― NA (Nick A.), Monday, 11 August 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)
― Bryan (Bryan), Monday, 11 August 2003 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)
The work itself is quite large, using a canvas that is approximately 6 feet by 4 feet. Since the subject takes up almost the entire space, it lends to a larger-than-life quality that is quite imposing. This quality is important to the piece in that the Cardinal is a person of authority and stature in El Greco’s period and by painting him in this manner, it almost turns the viewer into a child, staring up in an almost frightened manner at a respected adult.
Upon first impressions, the composition of the work seems fairly simple and stark in design. The focus is on the Cardinal, who is seated in a chair in a room that, from what the viewer can see of it, resembles a cathedral or monastery setting, with its tapestried wall and tiled floor. The Cardinal—a thin, elongated figure—bears a stern expression, and his body is displayed in an interesting fashion. He gives the impression of alertness and tenseness while not looking uneasy. His left hand clutches the arm of the chair tightly, the left shoulder leaning forward slightly, as if ready to get up, but his opposite side is relaxed, with his hand dangling loosely. This pose indicates the Cardinal as a confident, self-assured man, and again it brings up the idea of the power figure—the Cardinal—versus the ordinary man—the viewer.
An interesting juxtaposition within the simple layout of the work is found at the bottom of the piece. The uncluttered design is suddenly marred by a slip of paper lying on the floor between the Cardinal’s planted feet. The composition of the paper indicates that it was folded into quadrants, much like a letter would be, possibly giving a reason towards his odd pose and strange expression. One imagines that the subject of the letter was not pleasant, causing the Cardinal to either throw it down or simply drop it from shock or annoyance. His position, looking ready to bolt into action, is a response to the message. While the subject matter of the painting is beguiling, the actual manner of composition is even more fascinating. Like many of the El Greco works, Portrait of a Cardinal has an upward distortion to it, with everything seemingly very slightly stretched towards the heavens. Even the canvas itself is significantly longer than it is wide. Everything draws the eye up slowly, from the vertical folds in the Cardinal’s cloak to the swirling, elongated pattern in the tapestry. In this work, it forces the viewer to focus on the face and expression of the subject, noting his sideways glance and slightly smirking mouth. The face is also made significant in this work due to the otherworldly palette El Greco uses. The coloring of the background of the painting is, comparatively, naturalistic, with rich gold tones making up the tapestry, and dark mahoganies making up the wood paneling behind the Cardinal. However, the Cardinal himself is almost pastel in make up. His robes are an incredible shade of red, closer to bright magenta than any red traditionally used in religious imagery. The upward folds of the robes are accentuated by extreme highlights, with very pale pink and even white tones bouncing off the canvas. His skin is pale and also has a bluish or purple cast to it; completely dissimilar from what would typically be seen as a skin tone. This strange, bright coloring is made more noticeable by the warm tones filling the background of the painting. It immediately draws the viewers to the painting. One notes that the Cardinal suddenly takes on a supernatural cast, even from a good distance. He appears to be glowing from within—but not in a “mundane” way, for lack of a better term. He bears no resemblance to the iconography of the Virgin Mary or the Saints featured in other paintings, who also give off a glow but a warm, inviting glow. The glow of the Cardinal is steely, almost possessed in nature, and cold. He is still obviously a man empowered by God—but not a figure of forgiveness and salvation in the traditional manner of religious painting.
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)
P.S. Moxie sucks, u r all het.
― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 11 August 2003 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)
I wish N. would post more, he is so cool and funny and smart.
― Larcole (Nicole), Monday, 11 August 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 11 August 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)
;-) ;-) ;-)
When come bring Pi!
― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)
― Tom (Groke), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)
― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)
― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)
"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:28 KJV).
While, perhaps not referring to tattooing as we know it today, we will see later that tattooing developed from and is classified as scarification of which this verse is in reference to. Besides that, the point is that this type of marking of the body is a pagan, ungodly practice coming from heathen peoples.
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)
also, t-shirts must be without language or pictures. since some companies place their logo on shirts, a small company logo is allowed.
thank you for your time.
― Kingfish (Kingfish), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)
― jel -- (jel), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)
― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)
― luna (luna.c), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)
― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)
― NA (Nick A.), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)
― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:28 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:28 (twenty-two years ago)
― luna (luna.c), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:29 (twenty-two years ago)
― Sarah McLUsky (coco), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:29 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:30 (twenty-two years ago)
I AM A WEREWOLF!!
― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)
― Andrew L (Andrew L), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)
― jel -- (jel), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)
― luna (luna.c), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)
― Mark C (Mark C), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)
― luna (luna.c), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)
― Kingfish (Kingfish), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:38 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:44 (twenty-two years ago)
― luna (luna.c), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)
― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 11 August 2003 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)
― nickalicious with a vengeance (nickalicious), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)
― Tad (llamasfur), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)
― Larcole (Nicole), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 16:30 (twenty-two years ago)
― Tad (llamasfur), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)
― NA (Nick A.), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)
― Layna Andersen (Layna Andersen), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 17:38 (twenty-two years ago)
*quietly hurls away in corner*
― Just Deanna (Dee the Lurker), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)
― Millar (Millar), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)
Hugs to everyone.
― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 18:51 (twenty-two years ago)
― Sarah MCLusky (coco), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)
― luna (luna.c), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)
― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)
― j.lu (j.lu), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)
― Chris P (Chris P), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)
Well, I would have had three, but then I would have felt really bad about taking communion.
― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 16 April 2004 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)
― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)
(oh, lord that is awful)
― Aja (aja), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)
― Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)
― martin m. (mushrush), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)
― Aja (aja), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)
-- Sean (saturns...), August 12th, 2003.
Given recent changes in SF, is this unexpected or not anymore?
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)
― Claire113 (Claire Kavanagh), Friday, 16 April 2004 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)
Anyway: Boy I love network and cable TV! I can't live without it!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 17 April 2004 00:02 (twenty-one years ago)
― Tanika Olage (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 17 April 2004 00:30 (twenty-one years ago)
― CAss (CAss), Saturday, 17 April 2004 00:44 (twenty-one years ago)
― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 11 October 2004 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)
― Smokin' funk by the boxes (kenan), Monday, 11 October 2004 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)
― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 00:20 (twenty-one years ago)
― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 00:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 00:30 (twenty-one years ago)
I AM AJA, SNITTY HOES!
I'mma gonna C, collectively, on your Ts
― Remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)
― Core of Sphagnum (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 00:42 (twenty-one years ago)
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 00:58 (twenty-one years ago)
(No, really. I hate Atlanta, but I hate the Astros worse. And if Atlanta wins, they'll be too tuckered out to play the Cards well.)
― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 01:01 (twenty-one years ago)
― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 01:03 (twenty-one years ago)
― AaronHz (AaronHz), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 01:05 (twenty-one years ago)
― jim wentworth (wench), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)
(Cont) ....and not just to people for whom Liverpool or Parramatta is the extreme western edge of the said Universe.
― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 03:44 (twenty-one years ago)
― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 03:54 (twenty-one years ago)
― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)
― Simon Green (fatmancunian), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:59 (twenty-one years ago)