Vermeer

Impressions of the Summer Recounted in Autumn - Trip to Paris and Georgia

Paris-Georgia Travelogue] (31) Postscript - After the Paris-Georgia Trip

I have come this far with the hypothesis that "Tolstoy's origin may have been in Kafkaes.

And it actually made me think of the landscape and the mountain people that Tolstoy would have seen.

This resulted in a connection with Dostoevsky.

Dostoevsky is the exact opposite of Tolstoy. So if you learn one, you learn the other."

That is exactly what happened.

This article will summarize this Paris-Georgia trip. This concludes my "Impressions of Summer in Autumn".
Impressions of the Summer Recounted in Autumn - Trip to Paris and Georgia

(19) The original of Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" was a masterpiece far beyond imagination.

In our previous article, we introduced Vermeer's masterpiece, The View of Delft.

The Mauritshuis Museum also has another masterpiece that is a must-see for Vermeer fans.

It is that "Girl with a Pearl Earring".

Actually, I did not have such high expectations for this painting. I like "Delft" the best, and I originally had little interest in this painting.

However, my thoughts changed drastically on that day. I had no idea that it was such an amazing painting!

This article will discuss the charms of "Girl with a Pearl Earring".
Impressions of the Summer Recounted in Autumn - Trip to Paris and Georgia

(18) Enjoy Vermeer's masterpiece "View of Delft" at the Mauritshuis Museum in the Netherlands!

The city of Den Haag is less than 30 minutes by train from Delft, the city of Vermeer.

Here is the Mauritshuis Museum, where Vermeer's masterpieces "The View of Delft" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring" are on display.

I came to the Netherlands partly to see the city of Delft, but most of all to see my favorite "View of Delft" and Vermeer's most famous work, "Girl with a Pearl Earring". In this article, I would like to talk about the "View of Delft.
Impressions of the Summer Recounted in Autumn - Trip to Paris and Georgia

(17) Introducing the places associated with Vermeer's hometown of Delft! Also the connection with Löwenhoek, famous for its microscope!

This article introduces Delft, the city associated with Vermeer, one of the Netherlands' most famous painters of light.

Vermeer lived in this town for most of his life and created many masterpieces. There are many places in Delft that still remain today that are associated with Vermeer.

I will also talk in this article about another genius, Löwenhoek, who was born in this town in 1632, exactly the same year as Vermeer. Famous for his discovery of microorganisms through the microscope, he and Vermeer were neighbors. We can only marvel at these two great men who explored the "invisible world" through the lens.
Impressions of the Summer Recounted in Autumn - Trip to Paris and Georgia

(13) I can't get enough of Monet's "Impression, Sunrise"! Enjoy its masterpieces at the Marmottan Monet Museum!

Monet's "Impression, Sunrise" is a truly magical painting. Although the entire picture is hazy, it is pleasant. The depiction of the setting sun and the reflection of its light is truly a masterpiece. For some reason, this painting has a mysterious charm that draws you in. I cannot put it into words any better than this.

Without a doubt, this is the painting I fell in love with the most in Paris.

Thankfully, unlike the Louvre and Orsay, this museum is not so crowded. So you can take your time and immerse yourself in your favorite works of art to your heart's content. I highly recommend this museum as well. And I would be more than happy if you could take your time to enjoy "Impression, Sunrise".
The Italian Renaissance and the Revolution of Knowledge

A. Pettigree, "The Revolution of Printing: Books and Everyday Life in the Renaissance" - Recommended to learn about the origins of letterpress printing and the Lutheran connection!

In "The Revolution of Printing: Books and Everyday Life in the Renaissance," you will learn not only about Gutenberg's invention, but also about the history of books and publishing in a much broader scope, from the time long before the invention of letterpress printing, when handwritten manuscripts were at their height, to the publishing industry after Gutenberg's invention. The book is a book about the history of books and publishing.

This is a must for book lovers.

It is a large work of over 550 pages, but it is a masterpiece that is highly readable.

It is recommended to learn about it in the context of the historical background of the time.
Vermeer, the Painter of Light and the Scientific Revolution

J. Glascock, "The History of Glasses" - When did glasses begin? An exciting book to learn about the historical background and culture!

This work is unique in that it not only traces the history of eyeglasses, but also looks at the evolution of eyeglasses from the perspective of culture, especially fashion.

It has now been more than 700 years since the first mention of eyeglasses appeared in history in 1267.

It was very interesting to see what kind of spectacles were in demand at that time and age, and what kind of social meaning there was in wearing those spectacles.

This book was very exciting to learn about the history of eyeglasses, which seems to be known but is surprisingly unknown.
Impressions of the Summer Recounted in Autumn - Trip to Paris and Georgia

Takahiro Ueda, "Impressions of Summer Written in Autumn: A Journey to Paris and Georgia" - A Journey to Study Dostoevsky and Tolstoy

For approximately one month, from mid-August to mid-September 2022, I have been traveling around Europe, mainly in Georgia.

This trip visited France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Georgia-Armenia.

Its main purpose was to see the Caucasus Mountains in northern Georgia.

I have been researching "Shinran and Dostoevsky" for the past three years. And this year, in order to learn more about Dostoevsky, I also decided to study Tolstoy, who is said to be the opposite of Dostoevsky.

And in the process, I came to know these Caucasus mountains.
Don Quixote, the beloved itinerant knight.

Kunikazu Iwane, "The Tragedy of the Spanish Invincible Armada" - Recommended to learn about the Battle of Armada, Pirate Drake, and the fall of Spain!

This work follows in detail the course of the Battle of the Armada, in which the famous Spanish Invincible Armada was defeated.

The British defeated the Spanish Invincible Armada in 1588, which led to the downfall of Spain and the beginning of British maritime supremacy in this naval battle.

The defeat of the Spanish Invincible Armada is often talked about as the exploits of the famous pirate Drake and the spectacular victory of the British fleet, as shown in the picture above, but in fact, this book will show that this naval battle was not such a simple plot.

The connection to Cervantes, author of "Don Quixote," was also interesting!
Vermeer, the Painter of Light and the Scientific Revolution

F. Crain's "William Adams - Ieyasu's beloved man, Anjin Miura" - The true face of William Adams, an Englishman who came to Japan aboard the Dutch ship Liefde for the first time.

I became interested in the East India Company because of Vermeer, and this was an enjoyable read because of the connection to Japanese history as well.

The fact that William Adams drifted to Japan on the Dutch ship Liefde would later have a very significant impact on the trade between the Dutch East India Company and the Shogunate.

Vermeer, the East India Company, and the Edo Shogunate.

We view Vermeer's paintings while thinking about the connection between these three things. This is a maniacal yet enjoyable style of appreciation!