Tom Thomson
Автор: Joan Murray
Год издания: 0000
This is an intimate biography of an artist who became a legend after his death, but who in his private life stands revealed as a troubled man who was, in many ways, his own victim. Joan Murray’s new biography is part detective work, too: she investigates his beliefs, and the origins of his great masterpieces, and provides a convincing description of the possible circumstances of his death. The art of Tom Thomson represents one of the high points of Canadian modernism, which flourished in the first two decades of this century. During his brief career, lasting just five years, Thomson evolved a highly intense, naturalistic style, introducing formal innovations and challenging the idiom of the tonal landscape of painters popular in his day. Thomson’s idiosyncratic expressionist landscape art reflected the intellectual and psychological climate of pre-World War I Canada. It developed against the complex cultural background that produced the poets Bliss Carmen and Duncan Campbell Scott and, later, the painters of the Group of Seven. Despite his short creative life, and only half a decade of mature artistic activity, Thomson, a superb designer, produced an extensive body of work – more than thirty canvases and three hundred oil sketches – in a remarkably personal style, characterized by unusual colour combinations and strong patterns. Through it he conveyed the existential dimension of nature, making Algonquin Park – its trees, waters, and winds – the principal subject of his work.
Thomsons Jahreszeiten
Автор: James Thomson
Год издания:
Примечание: Времена года Полный вариант заголовка: «Thomsons Jahreszeiten / in deutschen Jamben von Harries».
The Prince (Translated by Ninian Hill Thomson with an Introduction by Henry Cust)
Автор: Niccolo Machiavelli
Год издания:
Originally published in 1532, nearly five years after the author’s death, “The Prince” is a pioneering work of modern political philosophy for which Niccolo Machiavelli is best remembered. Intended to be a treatise on ruling for princes, “The Prince” is one of the world’s first and most impactful works of political science. In the book Machiavelli offers many bits of practical advice on how to rule and even though the book was written in the early 16th century the ideas are still very relevant today. Where “The Prince” differs from other political literature is in its separation of the lofty idealism of morality and ethics from the practical demands of governing. It is this very aspect of Machiavelli’s work that has made his name synonymous with an almost immoral opportunism. It has been argued that Machiavelli himself was not quite as devious in reality as his work would suggest but that he takes up this style in his work in order to present a provocative treatise that recognizes the pragmatic demands of governance. The impact on Western civilization of Machiavelli’s work cannot be overstated, and in “The Prince” we find a concise exposition of his political philosophy. This edition follows the translation of Ninian Hill Thomson, includes an introduction by Henry Cust, and a biographical afterword.
Persuasion (Illustrated by Hugh Thomson)
Автор: Jane Austen
Год издания:
First published in 1818, “Persuasion” was English novelist Jane Austen’s last completed work. The novel centers on the story of Anne Elliot, a lovely young woman who years prior had accepted the proposal for marriage from the handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth. Despite Frederick’s cleverness and ambition, his lower social status and lack of wealth makes him an inappropriate match for Anne in the view of her family. Instead of following her heart Anne follows the advice of family friend, Lady Russell, who acting in place of her late mother encourages the young girl not to marry him. Years after breaking off the engagement, Anne is still unmarried and has not forgotten about Frederick, now a Captain in the navy and quite wealthy from his conquests during the Napoleonic Wars. Frederick, now a most eligible bachelor, has returned into her life and is ready to marry, just not to Anne, who he has still not forgiven for rejecting him. A biting criticism of the potential pitfalls of placing societal expectations ahead of the desires of the heart, “Persuasion” remains as one of the author’s most moving love stories. This edition is illustrated by Hugh Thomson.
Northanger Abbey (Illustrated by Hugh Thomson)
Автор: Jane Austen
Год издания:
First published posthumously in 1817, “Northanger Abbey” was actually the first finished novel that Jane Austen wrote. It is the story of seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland, one of ten children of a country clergyman, who imagines life as living in one of the Gothic novels with which she is excessively fond of reading. When she is invited by her wealthy neighbors, the Fullertons, to accompany them to the spa town of Bath she experiences her first taste of the fashionable upper class society of England. While there she meets the clever young gentleman, Henry Tilney, his sister Eleanor, and their father, the imposing General Tilney. The Tilneys invite Catherine to come stay with them at their estate, the titular Northanger Abbey. Catherine’s naive over-active imagination quickly leads to embarrassment when she infers some sinister circumstances regarding the lack of emotion that General Tilney shows for the loss of his deceased wife. Eventually she realizes that real life is not at all like that of a Gothic novel. Noted for the insight it gives to Austen’s one opinions of the literature of her day, “Northanger Abbey” is both a satirical parody of the gothic romance novel and the story of a young girl’s maturation into womanhood. This edition is illustrated by Hugh Thomson.
The Scarlet Letter (Illustrated by Hugh Thomson with an Introduction by Katharine Lee Bates)
Автор: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Год издания:
First published in 1850, “The Scarlet Letter” is the work that would establish Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary legacy. It is the story of Hester Prynne, a young attractive woman who has been convicted of the crime of adultery and has been sentenced to wear a scarlet letter “A” sewn to her dress. As the result of the affair, Hester has a child named Pearl and because the man with whom she has committed this act refuses to come forward she finds herself having to raise the child alone. The novel, which is set in middle 17th century Boston, is a vivid picture of the archaic social beliefs and customs that were indicative of early colonial American life. It is a time in which adultery was not only considered immoral but was a crime and extreme puritanical beliefs ruled everyday life. Hawthorne’s narrative is an exploration of the nature of sin, guilt, and the way in which society tries to police morality through the rule of law. A haunting portrait of days long past, “The Scarlet Letter” is a brilliant portrayal of life in Puritanical America. This edition is illustrated by Hugh Thomson, includes an introduction by Katharine Lee Bates, and a biographical afterword.