No, he doesn’t say this. He says most listeners are not conscious enough of the third plane, but that
doesn’t mean they aren’t intelligent.
√ 5 He is probably a professional musician.
I guess this is true because of his knowledge of Stravinsky and Bach, and his insights into the
effective way of listening to music. √ 6 He is probably a good teacher.
I think so because of his way of explaining the three planes and because of the way he uses the
analogy of the theatre, which non-musician might appreciate.
Active reading (2)
Language points
1 We know his work includes paintings of religious and mythological themes, domestic interiors and landscapes. (Para 2)
Domestic interiors are the inside of households with the rooms, furniture and decorations.
Landscapes are paintings of an area of land, showing the scenery sometimes with people but the focus mostly on nature.
2 While Griet goes about her duties, she attracts the attention not only of a butcher??s boy, Pieter, but
also of the painter himself. (Para 6)
To go about her duties means to do the work that she is supposed to do. Being on duty means to be
working at the moment; being off duty means to be not working at the moment. 3 Despite their different backgrounds and class, he invites her into his studio and engages her in his world. (Para 6)
To engage her in his world means to help her to take an interest, understand or take part in what he does.
4 Vermeer recognizes Griet as having visual talent and artistic promise, and takes her on as his studio assistant. (Para 7)
The expression she has artistic promise means she shows the sign that she is likely to be successful as an artist in the future.
5 Her role is to grind paints and develop the colours which Vermeer will use
for his paintings ... (Para 7)
To grind paints means to break something into very small pieces or powder by crushing it between two
surfaces or using a machine. In Vermeer??s time, artists made their own paints by grinding up different colours and mixing the powder with water or other substances. This task was often done by an apprentice or assistant.
6 Catharina has long been forbidden to enter the studio, so the apprenticeship takes place in secret. (Para 7)
The apprenticeship refers to employment as an apprentice to work for someone, or a company, usually
for low pay, in order to learn the type of work they do. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was normal for
people to learn how to be an artist by serving as an apprenticeship.
7 The film shows very effectively the tension ... for the portrait commissioned by his patron. (Para 12)
To commission means to ask someone officially to do some work for you. Commissioning a work of art
means asking the artist to produce a particular work of art in exchange for paymentDealing with unfamiliar words 5 Match the words in the box with their definitions.
1 someone who looks at a picture, photograph, or piece of art (viewer)
2 a painting, drawing or photograph of someone, especially of their face only (portrait)
3 relating to people??s homes and family life (domestic)
4 the inside part of something, especially a building or vehicle (interior) 5 as a result (consequently)
6 to start to employ someone or use their services (engage)
7 to officially ask for a piece of work to be done for you (commission) 6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5.
In the beginning it was only the rich and famous who had their (1) portraits painted. But from the
Renaissance onwards things changed. Firstly, the growing importance of the middle classes led many
ordinary people to (2) commission paintings, often of members of their family. Secondly, artists became interested in showing scenes of (3) domestic life, set in the (4) interiors of ordinary houses, and
(5) consequently they began to (6) engage ordinary people, such as servant girls, as models. Part of the
mystery for (7) viewers today concerns the identity of these models, in masterpieces such as Leonardo??s
Mona Lisa and Vermeer??s Girl with a Pearl Earring. Additional activity
7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box.
1 He changed his religion from Protestantism and became a Catholic. (converted) 2 One of the assistant??s jobs was to break into a powder the paints. (grind) 3 The newspaper started to change the fact so that it was no longer true ever since it existed, and the local
government was definitely one of the victims. (distort)
Unit 3 Art for art’s sake 94
4 You don??t have to make a hole in your ears to be able to wear these earrings. (pierce)
5 The lives of artists have often been linked to shocking events and situations. (scandals)
6 One of the most striking aspects of the painting is the turban she is wearing on her head. (features)
7 I??ll finish the painting this evening, so from now until then you can have a break. (in the meantime)
8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.
1 Are exotic clothes likely to be (a) ordinary, or (b) unusual? 2 Is a sitter someone who (a) is being painted, or (b) spends a lot of time sitting down?
3 Is a conventional sense of beauty one which is (a) shared and understood by most people, or
(b) different from what is shared and understood by most people? 4 Is an enigmatic expression one which is full of (a) good humour, or (b) mystery? 5 If you have a volatile personality, do you get angry (a) quickly, or (b) only when you can??t tolerate?
6 If you are wary of something, are you (a) excited about it, or (b) careful and nervous about it?
7 If you show something explicitly, do you (a) make its meaning very clear so there is no doubt about it,
or (b) leave its meaning unclear?
8 If a woman tries to keep her modesty, does she (a) cover her hair and body to avoid any sexual feeling
in men, or (b) talk and act with good grace?
9 Is jealousy the feeling you get when you think someone you love (a) is attracted to somebody else, or
(b) doesn??t love you any more?
Language in use
word formation: compound nouns
1 Form compound nouns to indicate:
1 a writer of songs (songwriter)
2 a director of films (film director)
3 a scarf you wear around your head (headscarf) 4 a pack you carry on your back (backpack)
5 a stick you use to make your lips red (lipstick) 6 a lace you use to tie up your shoe (shoelace) 7 polish that you put on your nails (nail polish)
might have been / done
2 Rewrite the sentences using might have been / done .
1 It??s possible that the artist and the model became lovers. The artist and the model might have been lovers.
2 It??s possible that Catharina was never jealous of the model. Catharina might never have been jealous of the model.
3 It??s possible that the model became Vermeer??s assistant. The model might have become Vermeer??s assistant.
4 It??s possible that Vermeer painted other masterpieces which have since been lost.
Vermeer might have painted other masterpieces which have since been lost. 5 It??s possible that Vermeer died in poverty. Vermeer might have died in poverty.
may be due to the fact that …
3 Complete the sentences with your own ideas using may be due to the fact that … 1 The young pianist??s musical genius may be due to the fact that his mother played the piano a lot while
she was pregnant, so he has always heard music from day one.
2 The late arrival of the train may be due to the fact that there were severe storms last night. 3 The misunderstanding may be due to the fact that she speaks very little Chinese and I don??t speak much Spanish.
Art for art’s sake Unit 3 97
4 The book??s enormous popularity may be due to the fact that it has been aggressively marketed on TV
and it was discussed in several prime time TV shows.
5 His dislike of music may be due to the fact that he was exposed to loud rock music for many hours a
day when he was quite small.
insist that …
4 Rewrite the sentences using insist that …
1 I met an old friend who refused to let me go before I had a drink with him. I met an old friend, who insisted that I have a drink with him before he let me go.
2 The customs people refused to let me through unless I signed a document they gave me.
The customs people insisted that I sign a document they gave me before they let me through.
3 We refused to let him start the concert before having an hour??s rest. We insisted that he have an hour??s rest before he started the concert.
4 They refused to publish the book until he changed some of the things he had written.
They insisted that he change some of the things he??d written before they published the book.
5 She refused to let me see the painting until I apologized for what I had done. She insisted that I apologize for what I had done before she let me see the painting.
collocations
5 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions.
1 appeal This word means the quality that something has that makes people like it or want it.
(a) If a radio station wants to widen its appeal, what does it need to do? It needs to appeal to a wider audience by having more popular programmes. (b) Are games and sports that have a popular appeal liked by many people or a few people?
They are liked by many people.
(c) When an organization makes an appeal for money, what does it do? It asks people to give money, probably for a charity.
(d) How would the police launch an appeal to the public for information? They would have a special event like a TV broadcast in which they ask the public to come forward