Bal du Moulin de la Galette
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
The totality of a single moment, frozen in time, is captured on canvas. Each Sunday, working class Parisians would gather at the Moulin de la Galette in Montmartre, dress up in their finest clothes and dance, drink, and eat late into the evenings. Renoir’s depiction of this ritual came not from his mind nor his memory but rather from intense observation of the scene. Each figure depicted is representative of someone Renoir knew, each relationship painted is storied, complicated and real, and for many of the figures, they themselves modelled for Renoir, adopting the poses they had thrown organically weekends before. This painting is considered, rightly so, one of the masterpieces of Impressionism. It contains all of the technical trademarks, from fluid depictions of movement, richness of form and sun-dappled lighting. Yet, more than this, it captures so perfectly, so precisely and so poetically, a snapshot, an impression that lives in the mind as well as the canvas.
Friday 7th August
The Moon rises in the earthly constellation of Taurus, drawing our attention once again to the roots of our plants and to the soil beneath them. In biodynamic agriculture, it is often said that we are not simply growing plants, but growing the soil itself. When the soil is rich, living and well cared for, our fruits and vegetables can grow with greater strength and resilience. Much of biodynamic gardening is therefore about building a healthy foundation. Gardeners devote time to making compost from materials produced within the garden, carefully layering them so they can break down and return their nutrients to the earth. Brambles, bindweed and other persistent weeds may be burned or placed in a separate compost pile, allowing them to decompose fully before being used again in the future. By making our own compost, we recycle the old growth of the garden into new life. This ongoing cycle reduces the need for outside inputs and helps the garden become more balanced, self-sustaining and alive.
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