Mediocritas

The first opinion that I have around the mediocre is opinion of Aristotle, that has expressed in the Ethic Nicomacheus , this is the μέσος, this the middle measure this is the balance, interior balance that Aristotle sees as the better wit; in Latin language it is the “mediocritas”, this is something that is in half, for example in a Ode of Horace(b.Ch 65-8), a Latin poet that in a his Ode(10) has he says: “Auream quisquis mediocritatem diligit”, this is: “Everybody loves the mediocrity; it is because  the possibility of solve the problems or other, trough  the right measure; the principal philosophical  note that we must read to understand the concept of mediocritas  in ancient age, is a letter of Seneca(b.Ch 50-40 a.Ch.) to Lucius , his friend, he says: “Who is wise is also moderate; who is moderate is also constant , who is constant is imperturbable ; who is imperturbable  is without sadness ; who is without sadness  is happy; inasmuch the wise is happy”, the last step is an exercise of syllogisms  from Aristotle, mechanical certainly but then enough; in the same letter Seneca, about the peripatetic  school  says: “…they respond in this way, this is of interpreter who is imperturbable, and constant and without sadness so if we call him imperturbable, who is upset rarely and moderately, not isn’t upset ever.” This is the explicit manifest of mediocritas, because Seneca understand that the wit is mobile and hence the man, also wise man has the mobility of wit, whereby the imperturbability is impossible, in fact: “…the human nature denies it, this is that  5the wit of somebody is immune by the sadness; the wise isn’t overcame from the dolor, but he is touched”; it is the directly take again the speculative address of Aristotle but also it anable the identification to the middle; because Seneca sees the speculative description of peripatetic, and describes the moderate reaction of man, that is the medioctitas, in fact in other step: “Trough  we don’t eliminate the passions but we moderate it. During the Middle age the mediocrity has the same meaning; the medieval culture is stemmed directly from the classical culture, in fact Saint Thomas from Aquino(1225-1274), the mediocrity has same valor  of Seneca, the middle way, this the equilibrium that Seneca has expressed because he has took again from peripatetic school; in fact the temperance is the first quality for Saint Thomas. During the Renaissance we can read the Rime of Michelangelo Buonarroti(1475-1564), he used these words for a comparison between the pen and the sculpture: “So as both in pen and ink is the high and the low and the mediocre style, we can think that  during the Renaissance this word has had negative meaning, but it has kept the same valor of ancient meaning, in fact Michelangelo says: “…high and the low and the mediocre” this the third way, neither high nor low, but the middle; hence the same meaning of ancient time.

Alessandro Lusana   

 Impressionist impressions: Renoir

Pierre Auguste Renoir(1841-1919), has been one of major impressionist painter of France, and from his writers some note emerges: the first think is against the classicism: “The past is again interesting. The forming of architects, of painters, of sculptors in the École des Beaux Arts is based on it totally. The architects have sent to Rome for to rebuild the Greek and Roman monuments, the painter to copy Raphael. Also the sculptors have sent to Rome for to take the inspiration from the Greek sculpture. After some years of permanence in the eternal city(Rome), these sculptors, painters and architects go back to Paris full of antiquity, again impressed from ancient masters, can they work without influence and adhere to the modern”; the answer is not certainly but a digression  is due; although a famous painter was not to Rome, same influence is present: Delacroix(1798-1843, a French painter fro his painting to the Saint Sulpice has took inspiration fro the Expulsion of Heliodorus from the temple(Figs.1-2); inasmuch Renoir was right; the influence of classic is deep, even the classic formation of body in the painting of Delacroix is evident; and the following words are true: “The painters want imitate Raphael”, certainly we must consider the words, but we should say to Renoir that Delacroix, that he has considered fro his painting in the Saint Sulpice has an interpretation  of Raphael; following he says: “The sculptor are satisfied fro the low movement  to their sculptures and every thing is limited… they live in eternal self admiration that prevent to them of follow the modern movement”; these last two words are indicative, because it is the involuntary confession of impressionist against classicism; because the modern movement is, in opinion of Renoir, the impressionism. Other contradiction speaking around the  architects, Renoir says: “(the architect) beyond building he should to be painter and sculptor, as the great architects of Renaissance”; he reproached the young artists because they are too much near to classic ancient and he take example from the Renaissance, whose architect has took from ancient and have followed the classicism. A foreword a treatise on painting of Cennino Cennini(14^th century), Renoir doesn’t give contradiction: “In fact if we not must be too much near to ancient, we must not, for love of progress detach completely from past centuries…”; in the first written, in year 1877, he has said the contrary. A truth is expressed about this book of art,  this is: “Unique sake of Cennini was make  good artisans…”, in fact it was the purpose of Cennini, to teach the art to the young, an art that then was less despised. The letters area human document and Renoir isn’t an exception; a letter  in year 1865, he invited a friend and he reports his passion, this is the painting: “I am going bring a box of colors to make some sketch of towns that like to me”; the passion of painting is natural. During the read some good idea that today would be useless,, we can read it, in a letter to Margaret  Charpentier, dated 1879-1880, Renoir says: “Dear lady. I want give to you of idea of lady Berard that it isn’t crazy. It is to dedicate the last page of the review Modern life, to actual fashion. I would make the drawings, very cured. You can attract the female public that not considers the painting”; today it would useless but for idea is very good.

Alessandro Lusana

Fig.1

Fig.2

 The internal autobiography of an author: Proust

Marcel Proust(1871-1922) author of the Recherché, seven books where he describes, without confess it, the society of Paris during his time. Of belle Epoque; he anyway tells also although summarily about himself , he remember some episode of his childhood and t6he memories and the impression are more stressed than in other writers, it means that he tells himself. Proust anyway is a very expert of his psychology, pity that hasn’t never explained because he has written to his mother that was in stair down; he hasn’t said but we can understand it, because his mother was the disaffective reference. The first romance To the side of Swann is a begin consideration, almost an autobiography, of his dynamic of wit: “The author has lost every orientation, he is doubting even of his identity…After he takes again some notions, he meet it, he compare it. He recognize the town where he is, but the memory is moving and it brings to other rooms, other towns, to other times. He is is child in Combray when his room was the fix point and sorrowful of his attentions”. This long first exam is necessary to stress the personal description of Proust; he describes his personal memories, his impressions, and he translated it to literature; hence we can know Proust to his interior side. The autobiography is by begin: “For much time I have laid early. Sometime turned off the candle, the eyes are closed…” the comment to these words is: “I don’t give cure”, certainly but I want  stress the autobiography  of Marcel that describes it; this is the egocentric personality that shows lacks of affect very deep; the egocentrism is usually, be4cause determined from  the lack of affect, the compensation of affect is unconsciously searched out  of family; it is explain the rapport to his mother. The description of every singular particular is typical of a confession absolutely useless; I have remembered the description of Francois de la Rochefocauld(1613-1680), that has said: “When we are engaged we live a ideal condition because we speak about of ourselves alone”; we can think that Proust was engaged to himself, but effectively in his romances he speaks, because it is the unique reference possible for to have affect, it is alone a compensation to the public. But Proust is a men and he has had then will  of a man: “Sometime, as Eve is born  from a rib of Adam, in the sleep, from a false position of my thigh, was born a woman”; it is a common think for the men, he continues: “She is shaped from the pleasure that I will taste, I imagined that herself to offer it”; it one elegant form to confess his will of fuck he continues: “The  my body, that felt in her body the my heat…the other being seem very distant, to confront to this woman  that I have left from some moment; and the following effect is very real…The hers memory disappeared, I have forgotten the creature of my dream”, it is some step autobiographic of Proust, that  wanted show himself to the reader, he has searched the affect in the public.

Alessandro Lusana       

 

 The semiotic of dark: Saint Thomas

Saint Thomas from Aquino(1225-1274), author of Summa teologica, is protagonist of this essay because he has mentioned and explained, although alone through the mention, the meaning of dark, when he speaks about the knowledge : “It seems to me excluded from the words of Saint Paul about not forgot of knowledge, because they have known God they haven’t worshipped  as God, neither they have tank him, but they were fall in love of their thinks, and their heart was involved in dark”; we must consider that Saint Thomas was a man of Middle age, and he could think alone in his time; but must also consider contradiction, because among the knowledge  is also Aristotle that Saint Thomas often mentioned in his Summa theological, actually he is  one primary reference for the Saint; today we can laugh on this affirmation, because we have a clean subdivision of time of Aristotle and of Saint Thomas, in fact we can  beat time both one and other; furthermore the step of Holy Bible, as the Exodus(10,22) the step says that God ordered to Moses: “Extend your hand toward to sky, end up Egypt a5re the dark so intense that it is going  to be touch; but the knowledge that the Egyptian are subordinate to the dark that is the sin of unreligious; hence the sin above mentioned in normal, I repeat for us it is laughable but during the middle age it was more than sure, because time was divided between religious, this is Christian and Pagan. Other mention of the Saint: “God takes from herself the vision of dark, not take it otherwise from the light”; God can take alone herself a concept because is the universal knowledge; after: “There is who that is eliminated from the evil; and it is the good directly against to that evil; as the light is totally eliminated from the darks”; this is the concept of sin, that overcome the goodness, thence the sin has outstripped the goodness. There is finally a good that is partially modified from the evil, but not certainly eliminated; and it is the good is the habit of a man toward determined acts”; the acts here not described are, we can imagine, the acts of the prayer and religious life. The almighty of God is in this step: “I am the God and other aren’t. I create the light and the darks…”; therefore we can think that God is the creator of sin, and he knows perfectly the good and the evil, that he has given to kinsmen, from Adam and Eve. But the step very meaningful is the following: “So the life of faithful and right men, compared to the life of sinner, is called the light: Saint Paul says: Then you were darks, but now you are light in the God”; the light is the grace of God against to darks that was the sin. And the omniscience of God is in the following step: “In the distinction  between the light and darks, these last we can think the sins of diamonds, whereby this distinction regard the Divine prescience…hence Saint Augustine says that: “Could distinguish the light from the darks alone who could preview, before than failed”. We must consider whereby that the sin is the darks, and the light the goodness and religious life.

Alessandro Lusana      

                   

 

 The semiotic of light

The light is natural phenomenal that every day we can ascertain and that allow to us of to see, to distinguish and to recognize everything in fact when it isn’t we can’t make the actions above mentioned; but the light has also  a semiotic nature beyond the appearance; the light is  in the Holy Bible has the semiotic valor because in Isaiah(9-2) the text says: “The people that is walking in the dark, seen a great light…”naturally the explication is alone semiotic  or better it is theological, the light is salvation in the Christian semiotic, it is the Christ that is salvation of mankind that before his birth was saved from its sins, and saved from the dark. Always Isaiah(42-6) says: “ I the lord have called you in the justice, I have hold you by the hand and I have protected you. And I have wanted that you become make of peace of people, and the light of nations”, and same(49-6)I have made you light of people”, and: “You not is going to have the sun for the light of day…but God is going to be light eternal”. John evangelist(1-5) says: “And the light shines among the dark”, and the same(8-12): “Christ said to them, I am the light of word”, and the semiotic in this step is dominant: “Christ said them: the light is in you again for short time. Walk until you are going to have the light, so that the dark not catch you. The light is the faith and the salvation of word, why this assimilation? Simple because the enables of to have certain, inasmuch also to be secure by dangers or evil other.  In painting the light has other valor and it depends by the style of painter and the costumer, fro example:  in Venetian school the historical art men known that the color  is the first element, this is the intense colors that that Titian Vecellio(1488-1576) has used for his painting, as his master Giorgione(1477-1510), and thank to these two painter the Venetian school is identified through the color, but also the light the intense light that both Titian, Giorgione, Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516), Giovanni Antonio Canal(1697-1768), called Canaletto; and always for the painting the intense meaning has given from Caravaggio, this is Michelangelo Merisi called Caravaggio(1571-1610) that has showed the reality but with theology in, for example: the first version of saint Matthew(Fig.1) that everybody think is destroyed during the second world war(Fig.2) instead  it is in basin  of a museum of Moscow, because it was steeled from a soldier of red army during the year 1945; anyway  the light is very theology because the angel that leads  the hand and the same  saint are illuminated from God, the light is God; the light that illumines  saint Matthew in the call(Fig.2) and the sinner besides is other theological meaning, What is? Simple  that Christ is salvation for the saint and sinner that ignores Christ because he is counting the money. The light hence has much meaning and various representation to you the choice.

Alessandro Lusana  

 

Fig.1

Fig.2

        

 Hide Caravaggio

This essay begin for a specification this is that stems from a conference that Maurizio Marini(1942-2011), the major  student in Europe of Caravaggio, this is Michelangelo Merisi(1571-1610), called Caravaggio, very famous painter in Rome and in Italy, that has influenced much painters during the first years of 17^th century; anyway among  the painting of Caravaggio one seemed lost during 1945, in Flakturm Friedrichshain in Berlin, but already it has seated to the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum; this painting not has destroyed during the second world war, but has stolen  from a soldier of red army and Martini informed us that this painting is the original first version of saint Matthew and an angel. The controversy about the refusal of this painting has involved very much historical art men, for the nude foots, but also in the second version the foots are nude; Marini has explained this refusal for the figure of angel why? Because the young angel is truly the nephew of cardinal Contrail, that was costumer of this painting, and Caravaggio portrayed the nephew of cardinal, this is Francis, then very young, dressed very short, it is has determined the refusal; the presence of nephew have determined the scandal, because this painting is in year 1602 two years after the jubilee, and the costumer was a cardinal, the scandal would be very great. The theft  there was in 1945 a soldier brought  this painting to Moscow, where today is hide, why the Russian not goes back this painting? Simple because the Germany could ask the compensation because this painting was stolen and not given, hence among the damages would cost very much, and the Russian hasn’t the sufficient money; anyway the image of this painting on internet said that this painting was destroyed, but truly it is the original. Giovanni Baglione(1573-1644) painter and enemy of Caravaggio said that the painting was refused  and removed from the altar of chapel  because vulgar and nobody has liked it; naturally the Baglione the author of the book The life of painters, sculptors and architects, published 1642, has had motives very personal  to give this judge, since Caravaggio during a witness in court said: “I don’t know nobody painter that judge Baglione a painter”; after Giovanni Bellori(1613-1696), a Italian writer, repeated same question and he said also that  the figure of saint was indecorous, because it seems a common people; this opinion was used from very much historical art men, because other weren’t , but thank to Marini we know where is the original and because was refused.

Alessandro Lusana    

 The Christian syllogism

I won’t tell around  of Aristotle(b.Ch.384-322) and his syllogism but consider alone  the mechanicalness of a basis that after goes until to the Christian troth , this is God; the mechanicalness has took from the  syllogism of Aristotle; Saint Thomas(1224-1274) that mentioned very much Aristotle, and he called him the philosopher, and that he has known through the translation of the Analytics of Boethius (480-526), and his translation of syllogism, that Saint Thomas could read because the Latin language was explained on the major authors, both Christin and pagan; anyway mechanical dynamic of think that for Saint Thomas is natural to God., in fact in the book De magistro the saint says that the description is useless if it isn’t accomplished from an explication about the substance, this God, that is the true motive for the everything; it is the mechanical dynamic  of syllogism, in fact Aristotle, that begin from objective reality although logic, and I use the conjunction although because the rational logic that  is fundament  fro the think, but we must also consider that every matter has its logic, enclosed the syllogism, that is mechanical always, and Saint Thomas has took this dynamic , and he used in his major books this is the Summa theological: “If other philosophical matters is necessary admit other science. It seems that isn’t necessary other matters, in fact: “The man inform us the Holy Bible not goes toward that is superior of his brain, not search the things that are too much difficult to you”, it is an example that shows the reference to Holy Bible, because that the voice of God, the mention continues: “Now that is rational is given from philosophical matters. Consequently other isn’t necessary”; it is the dynamic of Aristotle. Other step says: “The science isn’t that not consider the God, in fact we know alone the true, that coincides to the God. The philosophy treats every being and also about God, in fact a part of philosophy is called also theology, this is the divine science, in opinion of Aristotle”, and: “The holy doctrine is a science. We must know that is present a double gender of sciences.. Some in fact come from principles known alone through the natural light of intellect ,as the arithmetic and the geometry, other instead come from principles known for the light of superior science…For this way the holy doctrine  is a science  because it is lays on the known principles for the light of a superior science this is for the science of God.”. This mechanical dynamic of think is a result from Aristotle, for Saint Thomas the unique truth was the Holy Bible, and in fact he took alone from there for his explications, other isn’t, but he used the same method of Aristotle, hence he has founded the Christian syllogism.

Alessandro Lusana