Sandro Botticellis Painting, The Birth of Venus :: Visual Arts Paintings Art

Sandro Botticelli's Painting, The Birth of Venus Sandro Botticelli (1444-1510) was a Florentine painter. Almost all of Botticelli’s life was spent in Florence. His genre of painting was based around mythological ideals and also religious subject matter. Botticelli painted in a highly personal style characterized by elegant execution, a sense of melancholy, and a strong emphasis on line; details appear as sumptuous still life’s. His paintings like The Birth of Venus, were a great impact on the Humanist art movement. Humanism was a belief in human effort rather than religion, showing emphasis on education and the expansion of knowledge; focusing especially on classical antiquity.[1] The Birth of Venus shows Venus riding upon a giant cockle shell, intently this focuses our attention directly towards her. Other figures in the painting include Zephyrus (the west wind) and the nymph Pomona. The painting is a mythological narrative which illustrates the birth of Venus, goddess of love.[2] The narrative has given us the explanation that â€Å"Zephyrus (the west wind) blows Venus, born of the sea foam and carried on a cockle shell, to her sacred island, Cyprus. There, the nymph Pomana runs to meet her with a brocaded mantle.†[3] Botticelli has achieved a sense of movement in the painting; Zephyrus’ gusts catch the brocaded mantle in undulation, carrying also the perfumed rose petals that swiftly fall upon the whitecaps. The Birth of Venus was painted in ca.1482 and has been exhibited at the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence. This painting was intended to be one of Botticelli’s most famous artworks painted for the Medici. The Medici were enthusiastic art collectors of the humanist art movement during the Renaissance. This painting can also be considered a relevant work of art, and the rebirth of the ancient ideal of beauty in the early Renaissance. The Birth of Venus is a work measuring approximately 5’ 8† x 9’ 1†.

Opium and Dreams in the Romantic Period Essay -- essays research paper

During what is generally defined as the Romantic period, many poets, scientists and philosophers were greatly intrigued by dreams. Southey kept a dream journal, as did Sir Hymphry Davy, a close friend of Coleridge’s; Thomas Beddoes wrote of dreams from a medical perspective in Hygeia and dreams were often a hot topic of conversation at the dinner parties of those who kept company with poets and the like (Ford 1998:5). There were many contradictory theories on the importance, interpretation and origin of dreams, at this time. Some believed that dreams were a form of divine inspiration, others that they were caused by spirits that temporarily possessed the body of the sleeper, while there were those who thought that dreams were a manifestation of the body’s physical condition. De Quincey and Coleridge were two writers who both held an exceptional interest in dreams, each with their own ideas on the subject. In this essay I propose to examine De Quincey’s and Coleri dge’s ideas on dream and daydream, and to show that opium was a profoundly influencing factor in their lives, works and dreams. I shall start by briefly outlining some of De Quincey’s and then Coleridge’s ideas on dreams; I shall then move on to ask what was the effect of opium on their creativity, dreams and imagination, before looking at how dream and daydream are distinguished in their ideas. Finally I wish to include a brief section on the anticipation of Freud, and to close with the question of how important opium was to the writing of my chosen authors. Since dreams and opium are so intertwined in both Coleridge and De Quincey I feel it is appropriate to consider the two subjects alongside each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Thomas De Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, dreams and opium are considered simultaneously because he records the largest effect of his opium-eating to have been on his dreams. He first became aware of the effects by a re-awakening of a faculty generally found in childhood: I know not whether my reader is aware that many children, perhaps most, have a power of painting, as it were, upon the darkness, all sorts of phantoms; in some, that power is simply a mechanic affection of the eye; others have a voluntary, or a semi-voluntary power to dismiss or summon them†¦In the middle of 1817, I think it was, that this faculty became positively distressing to... ...a fashion that had started long before; and there has only ever been written the one Kubla Khan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  De Quincey wrote that men are ‘disguised in sobriety’, so opium and dreams serve to expose the true mind of man and perhaps the unconscious mind. Whatever the effect of opium on Coleridge and De Quincey; on their philosophies, on their dreams and on their lives; one cannot truly know the depth or extent of it, but to take opium and go through the experience personally. It is certainly undeniable that it was an influence and an extremely important one that continues beyond the present: furthering the exposure of mans’ psychology through the portal of dreams. Bibliography Coleridge, S. T., Poems, Everyman’s Library, London, 1999. Coleridge, S. T., Biographia Literaria, William Pickering, London, 1847. De Quincey, T., Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other Writings, Oxford World’s Classics, Oxford, 1996. Ford, J., Coleridge on Dreaming, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998. Hayter, A., Opium and the Romantic Imagination, Faber and Faber, London, 1968. Marcus, T., Opium in Literature and London, Issue 3. Zembla Magazine, London, 2004.

“Horses of the Night” by Margaret Laurence Essay

-â€Å"I detested the fact that I was so young† -Chris creates his own fantasy world (ranch, racing horses etc.) He tries to sell magazines, vacuum cleaners even when he knows he won’t make it to university. He can’t face reality. Also, when there is conflict he ignores it and it seems like he doesn’t even notice it. He holds a fantasy in his mind that seems real to him -In Shallow Creek, when Vanessa sees the horses is when we are aware that Chris is living in a world of delusions. -Chris’ fantasy world is his only refuge from potential insanity because without it, he would have no hope for life -Vanessa worries that she is incapable of saying the right thing when they go camping and Chris talks about God and the Stars. â€Å"pretending to be asleep† (pg.22) -Chris doesn’t respond when his grandfather talks about him, he sets a barrier between his own world and reality. -His world consists of his horses, saddle, criss-cross, own ranch. He has control of everything in his world so it only applies to him -The line slowly, slowly horses of the night means Chris disappears into insanity and that he can’t see day and night. Means the night must move slow for Chris and â€Å"Whether he had discovered at last a way for himself to make the necessary dream perpetual† (pg.24) -Chris views God as ridiculous and brutal. He doesn’t believe in God. Vanessa doesn’t respond, so maybe she does believe in God and doesn’t want to tell Chris her views. The circumstances for their views might be the fact that Chris’ family lives in poverty while Vanessa is better off a little bit. Vanessa is scared of talking/saying the wrong things -It reveals that he had a mental breakdown and that he is lost in his fantasy world. He no longer lives in his own world (Chris’ letter) -Vanessa learns that the letter from Chris is the final thing that tells her he is lost and the letter confirmed why he did unrealistic things. She understands why he had a fantasy world. -excess of imagination harmful -he has control of his own fantasy world horses Duchess and Firefly. But in reality they are plough horses. -barrier between person and the real world when a person dreams too much -he communicates and plays with younger children because he has control and they make no judgements about him. -sells vacuum cleaners, magazines and knitting machines to university but he doesn’t have the marks to get in. -without his fantasy world he would have no hope for life. -Chris takes his life to escape the â€Å"absolute unbearability of battle†

My Generation’s Greatest Challenge

President Barack Obama once said, â€Å"All across the world†¦increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it’s here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster. † The President’s words make it clear that climate change is a great challenge which must be faced, and soon. However, it is not the government’s job alone to deal with this crisis. Stopping climate change will be my generation’s greatest challenge.One of the reasons why climate change is such a formidable obstacle is that the needed change will come slowly. One image that comes to mind is a frog dropped into a pan of scalding water. Of course, the frog will reflexively leap away from the danger. However, if the frog is immersed in lukewarm water, and the water is slowly brought to a boil, the frog will remain and will suffer a serious penalty. My generation is the frog, and â€Å"the man-made natural disaster† is the boiling water. The inertia of the past cannot be overcome in a short time. Consequently, the drastic changes needed to combat climate change will not be effected quickly.However, time is of the essence. Society’s prompt reformation of environmentally destructive habits must be the goal if my generation wishes to subdue this serious threat. To deal with this vast challenge, education as well as reeducation must be made priorities. Not only must scientific knowledge about climate change be made readily available to young people, but the desire for improvement must be instilled in them. As harsh as it may seem, teachers need to constantly remind their students of the worldwide destruction that will ensue should young people fail to act proactively.Likewise, reeducation must provide a jolt to the older generation, shocking it out of its passive stupor and igniting passion for change. Finally, motivation will play a key role in stopping climate change. Nothing will happen if no one takes action. Balancing the welfare of the earth with personal desires is mandatory. If people ultimately decide to place their comfort above the health of the planet, it would be akin to an act of war against humanity. Thankfully, climate change can be dealt with if everyone takes small, easy steps against it.This is of paramount importance. Because the earth is the foundation of all man’s success, life without a healthy earth would not be worth living. The greatest test my generation will face is the challenge of stopping climate change. While success may not come quickly or easily, resignation to the imminent prospect of global catastrophe is to abdicate all bonds to our fellow man. Although the world may already have gone a distance down the path to destruction by climate change, there is still hope if everyone takes personal responsi bility for the protection of the planet.

Leadership Case Study: Steve Jobs Essay

1. Steve Jobs had an extremely high interest in being in charge, so to start off with his leader-follower element, he most definitely settles in better on the leader end of the spectrum. Jobs was so far in the leadership end of the spectrum that he had actually been removed from his CEO position in 1985 for being unmanageable. Being one of the most charismatic leaders in the industry has helped him develop his leadership traits through his time with Apple, NeXT, and Pixar. He has always been determined even when Apple took him out of the equation, where he went off to make some of our childhood staples such as Toy Story and gained an enormous share of stock with Disney, which was actually more than he ever owned with Apple. His influence spans across five different industries, which is more than almost any CEO can say that they have done in their entire life. His influence spanned across the computer industry, Hollywood and the movie industry, the wireless phone industry with the IPh one, the retailing industry, and my personal favorite being the music industry where ITunes has innovated the very distribution of music itself. To the point, Steve always seemed to get what he wanted when it came to influencing these many industries. As for organizational objectives, Jobs always wanted to create a product that the customer wanted but almost didn’t even know they wanted or conceive the product in a thought, the IPod being a prime example of this. If Jobs didn’t like the outcome of a product, he sent it back to the drawing board. Jobs and his members shared the goals to create new things they wanted, in the hopes that the customer would too. Change is a huge aspect of the way Jobs leads, all he wants to do is create technologically changing products that he and his customers really want. The constantly updating technology, yet always user friendly interface is Apples motto now a days. Steve’s people skills were apparently not the greatest, but as long as a subordinate shared in his vision of wanting to create and innovate like he did, then Apple would succeed. His people tended to respect him for the way he went about inventing new products and never wanting to fall short on anything. 2. The leadership skills that Steve Jobs possessed that made himself as well as his companies so successful were due his combination of the technical, interpersonal, and decision-making skills he possessed. Keeping up with the  latest technology in the tech industry is an absolute necessity, and Steve and Apple not only kept up with the industry but innovated it every step of the way, so his technical skills were very important. Steve’s interpersonal skills were not conventional in the regular sense of the meaning, but he had his own way of developing relationships and gaining the respect of his subordinates who wished to share in his vision of giving people products that they didn’t even know they wanted. He was sure to consistently communicate this point to his employees, and motivating was one of his key qualities, such as in his key note speeches to his customers to unveil new products every year. Lastly, and what I believe to be his most important skill that he possesses, is his decision-making skills. Jobs was able to come back to Apple and make the necessary decisions to bring it out of bankruptcy by changing the corporate culture back to an entrepreneurial environment to be the innovative company it once was. Critical thinking was a big part of his life, and Steve was known to take walks alone in an almost trance like state where he would be identifying problems and changes in the industry, know where opportunities lied, and would critically think to come up with creative ideas to be the leader and innovator in so many industries. 3. Under the interpersonal managerial leadership roles section, I believe that Steve fell under the category of figurehead and leader roles in this section. Steve was the go to speaker at the key note speeches of unveiling products, and he always had a sense of spirit about him that really made the customer believe in how much he loves the product they just unveiled, and how much Steve believed that the customer would love the product. Steve also continuously performed the leader role by giving instructions of the creation of products, why the company should head in a certain direction, or evaluating performance of research and development of new products. If Steve didn’t want to personally use it, chances are it was thrown in the trash and it was back to the drawing board. As far as the informational role category, I believe that Steve was in the monitor role as well as the spokesperson role. Steve was constantly gathering information and attending meetings in and out of the organization to create new and innovative products. As for the spokesperson role, as I have stated previously, he was the charismatic leader that was the face and spirit of what Apple was all about, and he had  the customer falling in love with a completely innovative product before they had seen anything like it before. As far as his decisional role, he was the company’s main entrepreneur as well as the main disturbance handler when Apple came to him on the verge of bankruptcy. New and improved products and services is Apple’s core belief thanks to Jobs, and his combination of these two roles saved the company single handed thanks to Steve’s enthusiasm and passion of innovation. His decisional roles that he played were by far his most important contributions since he not only saved the company from bankruptcy but also made it the innovative leader in technology for the last 20 years. 4. The primary level of analysis that this case focuses on is the organizational level of analysis. The focus is on how Steve Jobs can influence the entire organization of people to get on top of their game and to constantly be looking for change to innovate new products. He influenced the behaviors, work ethic, and productivity of all of his employees. He individually was able to completely turn the company around from bankruptcy because of the tactics he would use to influence perfection. His mind set was one way, always towards the next best product, and if he didn’t like it then the idea was scrapped. While some of his employees did not quite agree with the angry fits that Steve would have, even the employees that ended up quitting still said there was a sense of respect for what Steve was doing and his passion for it. Steve’s passion resonated throughout the entire organization, and the simple fact that his views of how the innovation culture at the workplace helpe d save it from bankruptcy shows his abilities. Saving Apple was not an easy task, but he was able to accomplish it. 5. The four leadership theory classifications that apply to this case are trait, behavior, contingency, and integrative. Steve’s trait paradigm involves how he acts in the environment of the organization, which included high energy levels at work whether it was anger or passion. It also included his appearance, which he appeared as an angry guy who wanted nothing but perfection, but also showed passion through it all. He was always able to persuade in his own ways, and he always showed his dominance in the workplace, which unfortunately ended up in his initial removal from Apple,  but proved extremely useful in his later years. The behavior paradigm applied in the way that Steve was extremely focused on certain tasks at hand, and the way he is always the biggest critic of any and all products being proposed or worked on in the company. The way that Steve Jobs contributed behaviorally in this case was by controlling his subordinates and demanding perfection every step of the way. The contingency paradigm shows that leadership style is situational, and even though people tended to dislike the way Jobs lead, he ran the organization into its most successful and profitable years, saving it from demise. The most relevant paradigm in my opinion is the integrative paradigm. Since it incorporates portions from the other three theories, I believe that it can be used to describe the charismatic, passion filled leadership qualities that Jobs possessed. He was able to inspire his employees and everyone was always enthusiastic once the levels of productivity they had put in resulted in a noteworthy product everyone will love. 6. Since the passing of Steve Jobs, this seems to be a question that is on everyone’s mind, from employee to shareholder to customer. While it is a scary thought, something tells me that the passion and vision that Jobs was able to give to the organization in the last decade he worked their contributed to the current mentality of a lot of the current top level managers still working there. It has become an atmosphere at Apple that they should only create products that would be worthy of a Jobs stamp of approval, and I personally do not think the organizational paradigm would shift after such an influential human being has put so much effort and soul into a company as Steve has done for Apple. Apple is the leading household name for so many different technologies, they have changed the music industry forever, and have an absolutely absurd amount of cash on hand to fund whatever types of projects they need to be sure they are constantly on top of the industry. While the technolo gy industry is one of the most fast paced changing industries with constant improvements in hardware and software, I do not see Apple falling behind to the point that they will not recover again.

Heredity, Environment and Development Essay

Development of a person includes physical, mental, emotional and social aspects. These developments are associated with his genetic factors and also the factors related to the environment in which he is interacting with. Most of the personality traits were developed through these factors alone. â€Å"In the late 20th century, some of the key genes that control developmental processes (such as the Hox genes) were at last discovered.† (Heredity) Heredity means the transfer of the characteristics of parents to their off-springs through genes in their chromosomes. Every child enters the world with certain physical and mental features of their parents. These factors will affect his development throughout his life. Environment means all those factors which are contributed to the development of a person from the home, family, neighborhood, peer group, the school and the entire community in which the person is interacting.   â€Å"Environmental effects appeared broad and dynamic whereas the adolescents’ effects on environment appeared direct and specific† (Reciprocal Relationship between Home Environment and Development of TMR Adolescents) â€Å"Environmental influences can be divided into two classes, shared and non-shared (or unique) environment. Shared environment is the environment shared by siblings reared in the same family. This includes such variables as socioeconomic status and parent education. Non-shared environment is the environment unique to the individual. This includes such variables as peer group.† (Behavior Genetics) Conclusion The development of a person is controlled by nature and nurture or heredity and environment. Most of the personality traits are the contributions of heredity and environment. References 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heredity, Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2008, Retrieved on March 20, 2009 from http://uk.encarta.msn.com   Ã‚ © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation,   All Rights Reserved. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reciprocal Relationship between Home Environment and Development of TMR Adolescents, Retrieved on March 20, 2009 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ291590&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ291590 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Behavior Genetics, 2001, Retrieved on March 20, 2009 from http://www.personalityresearch.org/bg.html

Can we ever know the true level of crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Can we ever know the true level of crime - Essay Example However this seems to be an on-going tale which does not find any end at all. Wherever there is crime, there is punishment and this is because crime has its specific ramifications if understood in the most apt manner. One must understand that punishment and crime are inter-related and hence the former is something which shall directly or indirectly affect an individual within the moral and ethical concepts. The true level of crime must be ascertained before one can suggest where the ramifications and consequences could be deciphered. This paper discusses how crime is a deterrent to the different societies of the world and that its extent cannot be gauged in an easy way. An effort has been made to find out the true level of crime as it happens within the different terrains of the society and for that all-out measures are in place to tackle this menace from its roots. Crime exists because people who are its stakeholders believe in its existence. What this means is the fact that crime h as a definitive place and position within the different domains of a society and it would be very difficult for a commoner to run away from either the crime or the one who is committing one such act – the criminal itself. ... the view that this (crime) can be curtailed while others opine that it an uncontrollable aspect and should therefore be given more significance and consideration within the related aspects of human society, punishment and morality. Whatever it is, crime exists to thwart the basis of proper conduct amongst the people, bring about problems for the mankind and basically disrupt the basis of smooth sailing within the people on a societal level. The hierarchies get affected and hence criminals are given more significance than was necessary on their part. The authorities run after them yet they hardly find a criminal much to their dismay. This is the world of present times where criminals are more famous than the ones who perform the good tasks and are basically the saviors of the society. Moving on with the aspect of crime, the concepts of civil rights and civil law are both significant functions of civil society as it is the bubble of private action independent of the control of the gove rnment. One must remember that this is not free of governmental action because this secures the nature of the civil society through the protection of individuals against the criminal wrongdoings. It is essential to note here that the civil society is comprised of the people who are left by the government to regulate their respective pursuits with regards to the industry and improvement, however the protection brought forward by the government is in the form of the citizens from the criminal wrongdoings in the form of violence, fraudulent activities, robbery and thefts. The civil society always finds a way to keep away this criminal element from its domains. If the civil society does not play its part in an imperative manner, the crime rate increases and the sanity within the ranks of the