science Fiction

Ann and Jeff Vandermeer

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/

"Quite possibly the greatest science fiction collection of all time - past, present, and future!"

Including different science fiction authors and themes.

Jeff VanderMeer and 

In the classroom - languages and science curriculum - watch some classic science fiction TV series or movies and of course start reading a science fiction novel with students.

Through interactive resources, students will become immersed in science fiction as they will explore this awesome genre of literature. Beyond the books, films and TV series they will create interesting and successful interdisciplinary projects.

Invite students to write some thoughts on science fiction genre, book or movie/ TV series. Ask them to use #ScienceFictionDay to post on social media.

G-Souto

02.01.2018

Copyright © 2018G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Schools : Science Fiction Day : Mary Shelley the pioneer of gothic novel : Resources  by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.