Earthquake, Nice, 1887 – the writer as witness

 

The second in a series of two

The second witness, also a writer, was Guy de Maupassant (1850_1892), the French short story writer.  The evening of the quake in 1887 it was by chance that he was in Antibes, as he spent most of his time sailing the southern coast of France.

De Maupassant

In the initial seconds of the shock, I felt that all that was joined, was being torn apart.  But as the shaking of my bed burgeoned, the cracks in the wall, the falling over of furniture, I realised that we were being overwhelmed by an earthquake.  They had said that the phenomenon had a precursor, an almighty burst of the Mistral … and other strange noises that sounded as if they were the anxiety of the walls themselves, shaken to their foundation, roof beams tossed about, tiles uprooted, cement floors cracked wide, foundation rocks bursting out, buildings looking as if they would fall to the ground.

This bizaar phenomenon tumbles us into feelings unknown, not characteristic of accidents, but the sharp sensation of human powerlessness.  In times of war, there is power;  in times of sickness, there is healing.  With the earthquake there is nothing.  There is no reasoning about this.  Every being is a suffering refugee;  every person is threatened, under his own roof, in his own bed  —  the last of these is the worst of the earthquake.  It is impossible to go home — you are now a wandering animal, lost, anxietyridden, fleeing and the anxiety remains fresh. 

These two moustachioed men … the tone of their writing is different, to say the least.  While Nietzsche wants us to view him as unusual (“as if I were inspecting a bivouac”), de Maupassant penetrates the nightmare so that we can feel the extremities in our flesh.

© Will

www.willwilltravel.wordpress.com

Les Semboules, Antibes

January, 2020

 

Sources

Nietzsche et Maupssant :  Témoins du Tremblement de Terre de 1887, by André Peyrégne. #Nous, Nice-Matin, 4th May, 2019  

Wikipedia : Nietzsche, De Maupassant

 

Images

De Maupassant – wikipedia

My drawings

 

 

 

 

Earthquake in Nice, 1887 – the writer as witness

First in a series of two

It was nearly six o’clock that morning, still dark, still cold, with last carnival revelers wending their way, when the church bells began to peal, people shouted as an unearthly rumble began to fill those narrow streets of the medieval quarter.  Everyone felt it.  The earth was shaking.

A day after that Friederich Nietzsche (1844-1900), the well-known German philosopher who was a frequent visitor in the Côte d’Azur, bore witness to what he had seen.

Yesterday Nice closed down its international carnival and at six o’clock in the morning there was a new form of entertainment.  A charming story that suddenly threatened to overwhelm us all.  It’s a strange feeling to experience these buildings as the crushing sound in a coffee grinder.  To see the ink bottle on the table dancing alone, while the streets are full of half dressed refugees, seized by anxiety.  Outside, I saw chaps in rescue teams racing to the spots of the greatest panic.

The community was now camping in the open air:  I wondered around as if I were inspecting a bivouac.  In the partly-destroyed hotels, I met people that I know.  Under trees, there were men and women tightly wrapped in blankets (this was the cold of the wolf) and who groaned at the slightest shake of the earth.

And this is the thing:  for the foreigners to decide whether they will ever take their place at the tables of these hotels again.  They now eat and drink in the open air.  Apart from a pious old lady who is convinced that the Good Lord would never hurt her, I myself remain brave amid these tense, frightened nervous systems.

The loss of life on the Côte d’Azur was minimal — four deaths and a number of injured.  On the Italian peninsula the casualties were many more, something that we have seen even in recent times.  But old man Nietzsche … he was rather offhand about the whole event.  Perhaps he was living out his statement about the Übermensch amongst the ruins:  that which doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.

 

© Will van der Walt

www.willwilltravel.wordpress.com

Les Semboules, Antibes

January, 2020

 

Sources

Nietzsche et Maupssant: Témoins du Tremblement de Terre de 1887, deur André Peyrégne. #Nous, Nice-Matin, 4th May, 2019  

Wikipedia : Nietzsche, De Maupassant

 

Images

Nietzsche – fineartamerica.com

Nietzsche et Maupssant: Témoins du Tremblement de Terre de 1887, by André Peyrégne. #Nous, Nice-Matin, 4th May, 2019 

Cahn 1976

 

 

A visit to Spier – Uthomi

Third in a series of three

Uthomi Fountain Mosaic

The plaque at this interesting work tells us, “This sculptural fountain was created by Lizette Cuirrime, an artist born in  Mozambique.

“The concept of Uthomi (‘Life’) comes from Cuirrime’s characteristic style with collage textiles.  The fountain was her first mosaic project and celebrates her talent with colour and abstract form.

“You are welcome to take in this art and to walk barefoot in the water.”

In addition to this, there were two mosaic studios.  I did not take the names of the artists.

 

 

Will

www.willwilltravel.wordpress.com

Bridgewater, Somerset West

December, 2019

 

My photographs

 

 Dedicated to Graham Randall, with gratitude

A visit to Spier – The Mosaic Kraal

Second in a series of three

The emphasis on the art work at Spier seems to be on the making of mosaics.  At the Mosaic Kraal (corral), set up by the Spier Arts Academy, there are 25 works to be seen, probably the largest open-air exhibition of its kind in the country.

The works range from realism …

Work by Lindile Magunya

Timothy Zantzi  

… to abstraction.

Ferdinand Kidd

Selvin November

Colijn Strydom

Landscapes and natural scenes

Karen Cronje

Maya LeMaitre

… to expressionism.

Lindiwe Magunya

… and colour experimentation

Jill Trappier

A memorable experience.

Will

www.willwilltravel.wordpress.com

Bridgewater, Somerset West

December, 2019

 

My photographs

Albert Coertse

 

With gratitude, dedicated to Graham Randall