The presenter of the documentary and also the writer/Director was Andrew Graham Dixon who is not only a historian but also a broadcaster. The first episode is titled Liberty Diversity Depravity
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| Walpoles beautiful house in Strawberry Hill |
Much like the clip I've posted before titled "The Gothic" after the introduction Dixon started the documentary at Horace Halpole house in Strawberry Hill, not only is the house extremely beautiful but it also represents a classically gothic layout with the rooms and outside features such as the window shaping and ceiling coffers much like that of medieval cathedrals. The layout is also extremely decorated with each room being decorated full of arts and objects in fitting the Gothic period.
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One of the hallways in the house, rich in colour and detailed ceiling work. One of the entrances in the house though juxtaposed to the other room being strong in greys the colours within the house are all very popular within the Gothic theme. Notice the almost mythical stair case with the detailed hand rails in fitting the gothic but also the newel design in which consists of a antelope creature.
Walpole was the author of "The castle of Otranto" this book is extremely important in the development of the gothic because to many it is considered as the prioring first book in the genre of gothic literature. The castle of Otranto's plot is basically about the lord of the castle Manfred and his family, the tale entails his story with his family, death and murder. The idea of a prophesy also creates suspicion and madness which result form Manfred's son being killed on his wedding day and a the revelation of the real Prince of Otranto.
The documentary then went to the georgina period and how at the time they had become obsessed with the idea of including stately homes with temples in the grounds. People also liked visiting old medical ruins. Of course though the idea of the folly was also around.
Lord Cobben built a gothic temple to relieve the idea of a gothic church to show "freedom" the temple is called "The temple of Liberty" the building itself was actually completed in 1749 after his death. Was a political agenda the building also with anglican saxon workings within the building "A temple to english liberty from a political agenda. was extremely rich" Interestingly the building can now be rented out for sort breaks. I WANT TO GO
The idea of folly's were also extremely popular fake ruins such as ivy clan ruins in gardens or even hadley hall these places were popular folly's for the Victorian adventurer and but also especially writers and artists who captured the romantic imagination, a new look on the world.
Not only were folly's a idea for creating adventure but also people of the era also were striving out into the unknown and going on little adventures. Going into the natural world and finding something that creates both terror and sheer excitement such as going to visit cliffs. Painters were key at the time for those not as adventurous but still wanting to see what was out there the idea of a painting of a ship in the middle of a storm was something unusual and unseen. The whole idea of creating the sublime.
Way before his time an Italian artist called Salvator Rosa was a huge 'sublime' painter of course though and quite typically he died before the gothic and sublime got popular. In fact he was nearly 150 years ahead of the movement, his work is extremely detailed, a few pieces are held in the national gallery such as "Witches at their Incantations" the painting to me is actually quite disturbing the scene is weird and full of characters. I must say the dead man with the extended broken neck reminds me of something from the ring.
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| Witches at their Incantations, around 1646 |
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/salvator-rosa-witches-at-their-incantations
William Shakespeare is also touched upon due to his supernatural writings which include Witches (Macbeth) and Ghosts (Hamlet) and even death (Romeo & Juliet) in fact many of his plans end with dramatic finales. Of course though The Victorian era was the biggest for Gothic but in the Medieval times gothic was seen for religious and architect reasons.
The graveyard poets
Robert Blair - The Grave
http://www.bartleby.com/333/115.html
WHILST some affect the sun, and some the shade, Some flee the city, some the hermitage; Their aims as various as the roads they take In journeying through life; the task be mine To paint the gloomy horrors of the tomb; 5 Th’ appointed place of rendezvous, where all These trav’llers meet. Thy succours I implore, Eternal King! whose potent arm sustains The keys of hell and death. The Grave, dread thing! Men shiver when thou’rt nam’d: nature appall’d 10 Shakes off her wonted firmness. Ah! how dark Thy long-extended realms, and rueful wastes, Where nought but silence reigns, and night, dark night, Dark as was chaos ere the infant sun Was roll’d together, or had tried his beams 15 Athwart the gloom profound! The sickly taper By glimm’ring through thy low-brow’d misty vaults, Furr’d round with mouldy damps and ropy slime, Lets fall a supernumerary horror, And only serves to make thy night more irksome! 20 Well do I know thee by thy trusty yew, Cheerless, unsocial plant! that loves to dwell ’Midst sculls and coffins, epitaphs and worms; Where light-heel’d ghosts and visionary shades, Beneath the wan cold moon (as fame reports) 25 Embodied thick, perform their mystic rounds. No other merriment, dull tree! is thine.
The poem itself is rather long so here is the first verse. The poem was written by Robert Blair and is in a Blank verse format. The poem was first published in 1747. The poem of Ossian by James Macpherson these works are inspired by ancient works and heroic deeds written in a epic poetry collective.
William Beckford born in 1760 was a english writer who pushed himself within his work never reaching a limit he was clearly always living on the edge throughout his life, his father was the mayor of London at a time and he had in fact inherited a cool million at the age of ten, he was bisexual and actually had a orgy for his 21st birthday; it sounds like he was some kind of rockstar. He always pushed himself within sex, his money, and lifestyle. He was eccentric and built a massive tower named Fonthill Abbey in which he lived and housed he large art collection for a time. In 1825 most of fontill actually collapsed due to the poorly built tower not being able to hold its weight. Beckford's notable work is a gothic novel called Vathek first published in English in 1786 based around a king with supernatural powers in Arabic state the books includes not only the supernatural but also hell and demons.
The most notable gothic works were those from the 1750's much like the works of Ann Radcliffe, Jane Austin, Matthew Gregory Lewis, Emily Bronte there have been a load of notable authors from the 100 years after Gothic first really came noticeable.
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