British Culture - User contributions [en]

Mary of Teck

2010-07-11T14:47:19Z

Magdag:

Queen Mary was born on 26 May 1867 as Victoria Mary of Teck in London. She was the eldest of four children of Duke Francis of Teck (a member of the royal house of Württemberg) and Mary Adelaide of Cambridge who was a grandchild of George III.
In 1891 she was betrothed to marry Victor Albert, the Duke of Clarence, and the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. But before the marriage could take place, the Duke died of pneumonia.
On July 6 1893 she married George, the Duke of York, and was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York. In 1911 she was crowned with him in Westminster Abbey. Since then, she was known as Queen Consort until the death of King George V in 1936. She was also the mother of Edward VIII and George VI.
She died on 24 March 1953 and was buried on 31 March 1953 in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, England.
The cruise ship, RMS Queen Mary, was named in her honour.

Source:

Paxman, Jeremy. ''On Royalty''. London: Viking, 2006.

http://www.britroyals.com/windsor.asp?id=mary_teck

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Mary_of_Teck

Buckingham Palace

2010-04-22T22:22:17Z

Magdag: Created page with 'Buckingham Palace The Buckingham Palace, located in the City of Westminster, serves as the official residence and office of currently reigning Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of …'

Buckingham Palace
The Buckingham Palace, located in the City of Westminster, serves as the official residence and office of currently reigning Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household.
Consisting of 775 rooms, only 19 State Rooms, which are used by the Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on State, ceremonial and official occasions, are opened to the public during August and September since 1993 when the Queen is on her annual visit to Scotland.
The State Rooms, being the heart of the Palace, house some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection, e.g. paintings by Rembrandt or Rubens or some of the finest English and French furniture.
Originally, Buckingham Palace was built by the Duke of Buckingham as his London home in 1703 but then sold to George III by the Duke’s son in 1761. Known then as the “Queen’s House” it functioned as a private residence for Queen Charlotte. In the course of the 19th century the Buckingham Palace was enlarged by the architects John Nash and Edward Blore becoming the official residence of monarchs on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.
In former times the Throne Room functioned as a place for the court presentations of aristocratic girls but has been replaced by Garden Parties in 1958. Ceremonies like investitures and State banquets are held in the Ballroom. Another important attraction is the Changing of the Guard, which takes place at the front of the Buckingham Palace during the summer.

Sources:
www.royal.gov.uk
www.aboutbritain.com
Graeme, Bruce. The Story of Buckingham Palace. London: Baker, 1970.

Joshua Reynolds

2010-01-23T18:52:13Z

Magdag:

Sir Joshua Reynolds, regarded as one of the most prominent figures in the English school of painting, was born on the 16th of July 1723 at Plympton Earl, Devonshire, on the south-west coast of England, as a son of Rev. Samuel Reynolds and Theophila Potter.
Showing an early interest in painting and drawing, he was sent to London to study art in 1740. He was apprenticed to Thomas Hudson, a native of Devonshire, who was popular as a portrait painter. After two years with Hudson, Reynolds returned to Devonshire, where he employed himself in portrait painting and after his father`s death in 1746, he came under the influence of the works of William Gandy of Exeter.
Meanwhile, Reynolds made the acquaintance to Lord Edgcumbe and Captain Keppel, who invited him to accompany him to Minorca. In December 1749 Reynolds made his way to Rome. After more than two years in Rome, he spent five months in visiting Parma, Florence, Venice and other important cities in Italy. Then Reynolds returned to England, where he established himself as one of the leading portrait painters in the country. Finally, in 1760 he moved to Leicester Square, where he continued to paint until his death.
In December 1768, when the Royal Academy of Art was founded, Reynolds was elected its first president. In 1784, he was appointed as painter to George III.
In the summer of 1789, Reynolds’ sight began to fail. He occasionally continued to paint, delivering his final discourse at the Academy on the 10th of December. Reynolds was gradually sinking and after a few months of depressions and liver complaint, he died on the 23rd of February 1792 in London.
His portraits include noble male portraits like “Lord Heathfield”, “Johnson”, “Sterne”, “Goldsmith”, “Gibbon”, “Burke”, “Fox”, “Garrick” but also other portraits like “Mrs. Siddons as the Tragic Muse” or “Viscountess Crosbie”.

Sources:
Armstrong, Walter Sir: Joshua Reynolds. Aus dem Englischen übertragen von E. von Kraatz, München, Vereinigte Kunstanstalten, o.J.
Wendorf, Richard: Sir Joshua Reynolds: The Painter in Society, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1996.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/500800/Sir-Joshua-Reynolds

Gothic novel

2009-12-15T16:22:10Z

Magdag: Created page with 'The Gothic Novel The gothic novel is an European Romantic, pseudomedieval literature genre, that took shape in England in 1790 to 1830. It was invented by Horace Walpole, whose T…'

The Gothic Novel
The gothic novel is an European Romantic, pseudomedieval literature genre, that took shape in England in 1790 to 1830. It was invented by Horace Walpole, whose The Castle od Otranto (1765) became the epitome of this genre. „The gothic has been associated with with a rebellion against a constraining neoclassical aestehetic ideal of order and unity“ (Kilgour, 1995)
The action takes place (mostly at night) in and around an old castle, which mostly contains secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms and dark or hidden staircases. It not only evokes the atmosphere of horror, dread, mystery and suspense, but also portrays the deterioration of its world. The decaying, ruined scenery implies that at one time there was a thriving world. At one time the abbey, castle, or landscape was something treasured and appreciated. Now, all that lasts is the decaying shell of a once thriving dwelling.
Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events are taking place in gothic novels. Dramatic, amazing events occur, such as ghosts or giants walking, or inanimate objects coming to life. In some works, the events are ultimately given a natural explanation, while in others the events are truly supernatural. The Gothic Novel also deals with sublime. The technique of sublime became used as a way of talking about the impact of certain dramatic or powerful manifestations of nature (towering mountains, storms, etc) or supernature (demons, angels, ghosts).
There is always the Gothic hero, the protagonist, who is isolated voluntarily or involuntarily. Then there is the villain, who is the epitome of evil, either by his own fall from grace, or by some implicit malevolence.

Sources:
Kilgour, Maggie: The Rise of the Gothic Novel, London, 1995.
http://cai.ucdavis.edu/waters-sites/gothicnovel/155breport.html
http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm

John Bull

2009-11-09T20:24:29Z

Magdag: Created page with 'John Bull John Bull, a imaginary figure shown in Cartoons and caricatures, personifies England as being pictured as a prosperous Farmer of tue 18th century. He normally wears a …'

John Bull

John Bull, a imaginary figure shown in Cartoons and caricatures, personifies England as being pictured as a prosperous Farmer of tue 18th century. He normally wears a tailcoat with breeches and a Union Flag waistcoast and a lower topper on his head. He is always accompanied by a bulldog. His size represents prosperity and gold health. John Bull’s character is supposed to be that of a drinking man, who is down-to-earth, honest, straightforward, fond of dogs, horses, ale and country sports.
His first appearance was in a series of political satires by John Arbuthnot. Arbuthnot was a Scottish scientist, doctor and political satirist, who introduced John Bull as the typical Englishman.
John Bull played an important role during the Napoleonic Wars, where he became the national symbol of freedom, loyalty to king and county and of resistance to French aggression.

Sources:

http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/JohnBull.htm

Rogers, Ben: Beef and Liberty: Roast Beef, John Bull and the English Nation, London, 2003.