Poets' Corner itself is a chapel within Westminster Abbey (the Main London Cathedral where William & Kate got married).The chapel is stuffed with statues and plaques dedicated to famous poets The statue of Dryden dominates.
If you or I were to visit, we would be enthralled and be reading all the epitaphs of people such as Chaucer and Charles Dickens who lie here. This is historically and culturally specific to our times, as we venerate them as great historic and literary figures. To Axel Haig (my hero), they were only recently departed and their statues were a pain in the proverbial! He was recording the architecture of the Abbey in seven etchings.
It seems that in installing statues and plaques etc. a lot of the original architecture was destroyed. To Haig, this was vandalism. He saw his seven etchings of the original architecture as , "... a few footsteps in the sands of time, that might soon be obliterated by the feet of others [...] the recklessness with inharmonious mutilations."
So I'm trying to reinforce Axel's footsteps in the sand by drawing the entrance to Poets' Corner - seeing it through hie eyes... and somehow hoping his magic might rub off on me. :0)
Here is his "Altar of the Visitation", Palencia, Spain (1884) 22" x 16"- a print from the original etching plate.
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| Axel H Haig (1884) |
It was through this picture that I discovered Haig. I bought a signed copy for only £25 - $40 from a philistine. Here is my copy hanging in my hallway in its original frame. This photograph was meant to display the spinning wheel I had just made, so the view of the picture isn't very clear.
I do so admire architectural drawing like Haig's and craftsmanship like yours. The spinning wheel did catch my eye first--as did your words"I made."
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful John--strokable like fine satin I imagine.
The Poets' corner is such a romantic place. I'm sure those forty hours have flown by as your imagination recreated their works and their times. I have no doubt your drawing will be superb; they all are when we are swept up into their creation.
His work fascinates me as does the American printmaker John Taylor Arms. His, “West Forty-Second Street Night 1922" is as American as a Gershwin (Spelling?) tune.
DeleteI must admit that the entrance to Poets' Corner is more exciting to me - as a draughtsman - than inside the chapel itaslf. So many angles and shadows; so many shapes and vanishing points.
The spinning wheel is mahogany - it is fully functional but has never been used, but then, I built boats and never felt inclined to sail them!
Forty hours !? You really have to try watercolour, John !
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If I did watercolours, then I would be to scared to show my work on here ... you painters are all geniuses, I am in total awe of what I have seen since I started blogging 8 weeks ago!! :0)
ReplyDeleteYou really made that? Wow! You make it sound like it was something you just threw together!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gift you have to make such beautiful things. A true master of you craft :0)
John, I can see why you admire Axel Haig;s work. I wait with bated [ baited??? hehe ] breath to se yours.
ReplyDeleteIt was years before I found out that Haig began his working life in a Swedish Dockyard. He then moved to Britain (Scotland) to study Naval Architecture. Which is the path I trod, Kathryn. He stayed at it, whilst I spent the next 25 years as an aviator.
DeletePS I think I have Sandra's and your comment answered the wrong way round!
Pat would tell you that I bought the wood for it 40 years before I made it.
ReplyDeleteNot really a gift, I was the worst woodworker in the world but then did a six years apprenticeship with the Admiralty (Navy Department)
I'm looking forward to your drawing of Poets' Corner, John! I've been there once with my son when he was little and remember it well. I do enjoy all your posts, learning more about your life!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy, I'm also looking forward to this picture now :0) it has taken ages - it certainly is a tricky one, a great challenge though. I think it will survive the axe now - but there have been times that it nearly went.
Deletenot only an amazing pen and ink artist but a not too shabby wood crafts man too! I don't know anything about architecture or Poet's corner or Haigh (although that piece looks like a photo in its detail. The only architecture on which I have an opinion really is Gaudi and the wonderful buildings he created in Barcelona-just because they look so beautiful and whimsical which I wish real life was more like!
ReplyDeleteJohn I'm really looking forward to seeing your drawing! I can only imagine how beautiful the detail will be. :)) ANd do you ever have so much patience! I find myself really antsy to move onto something else after ten hours on one piece. And the spinning wheel is indeed lovely. You are amazingly talented.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Crystal. I'll admit that 'The Corner' is coming along a whole lot better than I thought it would at the beginning. It's quite a big drawing really, so the shading takes forever.
DeleteI'm not the most patient of people but drawing seems the exception.
Problem is there's a lot of pressure to me bring out an anthology of my granddaughter's and my own poetry. "Giselle & Grandpa's Poems"
It's all about getting the time to do everything!
Haig would have probably agreed with you, Nicola, he spent a lot of time on Spanish Cathedral architecture. There is masses of stuff to draw in Spain - wish I could spend some time out there
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to see the framed print AND the spinning wheel. I like to consider the fact that people of the past didn't see things the way we might assume. There are probably lots of things they were unhappy about that we just assume they signed off on!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed them, Celeste :0) I've just been reading some recently published diary entries that were written during World War 2. It was amazing how they are so simple in their expectations and had a totally different 'mind-set' to modern thinking.
ReplyDeleteI have the VERY same Haig print and frame! I bought mine in California in the early 1980s from a large antique dealer who brought over containers full of stuff, I forget what I paid - but have had it ever since.
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