opposites are one, especially at Christmas   5 comments

“The Hunters In the Snow,” oil painting on wood by Pieter Bruegel

This work of Pieter Bruegel is a favorite of many people, but most know of his paintings only because of this painting, “Hunters in the Snow,” a scene appearing on many Christmas cards. His paintings are beautiful because his compositions make one of the opposites, based on Eli Siegel’s principle of aesthetic realism: “All beauty is a making one of opposites, and the making of one of the opposites is what we are going after in ourselves.”

 

opposites are one

composing yesteryear’s coldness

stretching through time

standing still in the moment

searching the unrestricted

working with opposites

reassuring in sameness

emphasizing divergence

promising order

pleasing to self

— kenne

Posted December 15, 2009 by kenneturner in Art, Poetry

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5 responses to “opposites are one, especially at Christmas

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  1. TRUE!

  2. I love this painting & perhaps you read my art talk about it based on the Aesthetic Realism principle you quote here. The talk was originally given at the Terrain Gallery/Aesthetic Realism Foundation, 141 Greene St, NYC, in the historic series “Art Answers the Questions of Your Life!,” and has been on the web for many years at http://www.nancyhuntting.net/Bruegel-Talk.html ! Your lines are very affecting. Best wishes!

    • . . . your talk inspired my words. Again this year I have received Christmas cards using the painting and now, almost annually, my brother and I discuss the composition. This year, your talk became part of the discussion since we are example of opposites being one. Thanks for the comment.

  3. Reblogged this on Becoming is Superior to Being and commented:

    Nine years out. One of my favorite paintings. — kenne

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