William Wordsworth’s poem, The Tables Turned, Wassily Kandinsky’s painting Park von St. Cloud -Herbst, and a lovely post by Luda at Plants and Beyond remind us why we need to unplug, venture out, and notice the gifts of nature.
The Tables Turned
by William Wordsworth
Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you’ll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?
The sun above the mountain’s head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.
Books! ’tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There’s more of wisdom in it.
And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher.
She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless—
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.
One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.
Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:—
We murder to dissect.
Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.
Forest Bathing Transformation
Yesterday I read the most interesting article by Luda at Plants and Beyond. She explains with glorious photos what the term ‘forest bathing’ means in her post, Forest Bathing Transformation.
Just reading the many encouraging comments at her beautiful blog is uplifting, and I lament that I no longer do all the activities I used to enjoy so much, back when appreciating nature’s bounty was an integral part of each day. Luda’s posts reminds me of that joy.
A bit later, I found the painting by Wassily Kandinsky, Park von St. Cloud–Herbst I, (1906), which shows a person venturing into the golden autumn forest from that safe, uncomplicated doorstep. How grand to venture out! Forest bathing happens in art often, though art remains a poor excuse for the real thing, as Mr. Wordsworth so eloquently explained in his poem above, saying:
“Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.
This is Kandinsky?? Tell Me More…
Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Münter, his long-time companion, moved to Paris in 1906 where “he exhibited at the Salon d’Automne and the Indépendants in Paris.” Christie’s continues:
He had the opportunity to see a special Gauguin exhibition at the Salon d’Automne of 1906 as well as group exhibitions of works by Fauve painters such as Henri Matisse, Robert Delaunay, André Derain, and Maurice de Vlaminck. This exposure to the contemporary works of the Parisian artists marked the beginning of a transformation in Kandinsky’s art. As Vivan Endicott Barnett states “New subjects entered his work, new light and colors changed his style, and new experiences inspired his imagination”
(in Vasily Kandinsky: A Colorful Life, New York, 1996, p. 127). Source: Christie’s
Kandinsky Begins Transformation
Concerning Park von St. Cloud–Herbst I, Christie’s writes the following:
The present work was completed in the autumn of 1906 and is part of a group of small landscape studies of the park at St. Cloud which Kandinsky completed in the summer and fall of that year. In Park von St. Cloud–Herbst I the artist applies broad bands of color with a palette knife.
The painting is less naturalistic than his earlier works and his use of color is brighter and more dramatic. Kandinsky employs somber ocher and green hues but adds lighter supplementary tones to the primary colors making “a distinct progress in the direction of the pictorial form”
(W. Grohmann, Kandinsky Life and Work, New York, 1958, p. 48).
The Big Picture
We can all be transformed by unplugging from our machines and getting outdoors this weekend to
“Let Nature be [our] teacher.”
Thanks for Reading! 🙂
~Sunnyside
At Sunnyside - Where Truth and Beauty Meet 
I just love Wordsworth’s poems , taking refuge in nature away from the stress of urban life!
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I would love to be in a mountain cabin surrounded by woods next to a rocky creek, fireplace roaring. I’ll go outside in the morning though. 🙂
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That’s a good dream too have though I agree regarding setting out in morning! 😱
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😇
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Lovely insight to Kandinsky but also to Wordsworth who painted with words. Anyone who has visited Hawkshead, where Wordsworth went to school and sat in the dismal classroom where he carved his name on the desk will have every sympathy with the poem above, when outside his window was a vista of hills and fells; of sheep and cows and birds in the sky and countryside with lakes and trees and fresh air. Thank you for reminding me of that poem.
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How beautiful it sounds, englepip! I would LOVE to see this someday. Thanks so much for commenting. 🙂
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Thank you. I know you follow my Flickr account, which you can access through Flickr itself or through my home page on here, so if you look in my Album ‘The Lake District’, you will see some of the scenery from that part of the world; although I haven’t any there of Hawkshead itself.
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THANK YOU!! I will enjoy that also since your pictures are phenomenal! 🙂
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That’s very kind, thank you.
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What a joy it was to find this amazing post this glorious morning. I am so surprised and so elated at the same time. Very grateful for you to include me in your thoughts. Do you know that you are my only window in the world of art? As much as I absolutely love paintings, museums, and art, no one else around me wants to share that passion. Wish you were closer so we could do it together and so very much looking forward to seeing more beautiful, colorful, deep and uplifting art posts by my dear Sunny 🙂
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{{{{{{Luda}}}}}} Your kind and generous spirit is evident in your every word. Now my teenage son is looking at me, puzzled at the tears that keep falling. Thank you, dear Luda.🤗
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Awwwwwwwwwew- omg – you left me speechless . How old is your boy ? Mine is 16 and just started driving on his own. Now I will have more time to analyze art☀️ keep it coming pls !!!🙏🏼
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LOLOL…..two of six still at home: boy 14, girl 17 who just got her permit 2 DAYS AGO!! Absolutely the joys of my life just like their older siblings, who are already out conquering the world. 😎❤️👍
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6?! How do you do that many? Wow. Barely managing just 2 🙂 Wow.
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Parenting is a good teacher. I learned mostly from my many mistakes, unfortunately!! But….we can only try our best, and when that is not enough, let grace cover the rest. Let’s try to enjoy every moment we have left with these teenagers – they are a pretty amazing bunch~ 🙂
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Wow! The perfect post to read in the morning 😍
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Hi Saania! So nice to see you here – thanks for commenting! 🙂
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No problem! Love your blog 💖
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❤️🤗
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Nature has so much to teach . Thank you for this insight 🌼 I invite you to visit my thoughts here https://sunniesmybunnies.wordpress.com/2019/03/30/thought-of-the-night-3-2/
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