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From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, 1500 to the Present
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ART - ARCHITECTURE - CULTURE > FROM DAWN TO DECADENCE - QUOTABLE QUOTES

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message 1: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (last edited Aug 15, 2009 09:52PM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod

FROM WEST TORN APART - "FROM DAWN TO DECADENCE"

PAGE ONE:

"The Modern Era begins, characteristically, with a revolution. It is commonly called the Protestant Reformation, but the train of events starting early in the 16C and ending--if indeed it has ended--more than a century later has all of the features of a revolution. I take these to be: the violent transfer of power and property in the name of an idea."

From Dawn to Decadence 500 Years of Western Cultural Life 1500 to the Present by Jacques Barzun


message 2: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new) - rated it 5 stars

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Laljit wrote: "PAGE ONE:

"Europe is the peninsula that juts out from the great mass of Asia without a break and is ridiculously called a continent.""


That one is humorous and I got more than a chuckle from that one myself. That is as bad as the NBC report that England is a small island off of the coast of Europe. That went over well.




message 3: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new) - rated it 5 stars

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Laljit wrote: "FROM THE NEW LIFE -

PAGE 35:

"Revolutions paradoxically begin by promising freedom and then turn coercive and 'puritanical,' to save themselves from both discredit and reaction. ... Creating a pu..."


This quote is very relevant considering the current unrest in Iran and their volatile history. Great quotes Laljit.




message 4: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new) - rated it 5 stars

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Great quotes.


message 5: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new) - rated it 5 stars

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Laljit wrote: "FROM THE ARTIST IS BORN

PAGE 79:

"Actually, the true renaissance man should not be defined by genius, which is rare, or even by the numerous performing talents of an Alberti. It is best defined b..."


Laljit, this is a great great quote and it aptly starts the definition of Renaissance Man; I think I will put together a list of the generic terms that we need to add to as we go along ; Renaissance Man is of course one of them, Humanist is another. There are actually quite a few; it would probably be good to list the folks that Barzun considers to be part of each group. But the quote is a real gem of a find. Is this though how the past has classified the artists of the Renaissance? I think I will have to back and review that section.




message 6: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new) - rated it 5 stars

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Great quotes Laljit.


message 7: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new) - rated it 5 stars

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
FROM THE MONARCHS' REVOLUTION:

PAGE 239:

"One Revolution calls forth another. When the Protestant Revolution of the 16C had done its best and its worst while destroying unified Christendom, its worst---namely the protracted war of sects - hastened the Monarchical Revolution of the 17th. Its twofold Idea was "monarch-and-nation" and its double goal was stability and peace. The sects had challenged or broken authority everywhere; some means must be found to restore order through a new loyalty and a new symbol.


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