There is no such thing as 'real’ absinthe. Wormwood plant - Photo courtesy of iStock / Kerrick Yet, every time I offer some to a friend, I always have to explain that "Yes, it’s real absinthe," and "No, real absinthe isn’t illegal," and finally, "Trust me, you’re not going to start tripping."Īnd after having this conversation many dozens of times, I’ve decided to set the record straight in writing. And, above all, it’s notorious for being the liquor that caused people to run around the streets of Paris hallucinating like Alice down the rabbit hole.Ībsinthe is one of my favorite drinks, and not because it gives me otherworldly visions, but because it’s refreshing, herbaceous and light. It’s been villainized as the spirit that drove Van Gogh insane. The Green Fairy – as it’s famously called – has been romanticized as the muse of la belle époque, giving inspiration to everyone from Oscar Wilde to Arthur Rimbaud. And chances are, if you’re reading this, almost everything you’ve heard about absinthe is wrong. Green Fairy: The symbol of liberté - Examines L'Absinthe as a fitting example of the "nervous fear that the decadent ways of the Continent might reach the shores of the British Isles".Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve heard a thing or two about absinthe. The Book of Absinthe: A Cultural History. ^ George Moore, Modern Painting (London: Walter Scott Publishing, 1898), p.^ "L'Absinthe in focus: London and Paris 1870–1910".Absinthe-The Cocaine of the Nineteenth Century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and Its Effect on Artists and Writers in Europe and the United States. ^ a b c Lanier, Doris (1 January 2004).However, in his book Modern Painting, Moore regretted assigning a moral lesson to the work, claiming that "the picture is merely a work of art, and has nothing to do with drink or sociology." See also The comment by George Moore on the woman depicted was: "What a whore!" He added, "the tale is not a pleasant one, but it is a lesson". Many English critics viewed the picture as a warning lesson against absinthe, and the French in general. That reaction was typical of the age, revealing the deep suspicion with which Victorian England had regarded art in France since the early days of the Barbizon School, and the desire to find a morally uplifting lesson in works of art. Many regarded the painting as a blow to morality this was the general view of such Victorians as Sir William Blake Richmond and Walter Crane when shown the painting in London. The people and the absinthe represented in the painting were considered by English critics to be shockingly degraded and uncouth. The painting was shown again at the Grafton Gallery in England in 1893, this time entitled L'Absinthe, where it sparked even greater controversy. It was put into storage until being exhibited again in 1892, but was again treated with derision. Reception Īt its first showing in 1876, the picture was panned by critics, who called it ugly and disgusting. The café where they are taking their refreshment is the Café de la Nouvelle-Athènes in Paris. The models used in the painting are Ellen Andrée, an actress who also appeared in Édouard Manet's paintings Chez le père Lathuille and Plum Brandy, and Marcellin Desboutin, a painter and etcher. A glass filled with absinthe is on the table in front of her. The man, wearing a hat, looks to the right off the edge of the canvas, while the woman, dressed more formally in fashionable dress and hat, stares vacantly downward. Painted in 1875–76, the work portrays a woman and man sitting side-by-side, drinking a glass of absinthe.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |