From the History of British Painting

LONDON

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economical and commercial centre. It is an ancient city; it grew up around the first point where Roman invaders found the Thames narrow enough to build a bridge. They found a small Celtic settlement then known as Londinium and by AD 300 they turned it into a separate port and an important trading centre. Nowadays it is the cradle of British traditions and culture.

Over 8 million people live in London. Traditionally it is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are quite different from each other and seem to belong to different towns and epochs. It is said that in London one meets the past and the present, the old and the modern. It is a city of contrasts.

The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Baily. Few people live here, but over a million people come to the City to work.

There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Perhaps the most striking of them is St. Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. It was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. The well-known architect of that day, he took part in rebuilding the city after the Great Fire of London in 1665. Sir Christopher Wren lies buried under the roof of his own great work. These words are written on his grave: “If you want to see his monument, look around”. Tourists are always greatly impressed by the Tower of London. It was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror for the purpose of protecting and controlling the city. It covers an area of 18 acres. The Tower has in the past been a fortress, a palace and a prison, and has housed the Royal Mint, the Public Records and (for a short time) the Royal Observatory. It was for centuries the arsenal for small arms and is still garrisoned; it also housed the Royal Menagerie (up to the nineteenth century). Now it is a museum.

Westminster is the historic, the governmental part of London. Westminster Abbey, an old beautiful chapel, has more historic associations than any other building in Britain. Nearly all English kings and queens have been crowned there. Many outstanding Englishmen are buried in Westminster Abbey: Newton, Darwin and others. The south side of the Abbey is called the Poet's Corner where famous British writers and poets lie: Chaucer, Dickens, Tennyson, Kipling, and Thomas Hardy. Here, too, are memorials to Shakespeare, Bуron, Scott, Burns and Thackeray.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace or the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament. It is a long building of about 1,000 feet* which stretches along the Thames’s North Bank. Big Ben, the famous clock, is in one of the Towers. It chimes the hours to the tune of Handel’s music.

The West End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London. It is the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson's victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson's Column stands in the middle of the square. On the north side of Trafalgar Square are the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Not far away is the British Museum - the biggest museum in London. It contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures etc., and is famous for its library.

The East End is the poorest district of London. There are a lot of factories, workshops and docks here. The streets are rather unimpressive. The East End is densely populated by working class families.

NAMES:

the Thames [tFmz] Темза

the Bank of England Английский банк

the Stock Exchange ['stOk Iks'tSeInG] Лондонская фондовая биржа

the Old Bailey ['quld 'beIlI] центральный уголовный суд,

находящийся в Олд-Бейли

St. Paul’s Cathedral [sqnt 'pLlz kq'TJdrql] Собор Св. Павла (главный собор английской церкви)

Sir Christopher Wren [sW'krIstofq 'ren] Сэр Кристофер Рен

the Tower of London ['tauq'] Лондонский Тауэр

Julius Caesar ['GHlIqs 'sJzq] Юлий Цезарь

William the Conqueror ['wIljqm Dq 'kONkqrq] Вильгельм I – Вильгельм Завоеватель

Westminster Abbey ['wFstmInstq 'xbI] Вестминстерское аббатство

the Royal Mint ['rOIql] Королевский монетный двор

the Royal Observatory [qb'zWvqtrI] Королевская обсерватория

the Public Records ['pAblIk] Государственный архив

the Royal Menagerie [mI'nxGqrI] Королевский зверинец

Newton ['njHtn] Ньютон

Darwin ['dRwIn] Дарвин

Chaucer ['CLsq] Чосер

Dickens ['dIkIns] Диккенс

Tennyson ['tenIsn] Теннисон

Kiplig ['kIplIN] Киплинг

Thomas Hardy ['tOmqs 'hRdI] Томас Гарди

Shakespeare [SeIks'pIq] Шекспир

Byron ['baIrqn] Байрон

Scott [skOt] Скотт

Burns [bWns] Бернс

Thackeray ['TxkIrI] Теккерей

Handel ['hxndl] Гeндeль, немецкий органист, живший и работавший в Лондоне

Westminster Ра1асe ['westmInstq'pxlIs] Вестминстерский дворец

Trafalgar Square [trq'fxlgq 'skwFq] Трафальгарская площадь.

Сражение у мыса Трафальгар, около города Кадис (Испания), произошло во время войны Франции против третьей антифранцузской коалиции. Английский флот адмирала Г. Нельсона (который был убит в бою) разгромил франко-испанский флот адмирала П. Вильнёва, что обеспечило господство английского флота на море.

Nelson’s Column ['nelsnz 'kOlqm] колонна Нельсона

the National Gallery ['nxSqnl] Национальная галерея

the National Portrait Gallery ['pLtrIt] Национальная портретная галерея

the British Museum [mjH'zIqm] Британский музей

A.D.= Anno Domini (Lat.) ['xnqu 'dOmInI] Наша эра

EXERCISES:

I. Read the following words:

London architect church commercial

bury restaurant ancient tourist

Thames Conqueror Celtic acre

cradle observatory epoch arsenal

heart menagerie financial association

numerous crown cathedral chime

II. Using the material of the text correct the wrong statements, if any, begin your answers with these expressions:

That's right. Exactly so. Precisely so. I agree with it. I'm afraid that's not correct. Nothing of the kind. No, that's not right.

1) London grew up around a small roman settlement known as Londinium.

2) By A.D.300 London became an important port and trading centre.

3) Over 10 million people live in London.

4) Westminster is the heart of London.

5) The Stock Exchange is situated in the West End.

6) The City is the historic and governmental part of London.

7) Westminster Abbey is the greatest of English churches, situated across the Westminster Palace.

8) Many English kings and queens have been crowned in Westminster Palace.

9) Westminster Palace was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison.

10) The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in the 11^th century.

11) Big Вen is famous for its hour bell.

12) The East End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London.

13) Many famous British writers are buried at Poet's Corner in St. Paul's Cathedral.

14) Sir Christopher Wren was buried under the roof of the Tower of London.

15) Westminster Abbey is the seat of the British Parliament.

III. Complete the following sentences:

1) St. Paul's Cathedral is situated in... 2) London grew up... 3) Londinium was a... 4) The richest part of London is... 5) Many outstanding Englishmen are buried in... 6) The Nelson's Column Stands... 7) In the British Museum there are... 8) In the East End... 9) In the City you can see... 10) Big Ben is... 11) The Tower of London... 12) The geographical centre of London... 13) In London... are represented. 14) ... is an old beautiful chapel. 15) The Tower housed ...

IV. Use the Passive Voice in the following sentences:

1) London (был основан) around a small Celtic settlement - Londinium.

2) London (делится на) several parts.

3) Numerous banks, offices and firms (расположены) in the City.

4) St. Paul's Cathedral (был построен) bу Sir Christopher Wren in the 17^th century.

5) The Tower (был) a fortress, a royal Palace and a prison.

6) The south side of the Abbey (называется) the Poet's Corner.

7) The Houses of Parliament (расположены) across the Westminster Abbey.

8) The hours (отбиваются) tо the tune of Handel's music.

9) The tall Nelson's Column (установлена) in the middle of Trafalgar Square. (to settle - regular verb)

10) The priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures etc. (представлена) in the British Museum (to exhibit - regular verb)

V. Learn the following expressions from the text and use them in the sentences of your own:

- to seem to do smth.

- to be impressed (by)

- for the purpose of...

- to the tune (of)...

- to be named in memory of...

- to be famous for...

VI. Answer the questions:

1) What's the population of London nowadays?

2) Who was London founded by?

3) Name the parts of London?

4) What is the richest (business) part of London?

5) What is the geographical centre of London?

6) What is the famous building located in Westminster?

7) What is the City famous for?

8) Who was St. Paul's Cathedral built by?

9) Who founded the Tower of London? When was it rebuilt?

10) What is the governmental part of London?

11) What is the world-famous London clock bell?

12) What is the working district of London?

VII. See how many of these famous Englishmen and their works you know:

Isaac Newton ['aIzqk] (1642-1727) the famous English mathematician, astronomer and physicist. He formulated the main laws of the classical mechanics, the binomial theorem, discovered the light dispersion and the reflecting telescope. His greatest discovery is the law of gravitation.

Darwin, Charles Robert (1809-1882) - the English naturalist. Formulated the theory of Darwinism. The main work – “The origin of species”. He suggested the theory of the origin of man from an apelike ancestor ['xnsIstq].

Chaucer, Geoffrey (1345-1400) - the English poet, created one of the first literary monuments – “The Canterbury Tales” - «Кентерберийские рассказы», written in literary English.

Dickens, Charles (1812-1870) - the famous English writer known for his novels. “The Adventures of Oliver Twist” «Приключения Оливера Твиста», “Nicholas Nickleby” «Николас Никльби», “Dombey And Son” «Домби и сын», “David Copperfield” «Дэвид Копперфильд», “Bleak House” «Холодный дом», “Hard Times” «Тяжелые времена», “Little Dorrit” «Крошка Доррит» “Great Expectations” «Большие ожидания», “Our Mutual Friend” «Наш общий друг» and others.

Tennyson, Alfred (1809-1892) - the well-known English poet. Among his best works are the poems “The May Queen” «Королева мая», “The Princess” «Принцесса» and a series of poems “The Idylls of the King” «Королевские идилии».

Kipling, Rudyard ['rAdjqd] (1865-1936) - the English writer and the author of collected poems. Among his novels are “The Light that failed” «Свет погас», “Captains Courageous” «Могущественные капитаны», “Kim” «Ким», “The Jungle Вооk” «Книга Джунглей», “The Second Jungle Вооk” «Вторая Книга Джунглей».

Hardy, Thomas (1840-1928) the English writer, one of the prominent lyric poets of the XX century. He's known for his novels “Under the Greenwood Тгее” «Под деревом зеленым», “Tess of the d'Urbervilles» «Tecc из рода д’Эбервилей», “Jude the Obscure” «Джут Незаметный» and others.

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616) - the English dramatist and poet of the Late Renaissance. His world-famous works are: comedies – “The Taming of the Shrew” «Укрощение строптивой», Much Ado about Nothing” «Много шума из ничего», “Midsummer Night's Dream” «Сон в летнюю ночь», «As you like it” «Как вам это понравится», «The Merry Wives of Windsor” «Виндзорские насмешницы», and others; tragedies– “Romeo and Juliet” «Ромео и Джульетта», “Hamlet” «Гамлет», “Othello” «Отелло», “King Lear” «Король Лир», “Macbeth” «Макбет», “Julius Caesar” «Юлий Цезарь», “Antony and Сlеораtra” «Антоний и Клеопатра», “Coriolanus” «Кориолан» and others; dramas (plays) – “Winter's Tale” «3имняя сказка», “Cymbeline” «Цимбелин», “The Tempest” «Буря», the “Sonnets” «Сонеты».

Byron, George Gordon (1788-1824) - «immense, colossal poet» (Belinsky), famous for his poem “Childe Harold's Pilgrimage” «Паломничество Чайльд Гарольда» lyrical drama “Manfred” «Манфред», mystery play “Kain” «Каин», satirical poem “The Age of Bronze” «Бpонзовый век», satirical epic “Don Juan” «Дон Жуан» (not finished) and others.

Scott, Walter (1771-1832) the English writer, who stands “on the level with the greatest masters of all ages and all nations” (Belinsky). Among his greatest works are the novels: “The Antiquary” «Антикварий», “Old Mortality” «Пуритане», “Rob Roy” «Роб Рой», historical novels “Ivanhoe” «Айвенго», “Quentin Dorward” «Квентин Дорвард».

Burns, Robert (1759-1796) the well-known Scottish poet famous for numerous drinking-songs, ballads, legends, love lyrics.

Thackeray, William Makepeace (1811-1363) the English writer known for his novels: “Vanity Fair” «Ярмарка тщеславия», his masterpiece: “The Newcomes” «Ньюкомы», “The History of Henry Esmond” «История Генри Эсмонда», “The Virginians” «Виргинцы» and others.

VIII. Match the titles of the books with their authors:

1) David Kopperfield a) Kipling

2) Rob Roy b) Thackeray

3) Vanity Fair c) Shakespeare

4) The Merry Wives of Windsor d) Dickens

5) Don Juan e) Byron

6) The Jungle Book f) Scott

7) Macbeth

8) Ivanhoe

IX. Choose any passage from ex. VII and speak about this prominent Englishman. (in Russian)

X. Tell what you learned about the capital of Great Britain.

XI. Translate the following passages about prominent Englishmen in written form.

1. Michael Faraday (1791 - 1867) is considered to be the father of the electric motor. Among his most important works are the concept of the magnetic field and magnetic “lines of force», production of new kinds of optical glass, in electricity-researches on electrolysis and discovery of the rotation plane of polarized light* in a magnetic field. It was Michael Faraday, who produced the first mechanical motion by means of a permanent magnet and an electric current. It was he who discovered that when a wire carrying a current is placed in the field of a magnet, a mechanical force is exerted on the wire. This is the principle upon which the modern electric motor is based. During his life Faraday made more than two thousand experiments.

2. Newton (1643-1727) studied at Cambridge University, while still a student he formulated the binomial theorem*. His great discoveries were the law of decomposition of light and the law of universal gravitation. Here are the three main laws, discovered by this great scientist:

a) The first law of motion: “A body at rest or in motion will remain at rest or in motion unless some external force is applied to it”.

b) The second law: “When a body is accelerated, the magnitude of the force causing the acceleration is equal to the product of the mass of the body and the magnitude of the acceleration. The direction of the force is the same as that of the acceleration.

c) The third law: “To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”.

3. Inigo Jones* (1573-l652) was the first English architect to bring the Italian Renaissance style to Great Britain. The style he built in was pure Italian with as few modifications as possible. His buildings were very un-English in character, with regularly spaced columns along the front. His two most revolutionary designs were the Banqueting House* in Whitehall and the Queen's House at Greenwich*. The plan of the latter, completely symmetrical, with its strict classical details and the principal rooms on the first floor, influenced architecture in Britain. All those who followed Inigo Jones had to adapt this new foreign Building technique to English ways and English craftsmen.

XII. Read the following texts and retell them (in Russian).

From the History of British Painting

(The 18^th–19^th Centuries)

Text A

The eighteenth century, the epoch of Enlightenment, was the golden age of British painting. It was in this period that British art attained a distinct national character.

In the seventeenth century art in Britain had been dominated largely by the Flemish artist, Anthony van Dyck. In the early eighteenth century, although influenced by French rococo, British art began to develop independently. It was the age of satire and mock-heroics in literature. In the arts generally, classical traditions were preferred. The men of this age worshipped the gods of Reason and Light. William Hogarth, born just before the turn of the century, was the first major artist who rejected foreign influence and established a kind of art whose themes were thoroughly British. His protest against social injustice and his attack on the vulgarities of society make him one of the most original and significant of British artists.

Hogarth was followed by a row of illustrious painters: Thomas Gainsborough, with his lyrical landscapes, “fancy pictures” and portraits; the intellectual Sir Joshua Reynolds, who painted charming society portraits and became the first president of the Royal Academy; and George Stubbs, who is only now being recognized as an artist of the greatest sensitivity. There are many others, including Wright of Derby, Wilson, Lawrence, Romney, Wheatley, the young Turner and others.

British art is marked by early development of the romantic trend (due to the peculiarities of the historical development of the country). Examples of early romanticism can be observed already in the end of the eighteenth century. An unprecedented interest in the scientific investigation of nature, in history and literature, the thorough investigation of the past and, at the same time, (it is properly a characteristic of British art) almost bewildering fascination with the present, concentration on the emotional life - all these features constitute a diverse trend of romanticism in Britain. Romanticism is represented in the works of such painters as Stubbs, Wright of Derby (early romanticism), William Blake, Joseph William Turner, John Constable and others.

One of the most important phenomena of British art in the second part of the nineteenth century was Pre-Raphaelite painting. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was the first organized revolt against the academic painting and may be looked on as anti-Victorian. Its main slogan may be formulated as following: “truth to nature” and return to the purity of art. The leaders of this movement were such painters as Gabriel Rossetti, William Hunt and John Millais.

NAMES:

Enlightenment [In'laItnmqnt] Просвещение

Flemish ['flFmIS] фламандский

Anthony van Dyck ['xnTqnI vxn'daIk] Энтони ван Дейк, фламандский художник, который работал в Англии (1632-1641г.)

rococo [rqu'kqukqu] стиль рококо

William Hogarth ['wIljqm 'hOgqT] Уильям Хогарт

Thomas Gainsborough ['TOmqs 'geInzbqrq] Томас Гейнсборо

Joshua Reynolds ['GOSwq 'reInqldz] Джошуа Рейнолдс

George Stubbs ['GLG 'stAbs] Джордж Стаббс

Wright of Derby ['raIt qv 'dRbI] Райт из Дерби

Lawrence ['lLrqns] Лоренс (Томас)

Romney ['rOmnI] Ромни (Джордж)

Wheatley ['wJtlI] Уитли

Turner ['tWnq] Тёрнер (Уильям)

romanticism [rq'mxntIsIzqm] романтизм

William Blake ['wIljqm 'bleIk] Уильям Блейк

John Constable ['GOn 'kOnstqbl] Джон Констебль

Pre-Raphaelite ['prJ 'rxfqlaIt] движение прерафаэлитов

Gabriel Rossetti ['geIbrIql rO'setI] Габриэль Россетти

Text В

William Hogarth (1697-1764) was unquestionably one of the greatest English artists. He was the first native-born English painter to become famous on the Continent. He was even to become a hero of the Enlightenment. It was his achievement to give a comprehensive view of social life within the framework of moralistic and dramatic narrative. He produced portraits, which brought a fresh vitality and truth into art. It was a great achievement of Hogarth to establish comedy as a category in art to be rated as highly as comedy in literature.

In 1724 Hogarth produced his first set of engravings entitled “The Talk of the Town”, a series which satirized both the society and the current tendency of fashionable London to appreciate and invite only foreign singers. The artist’s masterpiece on the life-size scale – “the portrait that I painted with most pleasure”, as Hogarth said - was that of Captain Coram (1740), who took a leading part in the foundation of the Foundling Hospital. Hogarth’s series of pictures “The Rake's Progress” were highly praised by Henry Fielding, the novelist, for their humour and moral force. Narrative pictures were nothing new, but Hogarth was the first artist to invent a story and illustrate it. The famous set of picture called “Marriage à la Mode” contains the most important of the artist's comedies. “The Marriage Contract” is the first of these series. The subject of the picture is a protest against marriage for money and vanity. The quality of Hogarth as an artist is seen to advantage in his famous sketch “Shrimp Girl”, which stands alone in his work, taking its place among the masterpieces of the world in its harmony of form and content.

The first great English artist, who used to be called “the Father of English Painting”, Hogarth attributed his success to hard labour. “I know of no such thing as genius”, he wrote, “Genius is nothing but labour and diligence”. The genius of Hogarth is such that he is often regarded as a solitary rebel against artificiality, and yet though he had no pupils, he had contemporaries who tended in the same direction.

NOTES:

“The Talk of the Town” «Модный вкус»

The Foundling Hospital приют для бездомных детей

“The Rake's Progress” «Карьера мота»

Henry Fielding ['fJldIN] Генри Филдинг, английский писатель, классик литературы Просвещения

“Marriage à la Mode” «Модный брак», серия картин (Франц)

“The Marriage Contract” «Брачный контракт»

“The Shrimp Girl” «Девушка с креветками»

*1 acre = 43,6 square feet = 0,4 hectare; 1 foot = 30,48 centimetres

* the rotation plane of polarized light – плоскость вращения поляризованного света

* the binomial theorem – теория бинома

* Inigo Jones – Иниго Джонс

* the Banqueting House ['bxNkwItIN] – Банкуэтинг-Хаус

* Greenwich ['grInIG] - Гринвич (район на Юго-востоке Лондона)

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