October 3, 2011

Why I Adore the Night


I’ve decided to take part in the “Why I adore the night” challenge, which has been started by Hila in her blog - le project d'amour

If you were to disregard the experiences of another person, as well as the traditional, historical and literary aspects of interpreting the night, my version would resemble the painting “The Moonlit Night Over the Dnieper” by Kuinji. You can take a long walk on such a peaceful, warm night, listening to the sounds that surround you, approaching and drifting away. In the night, movement seems more serene, and each insignificant sound becomes bigger and impossible to ignore.

If you travel down the narrow way towards the river and lie on your stomach on the wooden pier, you can put your hand into the water, which has been warmed by the sun during the day, feeling it travel in endless motion towards the places you would like to explore.

Turning on your back, you will see the moon, clouds, and pairs of white birds flying in the dark.

Be sure to hurry up, because there are several more things that need to be tried on a warm night.

You need to find a wide, level field of flowers, and spin around with your eyes open and your arms outstretched. Once you run out of energy, feel free to fall down into the grass and the flowers, but try not to fall asleep. It would be nice if there was a gentle breeze blowing at that moment. It would help cool you down.

Try not to laugh too loudly, so as not to attract Rembrandt’s Night Watch.


After all of that, you should definitely find a swing; any swing will do. You should climb on it no matter what, and swing - either high or low, depending on your mood. You can even just sit there. The swing might be a little creaky. This would prevent you from getting carried away, as in the painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and you won’t have to awaken unsuspecting neighbours.

 
If you wish – and if you’re not too far away from the water – you can greet the morning like Monet did while painting his “The Seine at Giverny”. All the silvery-pink shades of the earliest rays of the sun reflecting on the water – it’s real poetry of colour. It`s nearly impossible to capture.


I love the night. The simplest actions, which wouldn`t be that much fun during daylight, can offer a whole spectrum of enjoyment when it`s night.

I`d like to end with a few words of warning. Don`t send letters composed during the night, and don`t try my earlier suggestions if you suspect that there might be vampires lurking nearby.

37 comments:

  1. I had not heard about this challenge before seeing your post, very interesting. I love the night as well and think that your choices of picture coupled with your writing gives a real insight into why it means so much to you. Thanks for yet another post which has got me thinking. x

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  2. the night time is my favorite too, hands down. i have a necklace that is a moon shape because i love it so much :) i like the way you explain it!

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  3. Olga, fantastic!!! I love all these artworks, and the way which you describe all them! bravo! kisses.

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  4. A wonderful post. The first picture is extraordinary. I won't be taking part in the challenge because I don't adore the night, I am definitely a day person - but I almost could get to like it, after reading what you have to say.

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  5. That Fragonard painting is so cheeky. The advice should be, "If you swing high, just watch out for the boys who are trying to look up your skirt."
    LOL!

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  6. The night does bring in a different sense on photography but unfortunately our city is a little more crime then other cities in the world and so I have to be careful if I do ! Like your night creation today !

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  7. You should write a book - I was lost in your description of the night. I think I would still take my chance at the night, even if vampires were lurking around. I watched Fright Night - vampires in Vegas...I know what to do. ;)

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  8. I have written several poems about the night and or dawn. It is a special time indeed.

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  9. How blessed we are to have two worlds of day and night! I like to go out at night especially when I’m on a trip into the middle of nature, I like to be in the hushed world under the starry sky with the moon sailing shining gently on us. At night at home, there’s something sweet which gets lost in the daily rush. The first picture took my breath away.

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  10. Great post,
    I particulary love Monet painting...
    You can find some of his Giverny's garden in my album "Quelques pétales...".
    Enjoy your day Olga !
    Greetings from France,

    Pierre
    http://pierre-boyer.blogspot.com/

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  11. I also love the night and think this is a superb post, you have picked the photos so well. Take care, Diane

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  12. thanks so much for doing this olga! I'm going to bookmark this post and read it, quite appropriately, tonight. It seems fitting.

    p.s. I'm going to showcase submissions and posts on this challange on my blog at a later date. I'll definitely include your post.

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  13. Love this post! I can feel the peace and quiet of night just by reading your words!

    Duncan In Kuantan

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  14. A wonderful post............and thank you for finding the pictures. The first is amazingly tranquil.

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  15. And then, writing in the calm of the night, that's a treat too, isn't it?

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  16. I love the minutes before the sun rises, it´s a kind of magic and scaring at the same time.It´s marvellous waking up in the early hours before the daily machinery starts, I feel then powerful for the rest of the day!!

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  17. Hello Olga:
    How you seduce us into appreciating the night with this most atmospheric of posts and its beautifully complementary paintings. But,no, the night is not for us when there is the dawn of a new day to entice. And, watch out for those vampires.....we have heard that Toronto is their next port of call!!!!!

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  18. This is a captivating post, Olga. I want to follow the link to see what the project is all about, and may do so after I complete my promise to catch up on reading others' blogs.

    That first image just takes me away. That is how I see the night in my mind's eye. I have been a night owl ever since a toddler, but it has actually gotten out of control. For a year or so I have gone to bed between 4:00-6:00 a.m. and it is affecting my days and certainly my ability to get adequate sleep! I have tried and tried to change, but so far to no avail. Perhaps I should make this my last read of the night and turn off the computer before 2:00 a.m. today (it is here 1:50 a.m.). It is hard to change. Like you, I find the night beckons me with its acute mysteries.

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  19. The night is like an unshakeable black cloak. I always find driving at night a peculiar experience and am surprised when I see other cars about. I expect it to be reserved for me.

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  20. I love the night, too... but I must admit I'm more of a morning person!

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  21. These are beautiful and magical paintings. I especially love the one with the swing. :)

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  22. I enjoyed this.
    These are all things I love doing.
    :)

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  23. Love your post here Olga, and the nightpicture is amazing !!

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  24. Beautiful night shot Olga, and interesting post.

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  25. Good pictures to tell the night ... I like. Offers other images than the day .... And I've never had to run out of the vampires:)))
    A kiss.

    Look at these nights .... Have no fear, no vampires!!

    http://asimegustaelmundo.blogspot.com/2011/07/luces-en-la-noche.html

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  26. Hi Happy Frog and I,
    I'm glad you liked my version of "Why I Love the Night", and the paintings that accompany it. Isn't it a great idea for formulating your inner thoughts?

    Hi Krystal,
    All the symbols of the night - the moon, the stars - are very pretty and great elements for design.

    Hi Φανή Παπαγεωργίου, Ζωγράφος,
    I'm glad you liked the artworks. Isn't there something special in them?

    Hi Jenny,
    I like all times of the day in their own way. I find a special joy in observing all of them.

    Hi Lydia,
    All artists of this period played with eroticism a little bit, and created their own version of it.

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  27. Hi Wong,
    No matter how I try, I can't seem to get good nighttime shots. Maybe I don't have enough skill and patience for it.

    Hi Sandy,
    I'm glad you are well prepared for encounters with vampires. I'm not afraid of them because I eat a lot of garlic.

    Hi R. Jacob,
    I would love to find out what poems you've read recently. All my literary sources are from Russian culture.

    Hi stardust,
    The painting you have pointed out is in Moscow in the Tretyakov gallery. I always visit it whenever I'm in Moscow. You could say that gallery is my childhood friend.

    Hi Pierre,
    This Monet painting was at an exhibition in Russia. I couldn't tear myself away from it.

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  28. Hi Diane,
    I think that, if I lived in a house, it would have made the difference. Here, I have the priviledge of visiting High Park after dark (with my husband as a bodyguard).

    Hi hila,
    I'm glad that my meager contribution to your challenge was appreciated. Looking forward to reading other entries!

    Hi Duncan,
    Thank you. It's really important for me to hear, since I'm not a native English speaker.

    Hi Adrian,
    This post came to me quickly and easily. I was very inspired by the idea.

    Hi Pet,
    I used to write a lot of things during the night. Then, the more visual art became part of my life, the more my habits changed towards daytime ones. Northern artists need to take advantage of daylight!

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  29. Hi Colores,
    These are precisely my feelings, only you've expressed them in other words.

    Hi Jane and Lance Hattatt,
    It's interesting to know that you are daytime people. What do you do if the opera ends late? :)

    Hi Lydia,
    The first painting has a long, interesting story. It was purchased by a member of the Russian imperial family. He was so fond of it that he took it with him on a cruise in the sea, where, unfortunately, it became slightly discoloured on the ship.

    Hi Sarah,
    I have a special feeling when we return home by car during the winter, especially if it's snowing in the dark.

    Hi Talli Roland,
    I was surprised to know that you're a morning person. That is a good thing. You have more time to get things done during the day.

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  30. Hi Jennifer Fabulous,
    The picture of the swing was very controversial when it was made. At the time, there were several artists that employed elements of eroticism, and they weren't even as careful as Fragonard.

    Hi A Lady's Life,
    It's great to find a companion in nighttime walks. Even a virtual one :)

    Hi Fernando,
    Thank you for visiting and for the kind words.

    Hi Jazzy E,
    You're welcome in my blog. Please come back again :)

    Hi Lasse,
    I'm glad you liked my post. It was light and spontaneous.

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  31. Hi Gillian,
    Thank you; I'm glad you enjoyed it.

    Hi Laura.M,
    I believe that it would be easy for you to get away from vampires on your awesome motorcycle. Thank you for visiting.

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  32. Though I too love the night I think I'm more of a morning person :)
    The paintings are amazing!

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  33. Hi Marisa,
    Thank you! All these paintings are my old good friends :)

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  34. Olga,
    Silver green river and clouds definitely bewitch me! When I see the moon, I feel romantic and the moons is mysteriously beautiful, but never feel lunatic.
    I am a terrible owl person, so I love night. I enjoy sweet solitariness. When I saw the movie “Interview with the Vampire”, I was amazed with and admired the depiction of the night; how the night looked like from the eye of vampires. Some strange sweetness there.
    I always love your blog and love especially this one.
    Best wishes,
    keiko

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  35. Hi snowwhite ,
    It is true that the depiction of the night in “Interview with the Vampire” is something special. But it is also can be really scary, isn`t it? For example, it's like when you are alone in the unknown city or in the forest with fog.

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  36. I love that first photo.. dark & mysterious..

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