Friday, September 23, 2011

I'm Only Sleeping

The theme for Sepia Saturday this week is based on a photo of  sleeping man. I found no photos of sleeping men, but I did find a picture of my mother taking a poolside nap circa 1959.


I also found a beautiful illustration in a book of mine from 1840, showing the sleeping Chriemhilt (also known as Kriemhild) from the Nibelungenlied. This book was published with the Middle High German, so the spelling is different. The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem recounting the life of Siegfried the dragon slayer, his eventual murder, and his wife Kriemhild's revenge. The Nibelungenlied also served as the source material for Richard Wagner's opera, The Ring of the Nibelung.


The illustration was drawn by Julius Huebner and rendered as a woodcut by F. Unzelmann. The illustrations in this special celebration edition, are all very intricate and beautiful. I will feature more of them in the near future.
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21 comments:

  1. Bob ScotneySeptember 23, 2011 at 6:27 AM

    Your mother is in almost the same position; nice link.

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  2. Cappuccinoandartjournal.blogspot.comSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    Agreed -- both are lovely!

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  3. Little NellSeptember 23, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    That’s a lovely picture of your mother. She looks very comfortable and relaxed.

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  4. HaddockSeptember 23, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    Was that clicked in 1959?
    I thought colour photography was something like "Eastmancolour" in those days.

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  5. PostcardySeptember 23, 2011 at 12:30 PM

    The color in the photo looks different and better than that in the 1959 color photos I have.

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  6. Liz StrattonSeptember 23, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    There is a tremendous amount of symbolism in the illustration. I look forward to seeing more.

    Your mother does seem very at peace. There is nothing more relaxing than a nap in the sun!

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  7. North County Film ClubSeptember 23, 2011 at 4:17 PM

    It is amazing how much your mother and Chriemhilt lok alike. Both beautiful!
    Barbara

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  8. Karen S.September 23, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    Fun in the sun napping! Very cool photo of your Mother! Very nice themed post!

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  9. Brett PayneSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:40 PM

    Another nice early Kodacolor, and a nice song it was too ;-)

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  10. Marilyn & JeffSeptember 23, 2011 at 10:35 PM

    Lovely photo of your mother; also what a special book you have, a real treasure.

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  11. UnknownSeptember 24, 2011 at 6:40 AM

    Mom is resting in the sun, nice. But that sketch in the book is truly gorgeous. They just do not make such things today despite our technology but then that was when books were considered valuable treasures.

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  12. AnonymousSeptember 24, 2011 at 8:03 AM

    I love the photo of your mom! I love the look and style of it, do you have more pics of this vintage of Mom? Love the lawn furniture, her hairstyle, and her bathing suit(reminds me of the style on the older barbie dolls, the black and white striped that earlier Barbies wore)

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  13. Tattered and LostSeptember 24, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    She looks like a young movie star.

    Love the illustrated page. And I recall when taking German in high school that 1/2 of our text were written in this old German. I used to be able to easily decipher it, but no more.

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  14. Mike BrubakerSeptember 24, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    Another reclining mother! A great pairing and post on the Sepia theme.

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  15. Sheila @ A Postcard a DaySeptember 25, 2011 at 1:24 AM

    Both images are lovely!
    Do you look very like your mother? I'm sure I recall an avatar that had a likeness.

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  16. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2011 at 7:34 AM

    Funny to combine these two images, more than a century apart. Well done!

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  17. viridianSeptember 25, 2011 at 2:53 PM

    Moms need their rest.
    Stopping by from random links from Sunday Stamps.

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  18. Christine H.September 25, 2011 at 4:22 PM

    Sheila,
    I do look a bit like my mother, but I'm a also bit older than she was there.

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  19. Bruno LalibertéSeptember 26, 2011 at 2:36 AM

    both fine examples of a theme.
    :)~
    HUGZ

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  20. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 11:13 AM

    Lovely photo of your Mum (fantastic legs!) and comparison with Kriemhild - my mum was a sun worshipper - when we went on holiday her only demand was "come back and turn me over at lunchtime". And here I am covering myself in Factor 30 in Scotland!

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  21. Archie TechtSeptember 29, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    Definitely a mid-century mod moment for mom!

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