And So It Begins

Peter Paul Rubens, Entombment

Rubens, Banqueting House, Apotheosis of James I

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Bernini, Louis XIV

26 March 2010. I cannot believe this day has arrived. I am done with my classes. That's it folks - all done! No more formal instruction from scholars and professors, no more tutorials taking place in the National Gallery of Scotland in front of original works that are hundreds of years old, no more evening seminars concerning up-and-coming topics in contemporary art and museum/gallery projects, no more bibliographies that are impossible to fully digest on a weekly basis, and sadly, no more frequent interaction with some of the most inspiring and brilliant professors that share everything they can with me simply because they love their research and want to share it.

What on earth will I do will all of this free time?

Oh wait, I forgot, I have a dissertation due on 20 August, 2010.

Right.

A master's dissertation may not seem daunting to many of you, but it is to me. Before moving to the UK, I believe the largest paper I wrote was twenty pages (yes, double spaced), excluding figures and a bibliography, for my senior thesis at BYU. Times that number by three and that's what I'm looking at now. 15,000 words. I like to write, but do I really like to write? Luckily, I get to pick my own dissertation topic, which means I'll be married to a project of my own choosing. That being said, there is one artist that never ceases to amaze and intrigue me: Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). My degree covers the Renaissance through the Enlightenment - a pretty significant period of time in world history - but my favorite period within that vast timeline has always been the controversial Baroque period, championed to the greatest artistic extent by Bernini.

The images you see in this post form the basis of my topic/argument. Others may disagree (I welcome a dissenting opinion), but the greatest master working in the seventeenth century besides Bernini was Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). With these two artists, you have all the bases covered - drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, engraving, you name it - they mastered it. So, this dissertation will be a comparative study of sorts based around a main theme:

Servants of Absolutism:

Rubens and Bernini in service of Church and State in the Seventeenth Century

There's much more that goes into it, but that's the general idea. Now you at least have some notion of what will be keeping me busy over here. I am bound and determined to rise to the challenge. In the UK, a mark (grade) of distinction is anything higher than 70 - that's my goal. If you don't hear from me (not that frequent contact is even an issue considering I live on a different continent from most of you, but you get my point), you'll know why. I'm replacing my facebook account with my JSTOR account because time is precious, and because JSTOR is really, really cool (it's an archive of academic journals for the humanities). A lesson I value immensely from my mission in the TSAM is this: any goal you set for yourself is attainable if you are willing to exercise discipline and put forth consistent effort. Conquering this dissertation with distinction will require exactly that, plus a marker who is in good spirits when he/she dissects every possible facet of this paper. When I get too wound up or worn out, Steve always has a way of making things right in my world, which I love. Truth be told, I'm really excited to research and write full-time over the next five months, and I'm really happy that Steve is here with me to enjoy the ride.

And so it begins...