Friday, 10 September 2010
Lincoln
Sometimes you come across an enchanting and unexpected experience and one of those moments was when we visited Lincoln a few weeks back. What a pleasant surprise we had, whilst walking down through the oldest part of the town, with its old fashioned shop-windows just past a corner there it was, this enormous and awesome cathedral bathed in golden light that I never knew was there. For beautiful buildings you think of Oxford and Cambridge but this town rivals any of them and to me, it seems like a well kept secret as the atmosphere is not so crowded as the other two cities are. The cathedral is massive and magical, almost unreal during the night with its finely-kept intricate wooden carvings in the entrance and although we couldn't see it from the inside, it was impressive enough from the outside. Some day I hope to visit Lincoln and its castle with more time to explore inside them. The Cathedral and the castle were built by William the Conqueror. Wonderful buildings that were made to last through the centuries. A real treat.
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18 comments:
Indeed Maria some of our cathedrals are masterpieces, and awe-inspiring, particulary when you think of the conditions under which they were built. I find also that the grounds around the cathedrals can be rather magical, e.g. the area around Wells cathedral, quiet little avenues where the cathedral staff etc live.
Yes Robert, they make you gaze up at the sky in communion with the universe, it is also a quiet place to reflect and be at peace with oneself but I get the same feeling when I gaze at the stars at night. For me it is the closest I can feel to being at peace and tranquility and at the same time in awe and wonder of the universe. It is a humbling experience to suddenly realize your place in the universe, as being smaller than an ant in the scheme of things and a strange soothing peace overwhelms me. I would say it is the closest I can get to a religious experience.
Hi Maria
Those metaphysical moments when all things seem conjoined and everything exists for the sake of everything else, they're strange moments that's for sure.
Just looking at the photos and aren't the buildings elegant!
Yes indeed very elegant and so grand. In this photo, only a tiny portion of the huge building appears - the tower - You simply marbel at the cheer grandeur of the scale, a wonderful building that no doubt has taken a lot of sacrifice to make. It moved me tremendously.
That house on the corner in the third photo down. WOW! That is something to behold.
Yes, that was the corner we turned when suddenly you come across this massive cathedral.
It's a very strange thing, but one could spend one's entire life working in a cathedral in various capacities, and one could study the building all one's life - and still not know everything about it.
Such things are beutiful and were meant to be so when they were built. They were the only beautiful things in an otherwise colourless and drab existence, which was the lot of most folk in those days.
I don't know whether at the time of building there would have been seats for the congregation, but they must have marvelled when they went inside.
They must have marbelled and also yes, there were seats in the old days but you had to pay for your own seat. Its still the same nowadays. Even today, we marbel about cathedrals. Built anonymously centuries ago, just for us to simply enjoy all these work done so long ago. They were thinking of the future generations.
Yesterday, we went to Chester's Cathedral and the choir was practicing, it all sounded like angels from heaven. We sat there enthralled listening to them sing those beautiful notes. I really found it very soothing. It reminded me of when I was young and used to go to church on Sundays, there was even incense in the air.
Ah incense. Although I'm not religious I did attend the Christmas Eve carol service for a few years, simply out of nostalgia. The vicar used incense and it had a very distinctive smell, not unpleasant but a small amount was enough.
Maria have you ever heard Mozart's Requiem? Sheer heaven.
Yes, I have heard Mozart's Requiem. The whole thing comes alive doesn't it? I have no idea who invented the whole idea of a cathedral since most countries have one. Its just such a fabulous concept.
You have to pay for your seat even now and of course if you are buried there as well. For the most part, its royalty, the nobility or noteworthy people who are buried there. I suppose, its our equivalent of the pyramids in a sense plus the prayers.
Maria, the word "cathedral" comes from the word for a seat or chair, and a cathedral is the seat of a bishop. If the parish priests have their own churches, you can bet your life the bishops aren't going to go short. The building of cathedrals is an example of a virtuous circle, because although they are part of civilisation they couldn't have been built unless there was a fair degree of civilisation to start with - not just in the technical and artistic know-how but in terms of peace too. People aren't going to go to all the labour and expense of building something like that, if marauding hordes are likely to come along and knock them down. So their building was a real sign that things were looking up.
Although I admire the cathedrals, I like the parish churches too. The cathedrals are awe-inspiring, but one does feel sometimes that one's senses are being bludgeoned with the sheer grandeur. I like the homely little churches, they have a different kind of appeal but they're just as nice.
I enjoyed your last post Robert. Very informative and interesting. Yes, I know what you mean about the lovely parish churches, we have one just across the road from our home. It dates back to Norman times and the yew trees trees around it are more than a thousand years old. David Bellamy came to see these trees.
In the churches they use to depict the bible stories through paintings because most people couldn't read. I also like gargoyles.
Funnily enough, in Spanish we have the word catedratico and this is how university lecturers are called. Maybe it has something to do with a seat or a chair.
Although on reflection about what you said earlier. We knocked down Dresden Cathedral and the Germans knocked down Coventry Cathedral. Nothing has changed.
Maria, I'm very impresssed by the work in progress. What does it depict?
Yes, terrible artistic destruction in the war. The wonder is that so much of Italy survived.
Art is different from music and literature. It's difficult to imagine every printed copy of a certain play or musical score being destroyed. But a great painting, sculpture or building is irreplaceable.
Hi Robert, my painting is a homage to the Dutch sculptor Laurent Delvaux. I loved the story its about Vertumnus a nature god who could assume any shape, and is here shown wooing the nymph Pomona. He gained her presence by disguising himself as an old woman, and proceeded to plea his cause. When this failed, he revealed his true identity as a youthful god; he is shown here having removed his mask. Robert this is my first mythological painting. I wanted to paint one before I die.
It's a very good idea to paint mythological subjects. Far from being escapist, these myths touch on very deep matters. I'm sure you'll paint many more, Maria.
Thank you Robert, yes these myths do touch on deep matters and also timeless teachings. I really like the idea that Vertumnus dropped his mask to reveal his real self. Many times people think that by trying to be someone else they will impress someone without realizing that they are better off being themselves.
Maybe I will paint another mythological theme. Mmm...
Sometimes the number of myths can seem a bit overwhelming - so many weird creatures! But one can dip in and take what one wants.
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