![]() A set of caricatures of dignitaries satirises ineffectual foreign administrations and at least one can be linked specifically to the events of the Peninsular War, in which Dance's son William took part. Dance even titled the album "The Sublime and the Beautiful', a light-hearted reference to Edmund Burke's highly influential On the Sublime and the Beautiful of 1756. However, whilst the sketches generally revel in the absurd, some of them are evidently influenced by contemporary thought and historical events. Some of the drawings are appended with humorous captions and in several cases these seem to have been added later, transforming straightforward sketches or preparatory drawings into caricatures.The liveliest and most recurrent theme, however, consists of Dance's "Chimeras dire", that is, imaginary hybrid creatures and anthropomorphic figures. In particular, both Dance and Daniell include many figures drinking, smoking, sleeping and arguing in their sketches, often creating a comic effect by juxtaposing these figures with their opposite counterparts. Many of the drawings simply exaggerate and make fun of generic human vices such as gluttony and laziness. Several themes recur throughout the album, including theatrical depictions of supernatural apparitions and sketches mocking couples and the rituals of courtship. with Chimera's dire!" in this album are mostly - with a few exceptions - whimsical explorations of the absurd, the dramatic and the grotesque. Whilst some of the brothers' humorous drawings conform to the Georgian model of political and social satire, George Dance's "Gigs, odd Roaring, Ranting, Smiling, Frowning, Cap'ring, Sluts, Booby's, Kings, &c. In this genre, Dance followed in the footsteps of his elder brother Nathaniel, who gave up painting professionally after his marriage to a wealthy widow and confined his artistic output to caricature and occasional portraits. A source of even greater entertainment and artistic liberation was his penchant for caricature and humorous sketches of the type found in this album. He declared that this hobby provided him with 'a great relaxation from the severer studies and more laborious employment' of his architectural pursuits. An architect by profession, Dance spent much of his spare time drawing elegant profile portraits of friends, acquaintances and prominent public figures. BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.This album contains caricature drawings by George Dance and his friend and fellow Academician, William Daniell. Gadwalls, Canada Geese, and Mallard recorded by T. # Producer: John Kessler Executive Producer: Sallie Bodie Editor: Ashley Ahearn Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone Assistant Producer: Mark Bramhill Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. ![]() Today’s show brought to you by the Bobolink Foundation. It’s clear that webbed feet have been a big evolutionary hit. And a parallel adaptation shows up in other creatures that spend time in the water-like otters, frogs and salamanders. Four hundred different species of birds have webbed feet. A bird may lift its foot away from its body on the forward stroke, actually giving itself a little extra lift and speed. And many birds have mastered a stroke that any human swimmer might envy. Then as the bird pulls its foot forward, the toes fold together, to minimize resistance. The toes and webs spread out as the bird pushes its foot backward. ![]() Experiments suggest that a triangular webbed foot is beautifully designed to propel a bird, or other creature, through the water. Ducks and geese have them, as do gulls, cormorants, loons, pelicans, penguins, puffins and boobies. In fact, they’re such a nifty adaptation that they evolved, independently, in several bird groups. Webbed feet are ideal for birds that swim, on the water’s surface or under. Written by Bob Sundstrom This is BirdNote.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |