Milee+Nelson

Down through the ages, the word sublime has been used to describe many forms of art including paintings, songs, and photographs. Towering mountains, thundering waterfalls, and awe inspiring forests are just some of nature’s beautiful yet fearful landscapes evoking fear and awe. This combination of beauty and fear inspired poets like William Woodsworth, writers such as John Milton and Mary Shelley, and artists such as Philip James de Loutherbourg and Frederick Church to express the sublime feeling through paintings, writings, and photography . Below are some paintings and photographs that demonstrate this awe and fear inspiring feeling that we call the sublime.
 * 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)



This painting, done in 1788 by Philip James de Loutherbourg captures the spirit of sublime art. //The Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen // depicts a majestic and powerful crashing down on rocks as people, dwarfed by the water, look on. Also surrounding the waterfall are forest covered mountains. The man made creations are noticeably smaller in this painting than nature only further signifying the power of nature. However, despite this overwhelming power, people can’t help but stop and look in awe at what surrounds them. 

//Cotopaxi// by Frederick Church uses more vibrant colors than the previous painting. The sun’s orange sheds light on the detail of the water and the forest’s beauty. Church loved volcanoes and liked to gaze at surrounding detail of nature from on top of one. In this painting, while the bright orange and detail drew my eye, one can look on and see the dark clouds and an erupting volcano in the distance as they start to cover the beautiful landscape. This gradual flow of dark and gray is starting to overcome the beauty and light. Yet, one gazes in awe at nature’s struggle between dark and light unable to tear their eyes away.

Shown above is La Plata Peak, the 5th highest mountain in Colorado. It is an excellent example of the sublime. To reach the top of this mountain and look down would be a daunting task to even the greatest hikers. Reaching the top would fill any person with a feeling of elation and awe as one realizes the power of nature that created these heights. To be able to look down at all the splendor that nature displays fills one with a sense of power and awe. One look at tiny trees that look half an inch or to be level with mountains that touch clouds gives one a humble feeling few other places can evoke. However, with this power and awe also comes fear of the power. One misstep, balance is lost and the power is gone.  One might think of a raging forrest fire when they look at this photo. In fact, this is a sunset and is, in my opinion, a great example of sublime. The first idea one would take away is terror. If this was indeed a fire, imagine the terror one would feel by being right next to and never knowing if you will make it out. The actual sunset doesn’t instill this kind of fear but this photograph and the way it was taken is enough to arrest your gaze, unable to turn away. However, one deeper look and you can see, despite the fear, the beauty at the way this was taken. It stretches across the sky with power and nothing can stand in its way. The angle at which this was taken shows the command of nature over everything, and witnessing this display of nature must have been a truly sublime experience. media type="youtube" key="LZfpPEbYRk8" height="204" width="253" This song reminded me of running water or horses. They start slow but pick up speed occasionly slowing for obstacles. Beholding horses or water is a sublime event in nature. You are in awe at how powerful they move and flow but at the same time fearful of that power. The contrasting sound also builds to this fear as it builds throughout the poem. The pictures shown in the video were accendental but still show sublimeness in nature. James de Loutherbourg, Philip. //The Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen//. 1788 "La Plata Peak - Alt. 14,336 Feet." //coloradoguy//. N.p., 24 July 2008. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . //Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts'//. N.p., Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . Thripp, Richard. //Sublime Sunset//. 2008. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. .
 * Bibliography**