Comments on: goddess painting of the day: Sophia (with a side of Psyche) http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2007/03/goddess-painting-of-the-day-sophia-with-a-side-of-psyche/ kris waldherr art and words Tue, 15 May 2012 20:09:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Alan http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2007/03/goddess-painting-of-the-day-sophia-with-a-side-of-psyche/comment-page-1/#comment-319 Alan Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:07:17 +0000 http://artandwords.com/journal/2007/03/16/goddess-painting-of-the-day-sophia-with-a-side-of-psyche/#comment-319 I just came across this bit of Ruskin and thought of your art, Kris - not specifically with regard to this picture of Sophia, but to the inspiration that drives all your art in this area. Here's what he says (forgive him his one-sided gender-ness; he couldn't help being a man of his time): "And herein you see with what a deeply interesting function the modern painter of mythology is invested. He is to place, at the service of former imagination, the art which it had not; - and to realise for us, with a truth then impossible, the visions described by the wisest of men as embodying their most pious thoughts, and their most exalted doctrines: ... bringing the resources of accomplished art to unveil the hidden splendour of old imagination." He was talking about people like Burne-Jones and G.F. Watts, but he could just as easily have been talking about you. The idea is the same. I just came across this bit of Ruskin and thought of your art, Kris – not specifically with regard to this picture of Sophia, but to the inspiration that drives all your art in this area. Here’s what he says (forgive him his one-sided gender-ness; he couldn’t help being a man of his time):

“And herein you see with what a deeply interesting function the modern painter of mythology is invested. He is to place, at the service of former imagination, the art which it had not; – and to realise for us, with a truth then impossible, the visions described by the wisest of men as embodying their most pious thoughts, and their most exalted doctrines: … bringing the resources of accomplished art to unveil the hidden splendour of old imagination.”

He was talking about people like Burne-Jones and G.F. Watts, but he could just as easily have been talking about you. The idea is the same.

]]>