Snow art

Further on 1973 Robin Hood Movie

"Death to tyrants," says the little boy, acting like Robin Hood. I tried to explain that to Andres,what tyrants means. I sometimes think the way the income disparity between the rich and the poor has us heading back to medieval times.

The rooster narrator is a minstral, Alan-a-Dale, which connects to Adam of the Road.

I was 6 when the movie comes out. I don't remember if I saw it, but my memory of my childhood has faded some. I think I did see it.

My mother doesn't think I saw the movie when it was in the theaters. I think I saw it on TV years later. She writes:

It this is an animated film, I do not think this would have been a movie I would have taken you to see. At that point, we would have been just moved to Madison. We would have been living in University of Wisconsin housing without a car so we wouldn’t have been able to get to a movie easily. I remember walking to a grocery store on University Avenue and taking a taxi back with groceries. I don’t recall seeing the movie with you and suspect we didn’t. mom

I remember taking a taxi home from the grocery store.

The running scene with Lady Kluck:

That is like football reminds me of this play last night.

Denver will play Seattle in the superbowl in 2 weeks. The boys had a friend over last night and didn't watch the games with me. I like it when they have a friend over. I think rooting for the underdog in a football game because you team is out, is a kind of Robin Hood kind of sentiment.

I've been reading about Francis of Assisi, and he liked the underdog too. I'm looking forward to seeing Assisi at the Frick. The current pope is a Franciscan. 

Robin Hood

Spending the day with Andres. Every once in a while we take just one child and have time with only one. Usually we have both or none. Today I have Andres.

So we read together and then we watched Robin Hood. I looked it up and Robin Hood became a folklore in the Medieval times, which connects with our trip to the Cloisters. They talk about the crusades in the movie. There's a feudal feel to the times. Friar Tuck has a monks as a popular character.

The 1973 Disney film is the only one that is appropriate for my son's age. The two recent remakes, a British TV show and the movie are not appropriate for people under 13 according to Common Sense Media. Mostly for implied violence. They suggest that social justice and law and order are good conversations to have after watching the shows.

Frick

They like it when I say Frick. We're planning the next museum trip to the Frick. So doing a little searching, I decided to get some books on Vermeer, Francis of Assisi, and history because there's a paining about a reformation historical figure Cromwell.

I went to the Frick after I read about it in The Kiss: A Memoir, where a guy says the Frick has good Vermeer's. I realized I hadn't been to that museum yet, so I went. That was quite a few years ago. Actually the Met has the same amount of Vermeer paintings. Also the National Gallery of Art in DC has some too. I learned all that looking at the Vermeer paintings by popularity. By the way, Girl with a Pearl Earring, the photo above, is not at the Frick. Aaaw frick.

Trip to Cloisters

Children are free, and it's pay what you want, though they suggest an entrance fee.

The Meroda Altarpiece has a buzzer that does off if you get too close.

One of the unicorn tapestries was covered up because it was removed due to a leak.

I liked the statue of the woman with a dragon underneath her. She was imprisoned because she would not marry the mayor. While in jail, she was swallowed by a dragon and used her crucifix to cut her way out, "unharmed".

I liked the baby Jesus statue, with an apple, naked. Supposedly it was the standard gift for women entering a nunnery.

I experienced the cloister, the internal walkways that were part outside, as very pleasant, Cori and William liked them. Andres thought crucifixions were intense, for him. The grief in the lamentation struck me for the grief. William saw one of the items as a Pokemon ball.

Cori liked this painting. I captured the anti-Christ, but above it was a bold soldier stabbing it.

I liked the gift shop and got the boys some swords and some sketch pads, which they needed.

The biggest problem with the place is food. I guess we have to plan better where to eat around there. We ended up going back home to find food. The cafeteria is seasonal, and the restaurant on the grounds is expensive. Next time I'll do more research about food, or bring food.

We're going to do the Frick next.

Photos

A trip to the Cloisters

I decided to study up to help my sons appreciate a trip to the Cloisters. Cloisters literally means covered walkway leading to a open quadrangle on one side. Quite a beautiful architectural space.

First I read up on the Merode Altarpiece. I read this article first. Then this one by John Haber. I like Jesus shooting towards the Virgin Mary in miniature form, with a cross. Lillies supposedly represent purity. The books are the new and old testament; hard to figure out they existed before the Virgin Mary was impregnated. There is a star in her dress. The table seems to be too slanted. There is a bit of a mystery about who painted it, and a woman was tacked on in the left panel. The arch angel Gabriel is flying towards Mary. Joseph is in the right panel, making mouse traps supposedly. I showed the picture and the boys gave really vague sketchy answers to what they saw.

The I read up on the Unicorn Tapestries. There's a fascinating article in the New Yorker about trying to digitally record the tapestries. And you can download a free book. I read some of it.

The capture of the unicorn is supposed to represent marriage, that marriage is like trying to take someone very unique and putting a chain on them. The pomegranates represent fertility, and marriage as we know was and is about reproduction in Christianity. But what's great about the tapestries, is that they are mysterious and can't be boiled down to certain ideas. It is rich, and complex.

I tried to widen the scope and got them some book on Medieval times. Turns out the medieval times were from 5 to 15 A.C.E. After the fall of the Roman Empire, and before the Renaissance. I focused on vocabulary: Tapestry, Annuniciation, pagan, Christian, cloister, Medieval, iconography. When you try to boil it down for 8 and 9 year olds, it makes you realize how complex life really is. But it's not a video game, so it's not quite as interesting.

Fun facts for the kiddies: The tapestries appear in the background of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I'm going to have the boys watch the movie and see if they can spot the tapestries.

I had laid the groundwork, because the boys have seen the excellent movie, The Secret of Kells. I find it to be one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. On this go round watching it I pointed out the medieval aspects of the movie. The Book of Kells is in Ireland, but there are lots of illuminated books at the Cloisters. Supposedly there is a copy of the Book of Hours.

We have also read the book Adam of the Road, which is an excellent book set in medieval times. I love reading aloud to my sons at bedtime. Andres wants to play games, which we often do. But we also read sometimes.

We listened to Gregorian chants in the morning before we went to the Cloisters.

The photographs were taken by grandpa on a previous visit. You can see his other photography here.

April 13 2012