Sara Collantes: Gustav Klimt - NUDA VERITAS

The painter in 1912

Klimt has never been one of my favorite painters; in fact he isn’t in my top five, whose first place has been a never-ending fight for years between Caravaggio and Turner. However, I have to admit that his work is absolutely lovely and completely original. Nowadays his works seem to be very accessible, easily acceptable, and and it’s us women who tend to experiment a magical, inexplicable connection with his paintings at once.

Today, when one first sees a painting by Klimt one might think that it is nice on purpose, made to please, but the eyes and minds of the Viennese in 1890 were not as used as ours to seeing such sensual and, on occasions, explicit sex gestures. He was accused of being provocative and sometimes even “sexually perverted and pornographic”.

Palas, 1898

Klimt belongs to neither the 19th nor the 20th century; however, he knew how to combine challenges and unite both historicism and symbolism, as well as naturalism and abstraction, in one single painting. He lived between the academicism of Makart and the unstoppable advance of the expressionism of Kokoschka and Egon Schiele. Therefore, we can’t classify him into a specific style. But in a time and place where a breakthrough of originality had been asked, Klimt was the answer.

He once said (quote) about his own art: 

“I have never painted a self-portrait. I am less interested in myself as a subject for a painting than I am in other people, above all women… There is nothing special about me. I am a painter who paints day after day from morning to night … Whoever wants to know something about me … ought to look carefully at my pictures.”

The Kiss, 1908

Klimt adored women; they were his main theme above all others. He surrendered himself to the feminine symbolism to depict the hypocritical Viennese society. Women were claiming for new positions on both an ideological and cultural level, always overshadowed by their wealthy bourgeois husbands. The female body was the main subject of his paintings, and he explored the sensuality of feminine beauty, from the kindest joy of pure love to the arrogant power of the “femme fatale”.

Medicine Hygieia, 1901

Judith, 1901

Many artists had tried to express the beauty of romance. Klimt captured the power of romantic love in his worldwide known painting “The Kiss”, which is a celebration of pleasure, joy and life. But “his” women aren’t always so tender as the one in The Kiss. They are also fascinating, irresistible sorceresses who provoke an inevitable attraction. Such unbelievable strength lies in Palas Athenea, Danae or Hygieia. They look at us saucily, insolently, trying to rouse the spectator. In my opinion, the proudest, most shameless of these women is one hanging in my room, Judith. She’s the paradigm of the femme fatale, even in the Biblical story in which she beheads Holofernes in order to save the Jewish people. But in this case, the painting loses its Biblical meaning on behalf of the woman’s seductive power. She’s delightfully vicious, charmingly sinful and fascinatingly perverse. Klimt demonstrated here the undeniable erotic superiority of women.

There’s a movie I haven’t seen it yet but it’s in my list of must-see films, based on Klimt’s life and featuring one of my favorite actors, John Malkovich.

Let me end up saying that Klimt is a delightful painter who devoted his entire life to women, so we in return should give him some of this love back.

Fernando: THE MORUCHA BREED

Salamanca is a worldwide-known city, famous for its main landmarks, like the old University, the breathtaking Plaza Mayor, the Old Town and, of course, its magnificent cathedrals. All in all, it is a place full of history, where significant events in the past changed the course of modern life somehow. It is considered an appealing city to live in for many reasons, too many to mention right now. There will be a more propitious moment to say something about how life is in this small town, because the purpose of this post is rather different.

I intend to remark that my homeland has other treasures, unfortunately unknown to many. One of them is its beautiful province, which is formed basically by four different landscapes: The Armuña, the Arribes del Duero, the Sierras of Béjar and Francia and the Campo Charro. According to senior geographers, there are even more. However, I want to simplify them in order to get a better understanding. I am going to focus on” El Campo Charro”, a landscape which is an extended area comprising the south of Salamanca, Vitigudino, Ciudad Rodrigo and Linares de Riofrío. It is a marvelous landscape full of oaks, cork oaks and, above all, our mighty “encina” (Quercus ilex, holm oak). This unique tree is evergreen, as it never loses its leaves and gives a very singular, rich fruit called “bellota” (= acorn). The vast majority of this particular zone is a meadow where a fine, nutritive pasture essential to animal feeding grows. The perfect combination between “encinas” and meadows provides a remarkable view whenever you contemplate it, no matter what season of the year you choose. This is an area where a very specific kind of cows lives: ”The Morucha breed”.

To be honest, prior to writing something about this issue, I must admit that I am certainly not an expert. Therefore, the aim of this entry is to give sort of a general outline on what these cows are like to those who do not know them yet. Consequently, to identify them at first sight, first of all, it is important to mention that they have two different types of hair, black and grey, but both share a common characteristic, which is having a black mouth. But what strikes you most about these singular animals is their long, white upright horns with black ends. They are big-sized cows indeed, with a short neck and the whole body in an almost rectangular shape. This livestock is extremely agile, as they are able to trot, even to gallop whenever any circumstance makes them shy away. Additionally, all of them have an expressive look and graceful movements, which you can notice it, if you just take the time to make an accurate observation. Their extraordinary adaptability to extreme weather allows them to live freely in open spaces such as ours, with cold winters and hot summers. At the same time, their strong maternal instinct, together with their fertility and longevity, make these creatures almost a perfect breed.

As I have said above, these cattle live freely, not in intensive or battery farms, and eat naturally. Fundamentally, their food comes from pasture, fodder, dry cereals and acorns, creating a perfect ecosystem that contributes to developing a good environmental protection. So the meat these cows provide is undoubtedly a very healthy, full of flavour and surprisingly tender at the same time. I highly recommend tasting it to those who have not done it yet.

Nowadays, many governments are studying how to encourage people to change their eating habits, because an unhealthy diet is considered a global problem. For that reason, all of us should use quality ingredients in our meals and be aware of how bad fast food is. To me a balanced diet means eating the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals that can protect you from illness, and to have a good physical-mental health.

Finally, I should emphasize that our country has excellent and healthy products. To my mind, the Mediterranean diet is the best choice, instead of imitating bad eating habits from overseas. That is what so many people are doing unwittingly, and going along this path is plain wrong, no doubt, which will have serious consequences in the near future.

Thanks, dear fernando, for this enlightening post about our native breed, whose tender meat I always relish whenever I order it in a restaurant. I guess I'll do even more from now on!

Nelson Mandela has died

Last night I received a whatssap from my son in Maastricht, which just read: "Dad, Mandela is gone!" It caught me so unawares that I admit I took a couple of seconds to realise the sad news: South Africa's first black President and arguably the most iconic, inspirational figure in politics over the last 50 years had passed away. Immediately, I logged on to BBC news and I read the headline: Mandela dies aged 95. His long battle against a lung infection was over. Madiba (his clan name), the father of modern South Africa, whose life had been devoted to a brave struggle against apartheid and in favour of the civil rights of his fellow black citizens, was dead.

It is only coincidence that Chani recently mentioned on our blog how Rodriguez, while utterly neglected in his native America, was passionately idolized in South Africa during the time when Mandela was in prison for 27 long years, and his music had inspired and kept alive the dreams of many people throughout the oppressive regime.

You know, I've always said that if was given the chance to meet a politician in the flesh that would, no doubt, be (have been, actually) Nelson Mandela, definitely one of my all-time heroes. A tortured man who was willing to forgive and forget his ruthless enemies for the sake and welfare of his country, who through his sensitive words and selfless deeds transformed a nation, a leader who's universally admired and acknowledged. His personal warmth and charisma always moved me, the story of his struggle and imprisonment, which I find so courageous, made me think of how generous a human being can be.

There are many memorable quotes that define his compelling personality. Among the many I could cite, I've extracted a few as a modest tribute to his life - and death:

- Racism is a blight on the human conscience. The idea that any people can be inferior to another, to the point where those who consider themselves superior define and treat the rest as sub-human, denies the humanity even of those who elevate themselves to the status of gods.

- Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.

- As the years progress one increasingly realises the importance of friendship and human solidarity. And if a 90-year-old may offer some unsolicited advice on this occasion, it would be that you, irrespective of your age, should place human solidarity, the concern for the other, at the centre of the values by which you live.

-  I was the symbol of justice in the court of the oppressor, the representative of the great ideals of freedom, fairness and democracy in a society that dishonoured those virtues. I realized then and there that I could carry on the fight even in the fortress of the enemy.

Such wise words he spoke, true lessons of human dignity and solidarity which we all (and especially our oft corrupted, selfish politicians) should learn from. That's why I decided to post this entry today, rather fittingly on the day we celebrate our Constitution, and I'd love you guys to join me and send in your own comments about Nelson Mandela. Politicians and religious leaders of all creeds across the world are unanimously praising the great man and his legacy so I'm sure many of you would like to share your thoughts about him too.

When I think of Mandela a song springs up, one by Scottish band Simple Minds, who in the late 80s paid a heartfelt tribute on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his cruel imprisonment: "Mandela Day". The Youtube clip I've found features the song as well as some of Mandela's everlasting quotes plus a few articles of the Universal declaration of Human Rights, so often trampled in our society:

Mandela is finally free. Long live the spirit of Madiba!

Luis. A book review: Memento Mori

Last year, when I was still living in Valladolid, I discovered a novel which now I bring to this blog. It is the first part of a trilogy whose author is César Pérez Gellida, a brave man from Valladolid, who quit his job in order to devote himself to his writing career. The first fruit of this is Memento Mori.

Let me tell you a little about the story. There’s the seemingly typical police inspector, Sancho, and a murder to investigate. A corpse has been found, horribly mutilated, next to a note with a poem. We could expect a police thriller, like many others with these ingredients, but this would be a big mistake, because "Memento Mori" contains several details that make it different and innovative from its beginning, including the foreword by Michael Robinson.

The story is told alternating the points of view of the two main characters: Sancho, the investigator, and Augusto, the murderer. We see the perspective of the antagonist very closely. We know his identity from the very first page, but the plot does not lose interest because of this early revelation. On the contrary, after ending the novel, the feeling is that Augusto is the engine of the story.

Sancho is a tormented inspector, dealing with ghosts from the past, whereas Augusto is psychologically complex. Not only do we perceive their fears, their strengths and weaknesses, but also we go on a tour through the streets of Valladolid while they try to beat each other. An extremely interesting route filled with monuments, famous streets, as well as pubs and restaurants.

There is room for constant literary references, like Kafka; many of them are the inspiration of Augusto for his murders.

His musical preferences are also the key to understand his behavior. So for the novel’s soundtrack, which is available on the author’s website, songs by Héroes del Silencio, Placebo, Rammstein and Depeche Mode, among others, appear during the development of the plot.

In short, Memento Mori is a different reading experience and you will easily devour its pages. However, a calm reading is recommended in order to enjoy each page better, and, of course, you must have Youtube at hand as the songs complement the story. It’s a novel to read as well as to listen to. When you finish it, you will probably be looking forward to reading its sequel, “Dies Irae”.