Polybius, this is historical work

The read of think about policy of Polyibius(206 b.Ch-118 b.Ch), he was a Greek ancient historical and he told about much wars of Roman empire, and today we have alone five books of his Historias, this histories, about Punic wars; but interesting is that he in this book about method work of historical he expresses some concept that today should be normal for historical work, but often lack, this is truth about question more or less important, he says: “I let that historical can inclines to his town but no certainly that they make false tales for an own gain”, this question, very ancient and today actual again, shows how that historical lie is very ancient, and above all for same motive, favours or gain; this is important for to understand, and Polybius advises to reader about it, that: “Then readers must diligently to understand this lies and the historical must avoid it”; this is no certainly original advise, but simply a right historical work. This concept he repeated in other step of this book, and he says: “…and neither we must trust to historical that subordinates historical truth to own interest”, and “The history joins very much persons and future generations, while discourses are to present occasion alone, so historical must consider very much truth…”. Other advises he given, this is: “Two genders are about lie, one is for ignorance and other for will. We must forgive lie for ignorance but we must turn away who lies for will”. Certainly these advises are today normal behaviour, but we must consider that often these advises are forgotten because we have some interest so that this forgetfulness happens, therefore Polybius was right when he says that everyone has interest and because of this interest we forgotten; then Polybius is very nasty, because he says to man what are men.

Alessandro Lusana     

               

 

 

Philosophical criterions and critical studies

This essay is about art history and involves pilosophical criterions for critical studies, this is some criterions research that we can see in ancient philosophers and that we can use also to art history; we must consider that these are general criterions that we can involve every field research, from Eubolides, a philosopher of 3th century b.C. we can take a concept that in art history, history, economic and other studies is essential, this is relativism, this is every thing is realitive to other and every concept is realitve other concepts, therefore we can involve art history with a basic concept, this is that art history is connected with space and economic state, and public of this space, this is people of a town that can understand a painting or no; questions that artist had to ask his self, therefore everything was relative, about economic matter we can consider that a commission can guarantee other commissions if place was rich or, better, if a place  was important for policy or other; then much purchaser can make commissions, and culture of place because this factor could guarantees other works, but this is factor was connected with culture of place and culture of purchasers. Other criterion is the dialectic; this is fight between generations of artist and styles, in Rome cultural fight between Cavalier d’Arpino and Caravaggio, this is between Mannierism and realistic painting, then fight between two schools and two styles; but after this consideration emerges the third philosophical step, this is the Hegelian synthesis, this is the fusion of contrary principles, and this fusion at last about Caravaggio is to the first version of Conversion of saint Paul, very next to Mannierism, and very little realistic, but this dynamic energy of dialectic is present also in head of artist, models and styles that are fighting among them and after they take synthesis, and final style is collected in painting, then we can find much cultural addresses in one single painting; then a painting of Sementi, an Italian painter of 17^th  century, that for an altarpiece he used Pieter Paul Rubens, Charles Saraceni, Guy Reni and Cavalier d’Arpino, together in one painting, today in Sermoneta; every artist takes and transfers much models that he chose and that have fought in his head for dynamic dialectic, then relativism, dialectic and synthesis are principles of philosophical think that we can use in art history also.

Alessandro Lusana     

     

 

 

Life is dream

Delia was a librarian of a great library and she had usually dreams of women, her age was 44 years and she wanted a family with a husband and very much sons and daughters, usual dreams that she lived every day because she awaked at 6:00 A.M. she prepared breakfast to her family and after clothed sons and daughters, they were six, she at 9:00 was to job; she considered always herself a librarian but she was director of library. Delia was lover of read, she red philosophy, literature, history, theologian, semiotic and other, she loved her job, and she wanted always librarian, in fact she helped students with Latin and Greek literature, history and other, students loved hers and she loved help them, she wander around in library because she ordered books and after she red it, she wanted see how students studied  and she made private lessons in library; in fact every student was ready always; she when begun read of a book she left knowledge of time and she was involved in read always, she tried with fantasy, and she imagined scenes that she red, therefore Shakespearian dramas and Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri and others therefore her life was all between books. The night she slept in her home and she didn’t dreamed never; her husband, very expert psychologist, asked often what she dreamed, but she answered that nothing, and her husband give oneself same question: “Why?”, and she answered that her life was very boring then nothing was exciting; but a day Philip, her husband, during a very romantic dinner at their home, he asked: “Can I know age of your lovers?”, Delia with goggle eyed fixed Philip, and he asked again: “Do you want salad, I advise it because is very good”, therefore: “What is age?”, Delia was very embarrassed looked other side of room, and Philip seen hers and: “Delia, I know it from much time, and I understand perfectly it, this is I want that you are very happy, but you must remember that you have six sons and daughter, and I must consider that I neglected you, and you need of emotions because your job is certainly interesting but you are a beautiful woman, you are redhead, thin and very fine woman, I understand that some student or your colleague has failed in love to you”. Delia asked “Why do now you ask it alone?”, and Philip: “Because I want that you practise your emotions”, Delia fixed with eyes Philip and: “Why?”, and Philip after eat a bit of cookie, and drunk a glass of wine: “Because among some minutes will ring alarm clock”, then Delia seen clock and: “Duty calls, and we must sleep, otherwise our dream will end”, and “Alexander is his name, and his age is 47 years; he is a right-wing or better a pure Nazi and he is stranger, and he is extremist to study also”, and Philip: “When do you will meet him?”, and Delia: “To next hours, now we must sleep then live, because we have six sons and daughters”, and Philip: “I am sorry but I don’t understand because we can live when we sleep alone” and Delia: “Because life is a dream, good night love, now we must sleep because otherwise we will be late, among fifteen minutes I will open library, I am director, I can’t be late”. Then he plug off light.

Alessandro Lusana

 

 

 

Nationalist without nation

Johann Gottlieb Fichte(1762-1814) was a Dutch philosopher that during Napoleon wars pronounced some discourses about qualities of German people and he with aim to incite this people to defend his lands; this is right if we consider that after fight of Austerlitz Napoleon conquered all Europe, or at last major nations. Fichte in these conferences spoken about qualities and spirit of German, he is very nationalist, and we must connect this right spirit to historical context; danger was very next, Napoleon was to doors of Germany, all was serious and condition of Germany was very precarious. Therefore this spirit is certainly opportune and right, but we must also consider that when Fichte spoken a German nation not was; Germany was divided among very much states, and it was unified alone between 1867 and 1871; therefore Fichte, with very much idealism, spoken to a nation and lands that not were; and nationalist spirit is present, with very much sharing, when Fichte spoken about religion, because Protestantism is very good on contrary of Roman Church, and when he spoken qualities that to other German peoples of north Europe are alone copy and not original spirit also to languages. These thesis are very laughable today, because we know perfectly that every people has his history and costume and character, therefore we must read these conferences and considering that nationalist feel begin alone when historical moment demands that a people is ready for to defend his nation; politically every moment is opportune for to uphold a nation above all when it is in danger, therefore this historical moment can justify also the very much exaggerated considerations about to Germany.

Alessandro Lusana  

               

 

 

Ancient origin of fableuax

In the medieval literature, we can find much reference to Latin literature because study of Latin language and Catholic schools very attentive to study of ancient literature, it is evident because in schools of convents was studied also Aesop (6^th century b.Ch.) and Phaedrus (15/20 b.Ch.-51 after Ch.); about first Aesop certainly some his tale was present, although he written with Greek language, but some translated collection was present although author isn’t Aesop. These tales have a motive moral merely; in fact in these tales with animals twice authors tell episodes very strange but with moral teaching, and sentences that are necessary for to understand what is teaching of history. The fabliaux written between 1159 and 1170 and 1340, and we know at last two authors this is Jean de Condé and Jean Bodel, but other are anonymous; on the contrary of mentioned authors now episodes are merely human, and sentences are similarities, and teachings are very meaningful; but now adventures of lovers and punishment to wrong behaviour are present for every men; therefore husbands betrayed by their wives, lustful priest and lovers that have their perfect love dream. I think also Plautus is present for write of these tales, because some mistake is original from Plautus, at least suggested by Plautus. Some tale has a spirit very laic, some priest that feigns posture of cross fixed, and some husband that wants revenge oneself with castration because Christ  not was naked on cross; it happens because a husband known that his wife made love with priest. Therefore we can consider that in Middle age laic spirit was very present and these tales are written by priest and monks that, evidently, were informed about costumes of convents; then these tales are social documents, very important for to understand that sexuality in Middle age was more free than in Renaissance, and costume were very much free. This document shows that conception about life was, during Middle age, very free also for religious women and men; in fact sexual meet are told with very natural behaviour, therefore then it were very natural, as about other writers of Middle age. The courtly life and elegance costume that we now consider about Middle age and with formal protocol then was present but alone in precise contest, this protocol employed, during 16^th century, by middle class that tried of delete his popular origin and took alone formal behaviour. From 16^th century to now this protocol grown about all social class, today every class wants be elegant and polite, and this behaviour keeps every spontaneous behaviour; but during Middle age this formal posture not was, because spontaneous life was natural; the evolution of moral costume has limited very much behaviour, but we are habited to think that Middle age was a time very chaste and demure, but truly is contrary this is, about sexual freedom we today live in Middle age, on contrary the Middle age was very free.         

Alessandro Lusana      

                      

Siciolante and his masters

With plural substantive masters of title I want alone remark two models for two paintings of a Italian painter, Girolamo Siciolante(1521-1575), but alone one painter was master of Siciolante, who for his first painting, that isn’t that Vasari indicated, this is Virgin, Child and saints(Fig.1), now in castell Caetani in Sermoneta, and dated 1541, but a panting with Conception(Fig.2), now in cathedral of Sermoneta, that Siciolante almost copied from his master, Leonardo da Pistoia, master of Siciolante, this is Immaculate and saints Rock e Francis in the church of saint Francis and Mary in Potenza(Fig.3), Italy, certainly Siciolante could study this painting and he, for his first commission from Caetani family, for church of Immaculate, in Sermoneta, today saint Joseph, he took this model and followed it almost to copy; if we see well painting of Siciolante and that his master we can see that they are almost specular, substantial cloud, same hand with long fingers, face is almost equal, posture is same, and same cloth, heavy with fold. Between this painting and second work of Siciolante(Fig.1) difference is very remarked and evident; it is possible because Siciolante could see other master, now in Bologna, this is Francesco Rossi(1510-1563), called Salviati, and he could study his altarpiece in church of saint Christine della Fondazza((Fig.4). Siciolante, I think, could goes to Bologna as member of court of Cardinal Niccolò Caetani, that was member of court of Pope Paul 3th Farnese to Bologna during 1541, same year of altarpiece of Sermoneta; we can see very similarities: almost same posture for saint John Baptist(Fig.5) and a saint of altarpiece of Salviati(Fig.6), same fingers and same posture in contrary, face of Virgin is almost specular to face of Virgin of Salviati. Therefore  Siciolante could take these models and he could paint this altarpiece for Abbacy of Valvisciolo, for commission of Caetani family. Other peculiarity is on the date, this is it is only painting with date of Siciolante, 1541, but why it? Because at same year Cardinal Niccolò Caetani gone with his cousin Pope Paul 3th Farnese, and this was first official task in age of 15^th years, therefore is possible that Niccolò or family Caetani would remark this date, because very important for a Cardinal and during this very young age.

Alessandro Lusana   

Fig.1

Fig.2

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Fig.5

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Marivaux this is empty theatre

Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux(1688-1763). Was a French writer both to romance and theatre, some his comedy is very empty; he born in aristocratic family, during ancient regime, and before that French revolution, he tells every behaviour of aristocracy, with all his devoid, he to comedy of The tied, performed at 1736, he writes dialogues that are very empty, full of formal words and posture; therefore he describes life of higher class, that unknown condition of middle class, and common people; the France of revolution not was certainly poor, in conformity with opinion of  Tocqueville, but needs alone political reforms for to give possibility to middle class, In fact French revolution was a long process begun by middle class; but we must consider that this think was unknown both Merivaux and aristocracy. Anyway this theatre is very useless, everything is worked with formal behaviour, and deep sense of comedy is lost among words and cutes very incoherent with principal occasion, the love is a formal confession lacking of feel, alone confessed because it is formal right behaviour; The play of love and case, performed at 1730, other comedy is also worse than first; in this comedy is evident the vacuity of aristocratic class; history or logic is lost, and from begin to and is a whole of useless words; but this performances, describe a costume and a time, that we must consider during his events, but we can also consider that today is not much different from then, formal behaviour, formal words and alone formal posture are also present; therefore the mangender is same during every time.

Alessandro Lusana