A Painting by Any Other Name

How much does the title of an artwork affect how we respond to it? It is an interesting question, especially because until the first salon exhibits started under King Louis XIV in 1667 at the French Royal Academy, there wasn’t a tradition of artist’s giving their work a title.  Sometimes a title was given and more often than not works were left untitled. There wasn’t a need as paintings and sculptures were commissioned by patrons who requested a specific theme and no one envisioned either museums or future historians discussing each work. 

Gerard ter Borch, Parental Admonition, 1654-55 (Rijksmuseum)

In fact most famous paintings created before the 18th century were actually named by art historians or museum curators in the 19th century for the purpose of research or cataloguing work.  Even in the 17th century when art was painted for the general art market and galleries, the modern idea of giving all works of art a title wasn’t in place yet.  We will look at three examples, all from Dutch 17th century art, a time when many “genre” paintings or scenes of everyday life were created.

The painting above, ter Borch’s Parental Admonition is a good example of a wrongly titled painting.  It was originally incorrectly interpreted as a set of parents scolding their young daughter who bows her head shamefully.  However upon closer examination it was determined to be a scene at a brothel.  Brothel scenes and allegories of sin were a popular theme in the 17th century Netherlands.  Another example of a painting given an incorrect title can be seen below in ter Borch’s contemporary, Samuel van Hoogstraten The Slippers.  

Samuel van Hoogstraten, The Slippers, 1654-62 (Louvre)

We have on the surface a quiet interior setting without figures with two slippers in the foreground.  On closer examination we have before us another allegory of lust and temptation.  The slippers are not a set, there is one man’s and one woman’s.  A broom in the foreground has been left to the side as if to suggest that the woman who was cleaning (the mistress of the house or maybe a maidservant) and the master of the house have snuck into the bedroom together.  The painting within the painting, the Father Admonishing his Daughter by Netscher was a variation of the above work by Gerard Ter Borch. The contemporary viewer would have taken note of the extinguished candle and immediately understood what was going on.

 

Jan Steen, The Doctor’s Visit, 1658-62, private collection

The last painting we will look at is The Doctor’s Visit by Jan Steen, an artist who did several variations on this theme.  Paintings of young women who were visited by doctors were often titled either “The Doctor’s Visit” or “The Lovesick Woman” but more accurately these are an allegory of sin or lust.  The “lovesickness” in question is usually pregnancy outside of marriage.  Many symbols in these paintings refer to love and lust and again the scene would have been instantly recognizable to the contemporary Dutch viewer.

Titles are something all viewers should carefully consider, who exactly gave a work of art its title?  When it was the artist a whole other level of information is suggested to the viewer and when it was a historian sometimes that level of information is missing or a new subject is implied.  This is an interesting subject area and one I will come back to.

James Caplan Law Office Launch New Campaign To Help Potential Law Students

James Caplan Law Office Launch New Campaign To Help Law Students

James Caplan Law Office announced on April 26, 2011 that they have launched a new campaign to help disadvantage students gain entrance into law school. The LEAP (Law Education Acceptance Program) was design to focus on inner city students who are perhaps interested in pursuing a Law Degree.

The goal of the program is to work with high school counselors in introducing interested students to the curriculum required to get accepted into law school. With many of the issues facing urban and inner city residents, there now exist the need for more legal professionals who can relate to the current social challenges and who are also willing to give back to the community.

The program will expose high school seniors to a curriculum loaded with political science and constitutional law classes.

The program founder and director James Caplan says that exposure is the key to education and credits a similar program as his inspiration.

"I had the privilege of studying pre law in my senior year of high school which allowed me to focus on my career path. Many students simply need the right push or exposure to the rewarding field of law. Once we are successful our hope is many of the selected studends will enter the legal profession."

The Bar Exam

James Caplan went on to say the key to passing the bar examinations is contained in one word: ARTICULATION. Articulation is expressive of the following basic fundamentals: good language, impressive presentation, logical reasoning and substantial background knowledge of law and procedure. The examinee has to have a fairly good command of English, assuming that he is prepared in all other matters, stands definitely with a much better chance of passing.

James Caplan P.A., is an established law firm that is based on the practice of real estate law. A portion of their practice is dedicated to the estimated 7 million people facing foreclosure. Their aim is to find alternatives that will save the client's home while also saving their credit.

If you would like to learn more about James Caplan Law Office LEAP Program please visit their website at http://www.jamescaplan.com

The Latest UK immigration Law under Tier 4 Student Visa

The United Kingdom is a country known for its academic excellence. It has made a mark in high quality education and exposure.  However, more and more foreign students are finding it hard to study in the UK after this thorough immigration law has been implemented. In this new change it is strictly required that foreign students studying in UK colleges and universities must be financially, academically and socially capable. The student must be financially independent to become self-sufficient.

Tier 4 is an immigration route for the non-UK students or foreign students who want to have their education done in a culturally rich country. The latest UK immigration law under tier 4 student visa ensures quality international students that will bring economic stability of the country as they are regarded as the future workforce for economic stability.

Lots of hard time is given by this illegal immigration to the UK government. This is the reason that the government have made amendments to their policies to be more defined on every migration.

Under the UK Tier 4 Student Visa, there are several latest UK immigration law covered. It is a requirement that applicants must have English capacity under the General Certificate of Secondary Education. Any foreign students who wish to study in UK must have a top level course in College or equivalent in the United Kingdom accredited educational institutions.
You are prohibited to study in lower degree level especially if it involves a work placement. This is only allowed if the course is offered by an accredited colleges or university and the training is provided by a trusted sponsor.

Moreover, if an individual are having a course below undergraduate or foundation degree level and wishes to study in UK or Britain he must pass a test showing her English language abilities. Similarly, all requirements stipulated in the UK immigration laws must be accomplished by all applicants.

The usual point based systems implemented by the British government laws to present a scrupulous system allowing individuals to live, work and study in UK. Similarly, allowing anyone to have the capacity to be flexible in many changes imposed by the British government.

Law Student Resumes - Getting The Attention Of Potential Companies

Law student resumes that are properly done are crucial in obtaining stable legal positions. In these times, there is certainly a significant shortage in the availability of jobs. What's far more worrying is that the quantity of unemployed persons seems to have come to a point that searching for work is becoming quite challenging. This can be apparent in several careers, even in the legal sector. Being able to conquer this hurdle is achievable nonetheless. For any lawyer, the first step to locating a position is through preparing a skillfully written resume that will be noticeable from the rest. This is particularly important in the hunt for a placement so this has to be done right.

Job hunters recognize the worth of a resume that demonstrates their qualities and their competencies. In reality, this is actually the most outstanding approach to draw in the interest of a company.

Because of the fact that jobs are rare, it can be anticipated that there will be a number of hopefuls who will possibly be rivalling for a single job. This makes the competition more intense. Chances are, a resume which is plainly made will probably be overlooked. So, it is very crucial that a attorney seizes the attention of an employer right from the start. And this is possible with a well presented and accurately crafted resume.

A resume needs to be excellently prepared to be notable among a pile of other job applications. This is especially crucial for the juniors and those who are making attempts to get employed for the very first time. Whether or not they are still undergraduates, or if it is an internship or clerkship, or an attorney possessing a title, there is a need to be equipped with a well crafted professional legal resume. Nevertheless this can turn into a huge problem for an individual who has yet to have working experience as well as has to acquire competencies? Though this may be the scenario, anybody can get through this with a well-crafted resume.

Practical knowledge and abilities are primary factors that employers will look for in probable in-house lawyers. For those who have acquired satisfactory understanding and experience from several years of being in the industry, this really is one aspect which will come rather simple whenever enumerating abilities and giving an account of their realistic track record. A lot of businesses will keep an eye out for these in each and every resume they inspect. The majority of neophytes will be tempted to focus on technical knowledge as well as the acquired skills, nevertheless they are insufficient. The other things that ought to be stressed within law student resumes will be passions, interests as well as commitment towards institutions. These elements, once outlined, give possible employers a definite idea on the level of determination a student can execute. These will reveal the enthusiasm he has for the industry he is in.

In a ruthless setting, law student resumes that shine have better possibilities of getting results. A student will definitely possess limited expertise as well as practical practical experience. If on the lookout for his very first position, his most powerful weapon would be a showcase of his capabilities and his potential. He could provide these within a well crafted resume that gives a comprehensive description of his enthusiasm. Describing his enthusiasm for his selected vocation can give him the break he requires.

Practise Methods and Approaches for Students of Musical Instruments

Many of us wanting to learn an instrument will initially want to play certain songs or pieces by our favourite bands or musicians. This is great for inspiration and will offer a goal, and in exchange for our efforts in practising on the instrument the goal will be realised. The journey from goal to achievement will depend on many factors, but the ones we are interested in here are the best methods for practise.

Over many years I have bought countless books and materials hoping to find new and different approaches to learning. While some of the techniques in these books will have contributed to my development some may have been far less successful.

After studying these materials one of the most valuable learning tools I have adopted is the implementation of repeating passages or sections of music to degrees that may seem unnecessary. So instead of practising a passage for example 10 times, it would not be unreasonable to practise it 100 times although you may feel you have already mastered the passage after 10 repeats. It is also important to note that these repeated passages should be untainted in terms of bad execution of the notes involved. A poorly performed passage should not be considered a repeated passage in this context.

The number of times you attempt a passage or piece of music is not the only important factor in learning it, the speed at which it is practised and how comfortable it is to play will also affect your success. As mentioned previously a passage played badly is not a passage worth counting so one way to improve the number of times a passage can be played without error is to bring the tempo down. I believe this is one of the most crucial aspects to learning a musical instrument, to be comfortable to play the music at every tempo below the one you are aiming for.

Here is an idea of how to tackle a new section of music: Start by playing the passage at a speed where you can play all the notes perfectly however slow this may seem. At this tempo play the passage 100 times. If you played the passage 100 times without error, try increasing the tempo by 5 beats per minute and see if you can play another 100 without error. If this increased tempo causes problems try stepping down the tempo to only 2 beats per minute faster than the original any repeat the process. With this method there is quite a high demand for discipline and dedication in order to stay on track but the outcome can be worth it.

A good test to see if the method is working is to try the passage or piece of music as soon as you start playing your instrument the next day. You may feel slightly more comfortable with the notes or you may decide it is just as hard. It is important to remember that it may take a lot of time to see any improvement so don't be put off if the method does not yield results straight away.

With many students of an instrument, after a certain period of development they will fall into a state where they no longer need to learn anything new and will just play the same lick or song over and over again, for a period of years sometimes. They will no doubt become very comfortable playing these licks and songs and I believe this principle can be applied to learning new material only that more work is needed to be put in.