Favorite Things Thursday: Hodler’s Die Lebensmüden

It’s that time again, time to look at more of the Neue Pinakothek’s collection. Today is a little different though because it is a painting I actually like, not just a painting I like making fun of. It is called Die Lebensmüden. It is usually referred to in English as “Tired of Life”, but when you plug it into Google translate it also gives the translation of “The Disillusioned”. Never one to argue with Google (they know too much about me), I think this title is also fitting. The title, “How Sue Felt the Wednesday after Fasching,” would also have been appropriate.

Photo: pinakothek.de

It was painted in 1892 by Ferdinand Holder. According to Wikipedia he is one of the best-known Swiss painters of the 19th century, which to me means practically nothing. (Switzerland, I kid because I love…other countries besides yours). He also seems to have been a ladies man/angel of death.

Evidence:

1. Father and two brothers died of TB

2. Mother then died of TB

3. All his remaining siblings died of TB

4. Mistress died of cancer. This was the woman he was with while he was married to he second wife.

 

Helloooo, Ladies 😉

Reasons to love him:

1. His first wife was named Bertha and his second named Berthe. Smart thinking, Ferdy! No chance of accidentally calling second wife by first wife’s name.

2. His son founded the World Esperanto Association. Who among us when studying a foreign language has not wanted to create a perfect language instead of the messes that we have to learn.

3. This painting.

Wunder Wednesday: Fasching

Now that I have recovered from yesterday’s festivities, I can post some pictures from the celebrations in Munich’s Viktualienmarkt.  On the morning of Fasching Tuesday, you can head down here to watch the Tanz der Marktfrauen. I couldn’t really get a good picture, so I stole one from Bild.

 

 

It was a gorgeous sunny day and pretty darn warm for Munich in March.  Carnival here is treated more like our Halloween, so that means lots of costumes and drinking.

A few things I have learned about Fasching in Munich:

1. It is apparently just fine to wear what most Americans would considered to be pretty racist costumes. (See some of the pictures below.)

2. Cowboys and Indians are still cool here.

3. Steak sandwiches are amazing.

4. I will never remember how to do the stupid/awesome dance for the Cowboy und Indianer song

Ok, it is picture time

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Food Friday: Fasching Kra…WTF?!

I am feeling decidedly uncreative today, so I thought you, the reader,  should do my work for me. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to explain the donut at the top on the right side.

Huh???

Yes that is a syringe. I believe it is filled with strawberry icing, but that  is just a guess. The best explanation wins a prize from Germany. Do not worry, it will not be one of those donuts.

Close-up

And just in case you don’t remember the last year’s German donut lesson, here it is:

So as Fasching approaches all the stores are decorating.  This mostly means one is surrounded by clowns and feather boas.  The bakeries have all their different types of Krapfen out on display. I have now eaten two and I think I have reached my donut limit for the rest of the year.

But as you know German is a fun language and Bavarians and Austrians often have their own names for things. So if I do want another and am in Berlin I cannot just ask for Krapfen.

So if you would ever like a doughnut filled with stuff in Germany around carnival season, here is what you need to know:

1. In Bavarian and Austria = Krapfen
2. In most of the rest of Germany = Berliner
3. In Berlin = Pfannkuchen. This makes perfect sense because that word in the rest of Germany means a type of pancake. Why would we want to make this easy on anyone?!