美国名人 画家 温斯洛·霍默.docx

美国名人画家温斯洛霍默WinslowHomer:America'sPainterplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-17:14repeatByMarioRitter2006-3-4(MUSIC)VOICEONE:mSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndmBarbaraKleinwithPeopleInAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutWinslowHomerzconsideredtobethegreatestAmericanartistofthenineteenthcentury.Homercreatedpicturesthatshowedtherelationshipbetweenhumansandnature.Thestrong,clearimageshedrewandpaintedmatchedthewild,developingandproudUnitedStatesofthelateeighteenhundreds.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:WinslowHomerwasthesecondofthreesonsofHenriettaBensonandCharlesSavageHomer.HewasborninBoston,Massachusettsineighteenthirty-sixandgrewupinCambridge.Hisfatherwasanimporteroftoolsandothergoods.Hismotherwasapainter.Winslowgothisinterestindrawingandpaintingfromhismother.Buthisfatheralsosupportedhisson'sinterest.Once,onabusinesstriptoLondon,CharlesHomerboughtasetofdrawingexamplesforhissontocopy.YoungWinslowusedthesetodevelophisearlyskill.VOICETWO:Winslow'solderbrotherCharleswenttoHarvardUniversityinCambridge.ThefamilyexpectedWinslowwouldgo,too.But,atthetime,Harvarddidnotteachart.SoWinslow'sfatherfoundhimajobasanassistantinthetradeofmakingandpreparingpicturesforprintedmedia.Atagenineteen,Winslowlearnedtheprocessoflithography.ThisworkwastheonlyformaltrainingthatWinsloweverreceivedinart.VOICEONE:Winslowdidthisworkforabouttwoyears.Thentheyoungmandecidedtobecomeanindependentillustrator,someonewhomakesdrawingsandpicturesforaliving.HeworkedinBostonforafewyears,drawingillustrationsforstoriesinseveralnewspapers.Healsodidworkforamagazinethatwasdifferentfromanyotherofthetime.Harper'sWeekly,inNewYorkCity,neededgoodillustrationsandhadlotsofspaceforthem.TheyoungWinslowbegantoestablishhimselfasanartistindemand.VOICETWO:Ineighteenfifty-nine,WinslowHomermovedtoNewYorkCitytoworkforHarper'sWeekly.Homeralsostartedtopaintseriously.HehopedtogotoEuropetostudypainting.But,somethingwouldintervenethatwouldchangethedirectionofWinslowHomer'sartisticwork.Harper'smagazinewouldsendhimtodrawpicturesofthebiggesteventinAmericanhistorysinceindependence.ItwastheCivilWarbetweentheUnionandtherebelsouthernstates.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:WinslowHomerwenttoWashington,D.C.,ineighteensixty-one.HedrewpicturesofthecampaignofUnionArmyGeneralGeorgeMcClellanthenextyear.Hispicturesofthewarshowedthemanywaysthatconflictsaffectpeople.Inoneillustration,heshowedUnionsoldiersonhorsesadvancingheroically.TheSouthernConfederatesoldiersareshownforcedunderthefeetofthehorses,whilethehorsemenholdtheirswordshigh.Theillustrationiscalled"TheWarfortheUnion,EighteenSixty-Two-ACavalryCharge."VOICETWO:Inanotherfamousillustration,"TheArmyofthePotomac-ASharp-ShooteronPicketDut½"Homershowedadifferentsideofwar.Asoldiersittinginatreeisholdingarifle.Heisaimingatatargetfarinthedistance.Manycriticssaythepictureshowsthecold,mechanicalnatureofwarfare,bringingdeathtotheunsuspecting.WinslowHomeralsomadeafamouspaintingcalled"Home,SweetHome."Itshowstwosoldierslisteningtomusicplayedbymilitarymusicians.ThiswascommonduringtheCivilWar.Attheendoftheday,musiciansonbothsideswouldplaytoraisethespiritsofsoldiers.Oftentheywouldplaythesong"Home,SweetHome."HomerpaintedtwoUnionsoldierspreparingameal.Themusiciansareinthedistance.Thetwosoldiersappeartobestoppedinthemiddleoftheirpreparationsbythoughtsofhomeandfamily.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:CriticswidelypraisedHomer'sworkduringtheCivilWar.HisworkgainedhimmembershipinwhatisnowcalledtheNationalAcademy.Onepainting,"PrisonersfromtheFront,"waschosentorepresenttheUnitedStatesattheExpositionUniverselle.ThiseventwasheldinParis,Franceineighteensixty-six.HomerwenttoEuropeforthefirsttime.However,littleisknownabouthisstayinEurope.VOICETWO:ThenextmajorchangeinWinslowHomer'slifewasadecisiontoworkinanewmedium.Untilnow,Homerhadusedoil-basedpaints.Colorfulsubstancesaremixedwithoil.Thesethickpaintscanbespreadinlayers,oneoveranother,toproduceinterestingeffectsoflightandcolor.Oilpaintsareusuallyputoncanvascloth.Mostpeopleconsideroilpainting"seriouspainting."Butinthesummerofeighteenseventy-three,Homerbeganusingwatercolorpaint.VOICEONE:Watercolorpaintiscolor,orpigment,dissolvedinwater.Thepaintisthin.Sometimesyoucanseethroughthepainttothepaperunderneath.Watercolorpaintcanbeusedtocolordrawingsorbyitself.Itisamuchfastermediumthanoilpainting.Butitisadifferentanddifficultskilltolearn.Homer'sdecisiontousewatercolormayhavebeenconnectedwithanothermajordecision.Twoyearsafterhestartedusingwatercolor,hestoppedillustratingformagazineslikeHarper's.Indoingso,heendedagoodwaytoearnaliving.Instead,hedecidedtomakealivingonlyfromsellinghispaintings.Hewascompletelyindependent.Justashesaidhealwayswantedtobe.VOICETWO:OneofHomer'sbestpaintingsfromthisperiodiscalled"BreezingUp,"Itwasshownforthefirsttimeineighteentherudder,whichcontrolsthedirectionoftheboat.Thetwootheryoungerboysholdonfortheride."BreezingUp'*isconsideredoneofHomer'sfinestpaintings.Today,itispartofthepermanentcollectionoftheNationalGalleryofArtinWashington,D.C.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Inthelateeighteenseventies,expertssayHomerexperiencedsomekindofcrisis.Before,hehadbeenaverysocialperson.Butafterthisperiod,hewithdrewfromsocialactivities.Somecriticssayhehadanunhappyrelationshipwithawoman.Whateverchangedhim,Homermusthavefeltaneedtoescape.HetraveledtoBritainineighteeneighty-one.HespentmostofhistimeinthefishingvillageofCullercoatsznearNewCastle.Therehepaintedmanypicturesoflifeandeventsonandnearthesea.VOICETWO:HomerreturnedtotheUnitedStatesthefollowingyear.HesettledinProutsNeck,Maine.Hewouldcallithomefortherestofhislife.Hisbrothers,ArthurandCharles,bothownedhousesthere.ItappearedthatHomerwithdrewfromsociallife.HeavoidedvisitsfrompeoplewantingtomeetAmerica'sgreatestlivingpainter.ButHomer'slaterlifewasalsofilledwithtravel,whichprovidedsubjectsforhispaintings.Hevisitedwarmplaces-Bermuda,theBahamas,CubaandtheAmericanstateofFlorida.Hemadeseveraltripstofishandtopaint.Intheseplaces,heusedbrightwatercolorpaints.VOICEONE:HomeralsospenttimeintheAdirondackMountainsinNewYorkState.Therehefoundrichsubjectmatterinthepeople,huntersandwildlifeofthearea.Butnow,anewsubjectbecamemoreimportantinhiswork.Ashegrewolder,Homerincreasinglypaintedsubjectsfacingdeath.OneofHomer'slastpaintingsiscalled"RightandLeft."Itshowstwoducksthathavejustbeenshotbyahunterastheyflyabovethesurfaceofawideexpanseofwater.Thepaintingisnamedforahunter'strick.Itdescribeshowahuntercanusebothbarrelsofashotguntobringdowntwobirdsveryquickly.Inthepainting,thewaterandskyaregrey.Itisveryearlyinthemorning.Ifyoulookcarefullyatthepainting,youcanseetwosmallpointsofthecolororange.Lookingcloserstill,youcanseethatoneisasmallpartofarisingsun.Theotherismoresurprising.Itisthefiringoftheshotgun.Almosthiddenbehindoneofthefallingducksistheboatcarryingthehunter.Here,Homerdidsomethingveryunusual.Theobserverofthepaintingisdirectlyinthelineofgunfire.VOICETWO:WinslowHomerdiedatProutsNeck,Maine,innineteenten.HewasfirmlyestablishedasAmerica'sgreatestpainterofthetime.YoucanseemanypaintingbyWinslowHomeronlineattheNationalGallery'sWebsite,www.nga.gov.ClickonSearchandenterthenameWinslowHomer.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyMarioRitter.mSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndmBarbaraKlein.JoinusagainnextweekforPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.