Category Arts & Culture

Which is the largest art museum in the world?

The Louvre, Paris is not only the largest art museum in the world, but it is also the world’s most renowned one. More than 8 million visitors come to Louvre each year. With the French monarch’s art collection and the collections that came in as a result of Napoleon’s Empire, the Louvre Museum opened in 1793. The Louvre Palace was a fortress during the twelfth century and has witnessed a lot of changes and renovations over the centuries. The palace was the residence of King Charles V and Philippe II along with their ever-growing art collections before it was turned into a museum. After the Royal Family moved to Versailles, the building that covers a total area of 160,000 square metres was converted into one of the prominent museums in the world.

The museum’s main entrance is a glass pyramid, which was made in the palace’s main courtyard in 1989. This structure changed the monotony of its exterior. The permanent collection of the museum has nearly 300,000 works of art that are dated before 1948. Of those, only 35,000 are exposed to the public.

Some of the most iconic and famous paintings on display are: The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix, and The Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese.

The most important sculptures in Louvre include Venus de Milo, an ancient Greek statue, and Seated Scribe, an ancient Egyptian sculpture.

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What are the five literary classics that had the most uninspiring original titles?

First Impressions

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a story that gives the readers a detailed account of life and liberty in the Regency Era. Published in 1813, it is a social satire that has remained relevant for centuries in its exploration of themes like economic anxiety, class, and the desire to go up the social ladder.

Scholars say that this novel of manners was written as early as 1796-97 and was initially called First Impressions.

The Dead Un-Dead

 Dracula is the most infamous vampire name by far, but did you know that this character was originally going to be called Count Wampyr? That is, until Bram Stoker came across the story of Vlad II of Wallachia and the surname of his descendants, “Dracul”, while doing some research. Before he found the name Dracula and assigned it to his character and book, the working title of the 1897 novel was The Dead Un-Dead.

Tomorrow is Another Day

 Gone With the Wind was the only novel author Margaret Mitchell wrote in her lifetime. Published in 1936, this book marks an important moment in American culture when it was on the cusp of the old and the new. The novel focusses on love, civil war, slavery, and immigration among other things through the experiences of an Irish immigrant family that has come to the U.S. and settled in the south where slavery was a thriving institution. This Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War epic continues to be a hit among the masses. But the lesser-known fact about this classic is that it almost went to print under the name Tomorrow is Another Day. However, the author changed it to what it is, drawing inspiration from a poem by 19th-century French poet Ernest Dowson.

The Last Man in Europe

The original title for George Orwell’s iconic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four published in 1949, was The Last Man in Europe. A couple of months before the manuscript was to be published, Orwell wrote to his publisher, Fredric Warburg, stating that he could not decide between “The Last Man in Europe” and “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Warburg suggested the latter, as he felt it was a more commercial title.

Atticus

American author Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was a literary sensation when it was first published in 1960. The Chicago Tribune called it “a novel of strong contemporary national significance.” The novel’s title is taken from a conversation between Scout and Atticus where the latter states that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” However, this was not the original title of the book. The beloved classic was supposed to be called Atticus until Lee decided that it put too much focus on a single character.

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What is interactive theatre?

Interactive theatre is where the performers encourage members of the audience to discuss pertinent issues with them.

Interactive theatre is a form of theatre which seeks to blur the traditional distinction between the performers and the audience. In traditional theatre, the performance is limited to a stage area and the audience passively observes the action of the play as it unfolds. But in interactive theatre, the actors engage audience members directly, making them active participants.

There are different types of interactive theatre. In immersive theatre, for instance, the audience is invited to the same stage area or playing space as the performers. They may be asked to hold props or become characters in the play. In improvisational theatre, viewers are asked to give performance suggestions.

In interactive therapeutic or educational plays, the audience is encouraged to discuss pertinent issues with the performers.

In some interactive plays, the audience is asked to determine the ending of a play by participating in a collective vote. For example, in “Night of January 16th,” a 1934 courtroom drama by famed Russian-American writer Ayn Rand, the audience decides whether the defendant is guilty or not, thus playing the role of the jury.

Many practitioners of interactive theatre use the black box format. In such a format, the play is staged in a room with black walls, movable seating, lighting and a stage that is devised to create an immersive experience. Space is used in an innovative manner the audience may be seated in the centre, on revolving chairs and the stage surrounds them.

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What is the role of cultural heritage in our life?

Heritage plays a crucial role in the life of every individual. Museums and historical sites are your gateways to knowledge and prepare you for appreciating the cultural diversity of the world. How can heritage change you? Well, read on to find out!

Heritage, in simple words, is what we have inherited, what has been passed on to us over centuries. The ancient buildings, temples and the natural wealth around us tell us who we were once and how we have changed over time. Historic sites like Keezhadi and Machu Picchu teach us about our great art, culture and architecture. Old inscriptions educate us on how languages came by. Plants and animals (think Galapagos) point to our evolution. Knowing our heritage inspires us to do better. It tells us what we can achieve. When we damage or wipe out our past, we take away from future generations the right to see and experience them. Here are a few things you can do as children to explore the heritage of our land.

1. Ask questions. Connect with your heritage.

Start asking questions about old buildings in your neighbourhood. When was it built? Who lived there? How is it different from the other buildings? A sixty-year-old house in my area has a 12-foot-high ceiling, a red mud floor that feels cool underfoot and rooms built around an open courtyard. The Triplicane police station on Wallajah Road in Chennai, a heritage structure according to the Archaeological Survey of India, has a plaque that says it was opened in 1890.

Who was the Governor of Madras at that time? (Lord Connemara) Who was the Commissioner of Police? (Col T Weldon) Who designed it? (Henry Irwin, a famous architect) In what style of architecture? (Indo-Saracenic). Its history says the building was a shed for chariots before it became a police station. And why was Chennai’s Besant Nagar called Amaiyur?

2.  Visit

Wherever you are travelling, visit the local museum. You will find extra-ordinary insights about the area’s past – its people, their lives. home, food, clothing, music and dance, healthcare and traditions. For instance, the Egmore museum has a wonderful collection of Chola bronzes.

Set up in 1972, the Bastar Anthropological Museum in Jagadalpur, Chattisgarh, houses a rare collection including head-caps, shoes, jewellery, musical instruments, clothing, paintings, wood-carvings, weapons, masks, handicraft and a wide variety of objects used in daily life. It serves as a window to the living and ethnic cultures of various tribes in Bastar. Go to Kaziranga National Park, the world heritage site for the one-homed rhinoceros. If you pass through Chhatrapathi Shivaji rail terminus, find out why it is a world heritage site.

Indian Railways is the proud owner of these UNESCO World Heritage trains and routes viz the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway and Kalka Shimla Railway. Have you ever travelled in them? Did you know that in Europe, a path taken by pilgrims is now a World Heritage site?

3. Participate: Talk Read, write, Promote

Participate in any heritage-discovering activity. Join city/tree walks in your town. Sketch and note down in a diary what you see and hear. Watch movies that discuss your heritage. What does Ponniyin Selvan say about the Chola rule? You can spend an afternoon reading the words below the statues on Marina beach and learn a whole lot of history. Take part in art competitions that ask you to draw monuments. Organise heritage quizzes at school and family gatherings. For instance, a friend gives prizes to her kolu visitors who answer questions on her display of mythological stories. (e.g. Name the characters).

Write letters to friends/family abroad about a heritage symbol (place of worship. old building, natural wonder). Show your visiting cousins your city’s historic sights. Never miss a chance to participate in old fairs and festivals. The dragon festival is 2000 years old; the 300-year-old Raksha Bandhan festival has a wonderful story about its origin.

4. Preserve:

Worldwide, there are efforts to preserve the past. Cities were restored after World War II bombings. Fearing the Aswan High Dam in Egypt would flood the nearby valley containing the Abu Simbel temples. UNESCO got them removed and reassembled it stone by stone on higher ground.

When students of Geology. Presidency College, cleaned up the imposing statue on a landing, they discovered that it was the figure of their founder-principal, Powell, carved by John Adams-Acton in 1838 in London. The plaque below read, “erected by many Rajahs, Zamindars, former pupils and friends to mark their respect for his character and their grateful appreciation of his services in the cause of higher education for than 30 years. The students found that among the 200+ tiles around the statue, each had a different pattern! Here is an activity. On national days, after the flag-hoisting, clean up a historical statue in your town. Help clean up an old library. Paint heritage structures on the walls.

Trees are a part of heritage too! Look for old trees wherever you go. A police station in my neighbourhood is built around an ancient peepal tree. The Adyar Banyan tree (Adyar Aalamaram), located in the Theosophical society campus, Chennai, is believed to be 450 years old and is estimated to occupy 40,000 square feet. Report to the town authorities if you see trees getting cut.

5. Pledge

World Heritage Week is celebrated from November 19-25 every year to create awareness about the rich cultural heritage of the country among the general public, students and children. One activity during this time that you can indulge in is to renew the pledge: “I will not scribble on, deface or encroach upon any monument I will respect all monuments, which are a part of my country’s heritage: I will render all possible help to conserve and preserve our heritage.”

Tell people of the importance of preserving these invaluable sites by sharing news and links through social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Volunteer in NGOs that organise efforts to clean up heritage areas. Listen to talks on heritage viz. Sangam Talks, Center for Indic Studies, We Care Trust, Upword, Prachyam. You could also collect donations to support UNESCO and its projects.

And above all: Would you like to study for and become a heritage conservationist? Well, think about it.

Wodehouse: The master of comedy

With a comical plot, ludicrous scenarios, and eccentric characters. Wodehouse scripted a world around the social atmosphere of the late Edwardian era, poking fun at the English upper class Let’s take a look at the writer whose birth anniversary falls this month.

It is like an escape into a land of comedy. Nothing wrong could happen to you here. English writer P.G. Wodehouse’s literary world is all about entertainment. Pick any of his books and you are assured of a good laugh riot.

It is easy to get lost in the whimsical world of the upper-class English, and delight in the often absurd and funny scenarios that take on a wacky, idiosyncratic turn as the plot progresses. His is a comic tradition that continues to remain unsurpassed, taking you on a humorous journey.

One of the greatest 20th-century writers of humour, Wodehouse created a new realm of comedy through his books. With a highly evolving, comical plot, ludicrous scenarios, and eccentric characters, Wodehouse scripted a world around the social atmosphere of the late Edwardian era, poking fun at the English upper class.

Early years

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was born on October 15, 1881 in Guildford, Surrey, England. Educated in Dulwich College,

London, Wodehouse took up a bank job. His career started at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank.

But he soon quit it and turned his attention to writing. He became a freelance journalist and short story writer. He later became a humour columnist at the London Globe (1902). He also wrote for many other publications. In the same year, he published his first novel “The Pothunters.”

When Wodehouse was made a prisoner

During the war, in 1940, he was captured in France by German forces. He was in a German internment camp for a year where he kept writing.

Whilst being a prisoner, he agreed to be part of a series of talks on German radio. Little did he know that he was playing right into the Nazi propaganda machine.

The broadcasts were a humorous take on his experiences as a prisoner in which he also made fun of his captors. But these broadcasts didn’t go down well with the politicians and journalists in Britain.

There were accusations of treason. Later, he went back to America and continued his writing journey. He never returned to his homeland. He received a knighthood in 1975,

The comical riot

It all started with Something Fresh (1915), his comic debut. There he introduced the Emsworth family. It is the first instalment of the Blandings Castle series. The eccentric Lord Emsworth and his prize-winning pig the Empress of Blandings, along with a legion of relatives and impostors take you on a comical riot in the Blandings Castle series.

Among the other characters he created, the most loved are the duo Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. They first made their debut in the story Extricating Young Gussie (1915). Jeeves, the inimitable “gentleman’s gentleman” of the young bachelor Bertie, is perhaps the valet everyone would love to have at home. He saves the day always and gets Bertie out of every bizarre situation he puts himself in.

Musical journey

It was not just fiction Wodehouse was a master at. He wrote scripts and song lyrics for composers. A novelist, short-story writer, lyricist, and playwright. Wodehouse donned many caps. He wrote more than 90 books, over 20 film scripts and also collaborated on plays and musical comedies. He is often regarded as one of the pioneers of the American musical.

‘Sunset at Blandings’ was his last and unfinished novel. Wodehouse died at the age of 93 on February 14, 1975, in Southampton, N.Y.

Wodehouse loved dogs

In Pekes, hounds and mutts I have known, an article he wrote as an introduction to ‘Son of Bitch’, a book of photographs by Elliott Erwitt, Wodehouse talks about the many dogs he has had the company of. The first dog he had, Sammy, a French bulldog, was given to him by his colleague. The article ends with his musings about dogs and humour. Here is a peek into how entertaining Wodehouse can be: ‘My own opinion is that some have and some don’t. Dachshunds have, but not St Bernards and Great Danes. Apparently a dog has to be small to be fond of a joke. You never find an Irish wolfhound trying to be a stand-up comic.’

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What is Fantasmagoria?

Fantasmagoria was a popular form of horror theatre that was brought from Berlin, Germany to France in the 18th Century and thrilled audiences with macabre illusions created through audio effects and magic lanterns.

Fantasmagoria was a popular form of horror theatre that was brought from Berlin, Germany to France in the 18th Century and thrilled audiences with macabre illusions created through audio effects and magic lanterns. This kind of experimental visual storytelling can be clearly seen as a precursor to modern horror movies. Étienne-Gaspard Robert, a physicist and stage magician, is one of the most influential figures in this genre of the theatre.

Magic lanterns

The discoveries in the fields of science and technology at the end of the 17th Century allowed for the invention of the magic lantern for the projection of images.

Professor Tom gunnings from the University of Chicago, explains this technology was the precursor to the slide projector of more recent times. It was an invention that consisted of a lamp which allowed images painted on glass to be projected on the objects in dim-lit rooms.

Fantasmagoria was a spectacular theatrical experience which was often held inside abandoned crypts and the stone chambers that were built underneath the floors of old churches. These crypts usually contained religious items like altars, coffins and magical symbols and in combination with the sound effects and optical illusions created by the magic lanterns, would leave the spectators shivering and shuddering, covering their eyes out of fear.

The critical thought

Art is often employed as a tool to push through the boundaries of culture, politics and economics. The fantasmagoria shows under the guise of entertainment opened an avenue to voice social concerns, critique blighted superstitions and bring forth the blind side of enlightenment.

The concept of this revolutionary spectacle was used as a metaphor by influential thinkers like Karl Marx and Walter Benjamin to describe how people were tangled up by the materialism, aesthetic paraphernalia and propaganda of the capitalist world.

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