Girl in Yellow Sweater. Prudence Heward.
Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” is a masterclass in painting the impression of a whirlwind romance, with all its highs and lows. Contemporary covers by Miley Cyrus and others slow down the song, giving it an entirely different feel that is at odds with the Dylan’s inspiration — a torrid love affair with a record company employee.
Read More
Lady Agnew of Lochnaw. John Singer Sargent.
Today, liberals and the left often are clumped together. But, a chasm differentiates the political ideologies between the two. Phil Ochs, one of the eminent folk singers on the sixties, recorded the sardonic Love Me, I’m a Liberal in 1966. The pointed satire mocking the liberal contradiction is as relevant as ever.
Read More
Young Breton Woman. Paul Gauguin.
Bob Dylan is remembered as an integral member of hippy movement, having written political anthems like The Times They Are a-Changin'. However, by 1964, Bob Dylan began writing more and more about individualism and less about socialism. This shift in song-writing is on full display in the song, To Ramona.
Read More
Swimmers. Betty Goodwin. To accept and sink. To struggle and swim.
We all must make the choice between struggle and acceptance. Should one grow to accept the hardships of life or is one compelled to overthrow the systems of sorrow? What is the best strategy to attain personal contentment? What are our ethical obligations to each other and our society? Today, we attempt to unpack and answer these questions.
Read More
School of Athens. Raphael. At the centre of this famous fresco are Plato (in red, point up) and Aristotle (in blue, pointing forward). Hard to think of a more famous mentor-mentee combination (aside from Socrates and Plato, or Aristotle and Alexander the Great).
In 1962, Bobby Dylan recorded his first original song. Simpler than his later work, A Song to Woody remains an intricate and heartfelt tribute to one Dylan’s greatest heroes.
Read More