When eternity begins
Sojourner Truth, the former slave, who with her freedom became a great, abolitionist crusader, once said: “God will take care of the poor trampled slave, but where will the slaveholder be when eternity begins?” We’ve been talking about time this week—its relation to the night and day, how it interacts with space, and what it […]
On wasted time
Benjamin Franklin said that “If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.” Michelangelo agreed: “There is no greater harm than that of time wasted.” The difficulty is, how do we know if we’re wasting time? The world will tell you to always do something “productive” with your […]
Time…to stop and wonder
Our consideration of daylight savings yesterday got me thinking about time in general. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “how much more time do we have to listen this?”—but thinking about time can be a very valuable thing. It certainly was for Albert Einstein. Working in a patent office in Berne, Switzerland, because he couldn’t get […]
How long is an hour?
How long is an hour? I can see on most of your faces that you don’t particularly care about the answer to that question. “However long it is,” you’re thinking, “I just want that hour of sleep back.” Fair enough. Daylight savings may or may not be a great idea…but the issue is not new. […]
The greatest work of art
Yesterday, we observed that, despite what the world may say, not everything is truly art. But I wonder, what do you think is the greatest artwork of all time? Michelangelo makes a pretty good case—the Pieta, the Sistine Chapel, the statue of David are all candidates; Da Vinci has the Mona Lisa; Raphael, the School […]
Drawing—and holding—the line
We’ve been discussing art this week, but have not yet considered what, exactly, art is in the first place. In many ways, art defies definition. Philosophers, men of letters, academics, artists themselves, have attempted to clarify what makes something art. But even if some answers are better than others, there is certainly no consensus. It is a […]
Art and time
Have you ever watched a great artist work? It is often slow, deliberate, even painstaking. There is great care taken at every stage in the creation of a piece, with the littlest detail tended to until it is gotten right. Great art takes care, and great care takes time. Jan van Eyck worked with his […]
The art of being original
One of the great errors of modern thinking is the notion of complete originality—the idea that we can be or do something that is entirely of ourselves, not borrowed or imitated or conformed in any way. This is especially true in the world of art, where places of honor are now most reserved for those […]
“Art is the signature of man”
When I walk the halls of the school with guests, they always stop and stare at the art you have created. They marvel at its beauty; they comment on its design; they are stunned by its excellence; and they often ask if they can take a course with Mrs. Blecke. But if I took a […]
And if thy mind observe me well…
A recent post from Hillsdale K-12’s blog, The Classical Classroom, discussed the importance of observation and gave practical application for teaching the art of it to scholars. The article affirmed what we do at Columbus Classical Academy and is well worth the short read for all who wonder why classroom classical education is done best […]
