Brian’s Reflection: Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces
impossible monsters; united with it, she is
the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels.

Francisco de Goya, Spanish painter,
born on this date, 1746.


Well, my choice of Goya’s comment will probably not do much for your “inner life”! But, I could not resist, for three reasons. One: I loved Goya’s Black paintings when I saw them at the Prado; and the first Goya I ever saw, at one of my favourite places, the Frick Collection in NYC. Also, this being Holy Week, and thinking of “fantasy abandoned by reason” I couldn’t resist the painting shown. You can make of that comment what your vivid imagination or brain conjures up!

Two: when looking for quotes by Goya, this was the only one I found. (No, I do NOT take that as a sign that I was led by angels to it, or that it was “predestined”.)

Three: Teabaggers – or whatever they are called. Who would have thought that Goya would know, in the 18th century, that a group of “impossible monsters” – “fantasy abandoned by reason” would arise in the good ole USA – but then again, we have had the KKK as precedent.

In my mind, Fantasy is like one of the Greek muses. Where would we humans be without her? For that matter, where would “religion” be without Her? Let alone the “arts and the origin of marvels”?

But Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and Holy Saturday and Easter Day will probably strike deep chords – IF one can manage to keep Art and Marvels and Fantasy and, perhaps most importantly, Reason all in an elegant Balance.

Enough said!

Brian+