George Wickes, Silversmith: Artist and Works Analysis

George Wickes, Silversmith: Artist and Works Analysis Introduction In this essay I have chosen to analyse an 18th century British work of decorative art. The object I shall be closely looking at is a two handled silver cup and cover. The piece was produced by George Wickes in 1735 and is currently to be found in Gallery 53 in the Victoria Albert Museum in London.[1] In my essay I shall describe the piece and the artist and their place in the art movement of the time. My conclusions shall be drawn from my research and personal opinions. George Wickes and 18th Century Silver Art George Wickes was born in Suffolk in 1698. He moved to London to become an apprentice to silversmith Samuel Wastell in 1712. A decade later Wickes registered his first mark in 1722 while working in Threadneedle Street. During this period it is most probable that the young silversmith found regular work in the city from rich clients employing his skills as a repairer of items rather than a designer and producer of silverware: â€Å"†¦even extremely wealthy families spent regular sums [of money] over long periods on the repair of basic household items (candlesticks, punchbowls, etc.).†[2] In 1730 he went into partnership with John Craig and moved to Norris Street in Haymarket which was: â€Å"rapidly succeeding Cheapside as the jewellers’ quarter of London.†[3] When Craig died five years later Wickes opened his own workshop in Panton Street, Haymarket (this is when he produced the two handled silver cup and cover I am analysing). In 1747 he went into partnersh ip with Edward Wakelin and jeweller Samuel Netherton to create Wickes Wakelin; the company that were later to become Garrard Company Limited: â€Å"Crown jewellers and goldsmiths during six reigns and in three centuries.†[4] George Wickes eventually died in 1761 at the age of 63. It has been rumoured that Wickes tutored a young apprentice during his London years. This apprentice was perhaps one of the greatest British artists of all time; Thomas Gainsborough: â€Å"Legend has it that Gainsborough’s first teacher in London was a silversmith. Various suggestions have been made to the identity of the artisan in question. Two contenders are George Wickes and George Coyte, both Suffolk men.†[5] It is also interesting to note that Wickes himself was always trying to improve his knowledge and artistic abilities and frequently sought to learn new techniques from his peers and contemporaries: â€Å"Wickes achieved distinction in the craft as a close follower of [Paul] Crespin and [Paul de] Lamerie.†[6] The silver cup and cover I am analysing is approximately 25cm in height and 35cm in width and was most probably designed as an object of display rather than an actual drinking vessel. By the 1730s, covered cups were no longer primarily intended as drinking vessels, even though they may still have been drunk from on ceremonial occasions, but were now more important as objects for display and as fine gifts passed between gentlemen. The overt grandeur of the cup heralds a period in British history that applauded opulence and demonstrations of wealth. The new cultural practice of social etiquette was centred around the dining table: â€Å"The table was the centre of social activity in the 17th and 18th centuries and, as earlier in polite society, the silver with which it was dressed reflected the wealth and social standing of the host.†[7] With this in mind it is quite easy to imagine the cup perched proudly as the table’s centrepiece as the guests sit in wonder of the host ’s grandeur. The cup is shaped as if it were a trophy, and for all intents and purposes that is what it is; draped with ornate, elaborate cast and chased representations of flourishing vine leaves and bunches of tempting grapes; both exaggerating the images of sumptuousness and overflowing prosperity. The piece falls neatly into the early Rococo phase with its Bacchic theme, proudly pointing back to the original function of the ceremonial vessel in the hands of Bacchus, the god of wine. The vase-shaped two-handled cup was a popular design in English silver throughout the 18th century and this piece is perhaps one of the best representations of the style. The thing that literally caps it all is the regal crown sat on the very top. With this motif Wickes has undoubtedly demonstrated that he believes this piece to be one that should adorn the table of nobility. Conclusion I believe that this decorative work of art by Wickes is a superb representation of 18th century British design. The sheer magnificence of the cup is a testimony to a period when attention to lavish detail was paramount to the object’s design rather than the object’s function. It is a world poles apart than the one in which I live, in fact I do not think that a similar object would be produced today; the absurdity of a cup that was not meant to be drunk from would be too much for some! It is my opinion that Wickes was an extremely important figure in the British art movement who has been largely overshadowed by his contemporaries, in particular William Hogarth. The fact that Wickes’ cup has found a home in the Victoria Albert Museum is testimony both to the artist and the work of art. Bibliography Asfour, Amal Williamson, Paul (2000) Gainsborough’s Vision Liverpool University Press Barr, Elaine (1997) Gainsborough and the Silversmith Burlington Magazine CXIX Cock, Matthew (1996) The Arrival of the Dinner Service in Glanville, Philippa [ed.] (1996) Silver Victoria Albert Museum Evans, Joan (1989) A History of Jewellery 1100 – 1870 Courier Dover Productions Newman, Harold (2000) An Illustrated Dictionary of Silverware Thames and Hudson Pointon, Marica R. (1997) Strategies for Showing Oxford University Press Walford, Edward [ed.] (1915) Antiquary E. Stock Publishing Wolf, Lucien (1934) The Origins of the Provincial Communities Essays in Jewish History Victoria Albert Museum Website Footnotes [1] George Wickes: Two handled cup and cover silver 1735 (M.280-1975) [2] Pointon, Marica R. (1997) Strategies for Showing Oxford University Press (p32) [3] Evans, Joan (1989) A History of Jewellery 1100 – 1870 Courier Dover Productions (p151) [4] Walford, Edward [ed.] (1915) Antiquary E. Stock Publishing (p157) [5] Asfour, Amal Williamson, Paul (2000) Gainsborough’s Vision Liverpool University Press (p71) [6] Barr, Elaine (1997) Gainsborough and the Silversmith Burlington Magazine CXIX (p113) [7] Cock, Matthew (1996) The Arrival of the Dinner Service in Glanville, Philippa [ed.] (1996) Silver Victoria Albert Museum (p40)

Competitive Intelligence Essay -- essays research papers fc

Competitive Intelligence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It takes a simple mind to run a simple machine, but a shrewd mind is needed to run an organization, association, or business. Business intelligence has become a big principle in industries throughout the years. â€Å"During the second half of the 20th century, the United States and Canada, Western Europe, as well as Japan and a number of other countries, have evolved from primarily manufacturing-based economies to more information-based societies† (Kara). A business needs to have a mission to be successful. To help accomplish missions for businesses, business intelligence is utilized. To run a productive organization effectively and efficiently, certain things need to be accomplished. To start the process of applying business intelligence, as many possible sources of information must be gathered. After the information has been collected, it must be sorted into different categories. These categories are either valuable or non-valuable information, otherwise known as intelligence. Since the intelligence is derived by businesses for businesses, it is considered business intelligence. Business intelligence has a direct effect on how well its organization does in the marketplace. This intelligence is used to identify forewarnings of disasters as well as opportunities that may occur. After the intelligence needs have been identified for a business, the information is then collected by an all source fusion. After analyzing the data that has been collected, it can be determined which information can be used, and what can be discarded. The results are then passed to the bosses of an organization, who in turn, make a decision. This completes the four-phased intelligence cyc le. After you establish your business goals, various techniques are used to attain and surpass the organization’s goals. One technique is through competitive intelligence. Competitive intelligence can be considered a subsidiary of business intelligence. The purpose for competitive intelligence is to keep businesses on the cutting edge, abreast of their competitors, ahead in the global markets, and to establish better quality products and services. Competitive intelligence can be defined as â€Å"A formalized, yet continuously evolving process by which the management team assesses the evolution of its industry and the capabilities and behavior of ... ...ded and comprehend it differently, depending on the needs of their businesses. â€Å"Never equate paper with competitive intelligence. Unfortunately, many managers think that by spending countless hours on computer-generated slides, charts and graphs, and footnoted reports, they have delivered intelligence. All they have managed to do is to slow down the delivery of critical intelligence† (Fuld). Due to time constraints, limitations of resources, financial constraints, manpower issues, enormous amounts of data, and the expertise of analysts, competitive intelligence needs to be determined by relevance. Many illegitimate sources are disguised as truths, or facts. These illegitimate sources, along with rumors, are difficult to control and can be used as deception intelligence. There is not a single method of intelligence that can be considered better than another as a general rule. Even though, competitive intelligence can help your business during a recession, it is not a cure all medicine. Works Cited 1. (http://www.brint.com/papers/ciover.htm) 2. (http://www.fuld.com/whatCI.html) 3. Kara, Dan â€Å"The New Face of Business Intelligence.† Software Magazine, November 2000

Interesting Ideas in Unwind Essay

In the novel ‘Unwind’ by Neal Shusterman, an interesting idea is the idea of the collective vs. the individual. This interesting idea was shown to me in three manifestations. The idea of the collective vs. the individual was shown to me through an individual conquering a collective, language manipulation and human rights. In the dystopian world of ‘Unwind’, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a teenager may be signed off to the Authorities for the process of unwinding. Unwinding is where the parts of the child are separated and given to donors who need them. Under the Bill of Life, this is perfectly legal. As long as the teenager’s life doesn’t ‘technically’ end. Connor, Risa and Lev find themselves marked for unwinding. And all find themselves drawn together when escaping the process. Firstly, Neal Shusterman highlights major characters to show us how an individual can conquer a collective. A major character Neal Shusterman highlights is the character of Connor Lassiter. At the end of a novel, Connor finally conquers the collective. As Connor stands under the wing of the jet that brought the runaway unwinds to the Graveyard – an old air force hanger that holds old unused planes and runaway unwinds in the middle of Arizona – he addresses them with courage, respect and determination of conquering the collective. â€Å"†¦ †¦ They let us stay here because they don’t see us as a threat. Well we’re going to change that. † In this quote, I see Connor finally able to conquer the collective. I see that he is able to finally conquer the Authorities as an individual unwind wanting freedom, though he is able to achieve it with the support of Risa, Haydn and each and every runaway unwind who arrived in the Graveyard. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began. England’s King at the time was King George VI. It was his duty as the King of England to deliver a speech to the people empowering them and assuring them that though the world was at war again, everything would be okay. However, speeches were not King George VI’s favourite duty as he had a speech impediment. He had a stammer. Due to his stammer, many believed he could not deliver the speech well enough. Many people believed that a speech on live radio, delivered to the entire nation would be too much of a challenge for their King. But he did it. He did it so well that throughout the entire Second World War, King George VI was a symbol of resistance in the face of Hitler. He was a leader who the people of England were able to stand against. Through his wartime speech, I see how King George VI was an individual able to conquer the collective. Secondly, Neal Shusterman employs language manipulation to illustrate the ways in which the collective controls the individual. Neal Shusterman uses euphemisms to illustrate this interesting idea. A euphemism is a term or phrase that is used to make something seem nicer that may otherwise be considered harsh, unpleasant or offensive. Throughout the entire novel of ‘Unwind’, Neal Shusterman uses a euphemism to describe the process of unwinding in a way that doesn’t make it seem like dying. â€Å"It’s not dying. You will still be living, just in a divided state. When Risa is told that she is marked for unwinding, a social-worker uses another euphemism to describe the same process. â€Å"It’s change, that’s all. You will live, Risa. Only in different form. † These two different uses of euphemisms by Neal Shusterman to describe the process of unwinding illustrates to me the many different ways in which a collective can control the individual through language manipulation. In the real world, the government uses euphemisms frequently to distance public people form the horrors of war. Euphemisms such as friendly fire (accidentally killing a member of your own side) and collateral damage (killing civilians) are used to describe things which may distress many members of the public. Another for of language manipulation that Neal Shusterman uses is neologisms. Neologisms are words which describe new concepts or an existing word that has taken on a new meaning. In â€Å"Unwind†, Neal Shusterman has brought to life many new concepts in the dystopian world he has created. ‘Clappers’ is one of these neologisms. Neal Shusterman has used this word throughout the novel to describe a group of extreme terrorists. â€Å"Clappers again†¦ What did they hit this time?†¦ They blew up an Old Navy in the North Akron Mall. † Neologisms are used to describe new concepts in our ever growing society of technology. ’Cold –finger’ of not emailing or texting somebody back. A neologism in our technological society. Finally, Neal Shusterman uses human rights to make the reader aware of how a collective can control an individual. The Authorities of in the world of ‘Unwind’ breach many articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One of the most significant articles which are broken throughout the novel is Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. In short – The law is the same for everyone, it should be applied in the same way to all. I see this article breached many times in the novel. The first time I see it breached is in the third chapter of the book when Lev has his tithing party. â€Å"†¦ dirty unwind †¦ Just because he’s to be unwound does NOT mean he’s an Unwind. † This to me shows what the society thinks of unwinds. That they are though of as lower class citizens. No matter how innocent they are, once they are signed over to the government – they are criminals. Wanted by the law, juvey-cops and many of the average citizens. I further see this article breached when Connor, Risa and Roland arrive at Happy Jack Harvest camp. Connor is discriminated against and paraded past the rest of the unwinds as to show the power and how futile it is to resist to the rest of the inmates at Happy Jack. â€Å"On the fourth of February, three kids arrive by police escort. Two are brought unceremoniously into the welcome centre. The third is singled out to take the longer route that passes the dormitories, the sports fields, and all the various places where unwinds are gathered. † Connor is discriminate against due to his status as the ‘Akron AWOL’. Though he has done nothing more than Risa or Roland.

Lemon Juice and Baking Soda Reaction Project

The lemon fizz project is a fun bubbly science experiment using kitchen ingredients that’s ideal for kids to try. Lemon Fizz Materials Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)Lemon juice or a lemon cut into quartersLiquid dishwashing soap (e.g., Dawn or Joy)Food coloring (optional)Spoon or strawNarrow glass or cup The Lemon Fizz Project Put a spoonful (about a teaspoon) of baking soda into a glass.Stir in a squirt of dishwashing liquid.Add a drop or two of food coloring, if you want colored bubbles.Squeeze lemon juice into the mixture or pour in lemon juice. Other citrus fruit juices work too, but lemon juice seems to work the best. As you stir the juice into the baking soda and detergent, bubbles will form that will start to push up and out of the glass.You can extend the reaction by adding more lemon juice and baking soda.The bubbles are long-lasting. You cant drink the mixture, but you can still use it for washing dishes. How It Works The sodium bicarbonate of the baking soda reacts with the citric acid in lemon juice to form carbon dioxide gas. The gas bubbles are trapped by the dishwashing soap, forming fizzy bubbles.