Sublime-+Edward

The Sublime: a theory and/or attitude toward beauty, nature, and spirituality marked by a combination of awe/pleasure and terror/fear inspired by natural beauty (usually of a huge, dark and/or dangerous variety).

aughwhywontthisstupidthingcenter?? media type="youtube" key="vcCVhUObtFc" height="344" width="425" Angel Falls ~A picture of the highest waterfall in the world shot from a helicopter during the making of BBC’s Planet Earth series. The majesty of the crashing water easily takes the breath away while the sheer height of the cliff reminds us all of the danger of such a beautiful structure.

//The Shipwreck// ~Claude Joseph Vernet The artist captures the beauty of the rising sun as well as the power of the awesome waves breaking against the rocks. Then he throws in a reminder of how easily overcome we are with the image of a broken ship against the shore and the people desperately climbing out of the wreckage.

//Storm in the// //Rocky Mountains// ~Albert Bierdstadt Bierdstadt’s painting is actually slightly behind the age of Romanticism but still accurately describe nature in its glorious beauty and destructive power. The natural serenity of the mountains is broken by the storm brewing in the back.

Mountainside ~Another picture from BBC, this scene would be better viewed in a moving picture than a still but the main message is still captured. Although humans may feel very great for climbing such a perilous structure, the enormity of the snow covered peaks dwarfs such feats and makes us seem even more insignificant.

//Outbreak of the Vesuvius// ~Johan Christian Dahl The explosion of molten rocks from Earth’s fiery core reminds us of how temperamental and unpredictable nature can be. No matter what humans can come up with, nothing can block the fury of Mother Nature at her most terrible. Once again, the artist puts the humans in such a way in which they are easily overlooked and the main focus is on Vesuvius erupting.

Amazon Rainforest ~Also from Planet Earth, this scene is not meant to show Mother Nature’s destructive side, but her grace and mysteriousness. The Amazon contains over 100,000 invertebrates and 40,000 plants, and yet there is so much more to be discovered. The falling water and rising steam only add to the sense of wonder and how much man will never know.

Works Cited Bierstadt, Albert, illus. //Storm in the Rocky Mountains//. Wikipedia Commons, 1886. Web. 12 Dec. 2009. . Dahl, Johan Christian, illus. “Outbreak of the Vesuvius.” //Wikipedia Commons//. Wikipedia Commons, 1826. Web. 12 Dec. 2009. . “Fresh Water.” //Planet Earth//. BBC. Spring 2007. Television. “Jungles.” //Planet Earth//. BBC. Fall 2007. Television. “Mountains.” //Planet Earth//. BBC. Spring 2007. Television. Vernet, Claude Joseph, illus. “The Shipwreck.” //National Gallery of Art//. N.p., 1772. Web. 12 Dec. 2009. . Music: The Surface of the Sun- John Murphy