Not the first time I've done that, I realize now. Here's the old one. And here's a picture of the pavilion undistorted by water.
This is the fountain, and the yellow in the reflection is the pavilion:
July 6, 2008
More watery images.
This is the Thai Pavilion, reflected and inverted:
Not the first time I've done that, I realize now. Here's the old one. And here's a picture of the pavilion undistorted by water.
This is the fountain, and the yellow in the reflection is the pavilion:
Not the first time I've done that, I realize now. Here's the old one. And here's a picture of the pavilion undistorted by water.
This is the fountain, and the yellow in the reflection is the pavilion:
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9 comments:
Gorgeous!
Come to think of it, that's kind of an ugly looking word to say that something's really beautiful.
So what!
GORGEOUS!
A Town on a River at Sunset
Squiggle placement—very important.
Every time I see reflections like these in water, I can't help thinking of "Von der Jugend" from Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.
Here's an English translation from the German version used by Mahler and that you hear in the clip:
In the middle of a small pool
stands a pavilion of green
and white porcelain.
The jade bridge arches
like the back of a tiger
across toward the pavilion.
In the small house sit friends,
beautifully dressed - drinking, gossiping;
many are writing verses.
Their silk sleeves glide
backwards, their silk caps sit
cheerfully on the backs of their necks.
On the pool's still surface,
all things are wonderfully
reflected as a mirror.
Everything stands on its head
in the pavilion of green
and white porcelain.
The bridge stands like the arch
of the halfmoon. Friends,
beautifully dressed, are drinking, gossiping.
* * * * *
Here's an English translation of the original Chinese:
Winding path; private residence in quietude
Tall gate; great scholar’s home
Open pond mirrors reflection
Protruding forest trees intersperse with colorful flowers
Turquoise water hides the Spring sun
Green room camouflages evening amber
If strings and woodwinds are delightful to hear,
Unmatched by “golden valley”
Between the German, English, and this, I'm afraid it's all as clear as the surface of the water in your photos. However the language is mangled, Mahler's music, and the sensibilities behind it, are still wonderful things.
When I was in DC in 1980, I visited the museum at the Washington Navy Yard. Inside the museum was a present from the Thai navy - a beautifully detailed model of a US destroyer from circa 1900, either gold-plated or solid gold, I don't know which. The beauty of the model is unbelievable, as is the detail of the workmanship. Bangkok is beautiful, even on the poor imagery on Google Earth.
Althouse --
This top photo is really extraordinary. It makes me wonder if there's a whole genre out there of photographs of reflections in water; and like many of your photos, makes me wish I were a photographer.
cameras really did kill the painter. What's so special about Monet or van gogh if anyone can mimic him with a simple press of a button? It's like Glenn Reynolds book, "An Army of Davids", but taken to it's horrible conclusion.
Of course, not everyone is Ansel Adams either (nor is every blogger instapundit...so uh...)
I really like the photos.
Electric synapses spark
cross cells uncountable.
Webs world wide watch
stardust light and bits pix-able.
Illumining hues blooming
endless and mutable.
Cropped floating forms
sculpted edgeless, mercurial.
Eyes wide
worlds open
Hands clean,
nails impeccable.
The Thai Pavilion photo reminded me of Pissarro's - The Hermitage at Pontoise which I used for a while as my desktop background.
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