Bax Books

In 524 AD Boethius was confined under severe house arrest while awaiting trial for treason. The imprisonment did apparently permit access to some books and writing materials. He had been a very honored Roman aristocrat, and had received an excellent classical education in his youth. He had translated several Greek books into Latin.

His present situation left him very depressed; it was not at all the future that he had expected. Then Lady Philosophy appeared in his imagination. She was commanding, and chased away the muses of the theater who had been occupying his attention with tragedy and superficial entertainment. He at first did not recognize Philosophy. Then he remembered her as the teacher of his youth. She had come to claim her own, and to nurse him back to mental health.

Boethius and Philosophy had an extended discourse. Boethius recorded it in "The Consolation of Philosophy" (translated by P. G. Walsh, Oxford, 2000). He was troubled by the frequent apparent absence of justice and goodness in human affairs. Boethius was a Christian, but this book utilized dialectics as practiced by Socrates and recounted by Plato in his "Republic". The Christian point of view is founded on faith that God, goodness, and a final purpose exist because they are revealed in the Bible. In the Platonic view taken by Boethius, the presence in human affairs of God and purpose ("purpose" appears in Richard Green's translation of "The Consolation of Philosophy".) can be established by reasoning. The reasoning does require faith in something, namely in the orderly and lawful progression of events in the natural world, as suggested for instance in the orderly motions of the heavenly bodies (Walsh, p. 17, "...this tiniest of sparks will cause life's heat to be resuscitated in you."). In the language of the time, orderly progression was determined by divine reason.

"The Consolation of Philosophy" was little noticed in the turmoil following the final collapse of the Western Empire. But it was transcribed under Charlemagne in the eighth century, and it remained thereafter a very influential book for a thousand years. Chaucer translated it into English. One can imagine that its very deterministic outlook was too constraining as the later Renaissance burst forth and demanded unbounded freedom for the individual.

We may be entering more sober times. Some of us may find that our present realities do not meet our expectations. We share this with Boethius. If we have never achieved the success or fame accorded Boethius, we still may have reverses due to the economy or old age. Can "The Consolation of Philosophy" help us? If we turn to it as a reasoned approach, does it hold up in the light of modern science?

Our most highly developed science is physics. How does a modern physicist regard the world? Based first of all on quantum mechanics, he is apt to feel that reality at the fundamental level is probabilistic rather than deterministic. But there have been those who seem to disagree, most notably Einstein and Schrödinger. Einstein's vision of reality involves a space-time continuum. Doesn't this imply that any part of the whole is predetermined by the requirement that it fit adjacent parts? This corresponds with the medieval belief that the world, present, past, and future, is known to God. Boethius felt that this is compatible with free will for humans, in a way that is not immediately evident to out human reason. He resolves this after finding why human affairs do not seem to be guided by the hand of God, as is the material world.

Physics is not the only science. Biology is much closer to human concerns. The most spectacular aspect of modern biology is the discovery of the structure of DNA and the mode of its expression in the body. DNA bridges the gap between organismic biology and evolutionary biology. The structure of DNA is described with a mechanistic model, and its expression results from causal relationships. This is very deterministic.

In organismic biology perhaps the greatest accomplishment in the twentieth century was the theoretical and quantitative explication of the firing of the giant neuron in the Atlantic squid, since the same model can be applied to many other neurons and species simply by adjusting parameters. Eric Kandel has extended the quantitative and molecular understanding of neural behavior further in his work on synapses. This establishes the molecular basis of memory. In his Nobel address ("Science", 2 November 2001, pp. 1030-1038), Kandel noted that the solution of the general problem of neural functioning in memory will require a systems approach, and he is confident that this and other questions in the biology of learning will be addressed in the near future. I wonder if Kandel is too optimistic?

A neuropsychological theory of memory and learning was advanced by Donald Hebb in 1949, and used by Hebb in his teaching of psychology (Hebb, D.O., "Textbook of Psychology" (3rd Ed.), Saunders, Philadelphia, 1972. See also Hebb, D.O., "The Organization of Behavior", Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002.). Hebb's theory introduced cell assemblies in neural networks, but was nonmathematical. Hebb was not a mathematician, and in addition the tools for putting the theory in mathematical form were not available. Powerful computers did not exist (a modern PC would suffice for a small idealized network), and the mathematical field of nonlinear dynamics was relatively undeveloped. Now those tools exist, but apparently the approach has never been tried. Has contemporary science gone beyond such fundamental things?

Now let's consider a bit of social science. Going back 56 years, the Second World War had been over long enough to give people time to think about how to change human culture and prevent another war. One idea for changing social behavior was offered by the behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner. He presented it in the form of a novel, titled "Walden Two" (reissued 1976, Prentice-Hall). Walden Two was an imagined utopian community. The description and history of such communities is interesting in itself, but my purpose here is to compare the formative influences in Walden Two with those that our society has brought to bear in recent decades. Walden Two had been in existence for ten years, and its population after the war was about 1000. At that time its educational procedures for children had been worked out. They began at birth, and were so thorough in instilling cooperative attitudes that male aggression never appeared in early childhood. I wonder whether that might interfere with normal male hormonal balance. Maybe, if the cooperative attitude is desirable, training should begin after proper male development. At any rate, if we aimed to develop a socialist society, training for reduction of male aggression should be introduced at some age. We are now going in the opposite direction. In our society, fathers encourage aggressive behavior in their sons, so that they will be able to get their share in the capitalistic culture. The development of aggressive instincts does not stop there. The influence of television on all ages promotes violent attitudes. Whether Skinner considered this in his later years I don't know. He did not live long enough to see the development of violent computer games, but surely he would be appalled. As things stand, we appear to be committed irrevocably to an unrestrained capitalistic society, in which waste could be unbounded. Can we halt this with recycling? Or are we headed for social disaster? The wise course for the individual is to prepare for acceptance, whatever comes.

Coming back to the present, many of us are disappointed, and are looking for encouragement or consolation. Some will find it in religion based on faith, especially the forgiving Christian faith revealed in the Bible. There will also be mystics, who have a direct experience of God, and therefore don't need a conscious act of faith. Others may turn to a more secular view. Notable is the outlook expressed by Stephen Jay Gould in "Wonderful Life" (Norton, 1989). Gould sees precious value in human life precisely because its origin was dependent on contingent events, and hence was so unlikely. This is very different from the deterministic view I have taken. Gould draws further assurance from the apparent release of the free will from determinism.

Finally there is the path chosen by Boethius. It is the way of a rational mind that has been confronted with the harsh reality of reversals or deprivations. It is the path of acceptance, as a higher value becomes evident. Again we question whether this view makes sense in the light of modern science. Is there something about the human mind that makes it override material values? Many have tried to define the source of the difference between human perception and that of other animals. One current view is that consciousness is the special human resource. But do we really know that other animals don't possess consciousness?

The difference between humans and animals may be that humans have passed a threshold in symbolic activity. When our ape-like ancestors left the forest, and began hunting on the hilly savannas, they became more social, both to hunt big game in groups and to prepare food at the camp. This promoted a dramatic development of language. Brain regions involved in symbolic activity expanded. It became possible to tell stories of hunting adventures. Stories cultivated imagination, and imagination led to visions of what might be over the next hill. This in turn led to the concept of a space beyond all hills, an abstract space. The regularity of the Sun and Moon demonstrated order in the abstract space. Maintained by what agency? There must be a divine will that promotes order. At that point our ancestors were DISCOVERING the spiritual realm.

Ages later writing appeared, which made it possible to transmit precise knowledge, and so led to advanced culture. We discovered mathematical relations, and made a start in learning physical laws. These developments depended on the conscious mind, but also involved the subconscious in an essential way. The subconscious is not limited by sequential logic. Like nature, it considers everything at once. And so we draw closer to God. It is the above characteristics that make the individual human mind precious. It depends on culture, but rises above culture. The individual mind comprehends a whole world. Except perhaps when we pass our threshold of tolerable pain, the mind is able to rise above physical discomforts and deprivations, and find refuge in comtemplation of the world within.

The next time you have a bad day and get mired in self-pity, think about Boethius. Born into a wealthy Roman family around 480 C.E., Boethius was a successful scholar and politician. Early in his career, he wrote influential treatises on Aristotle's logic and Christian theology. He became a senator and found favor with the rulers of the Roman world, ultimately taking the highest post in the Western government (then located in Ravenna, rather than Rome). But his world fell apart when his king, Theoderic, charged him with treason. Confined to his house and awaiting a particularly gruesome execution (you don't want to know), Boethius comforted himself with philosophical reflection. Working partly in verse and partly in prose, as translated by P.G. Walsh, Boethius crafted a long dialogue with the goddess Philosophy, who slowly convinces him that happiness based on worldly things is fleeting and false, and that true happiness can come only from knowledge of God and his goodness. getAbstract is glad to offer a look at this classic work, which inspired people from Dante to C.S. Lewis, even in their darkest hours.

The particular edition I am reviewing is the Oxford World's Classics translation by P. G. Walsh.

This is one of those classics that can catch an unsuspecting reader completely by surprise, especially if one has read many other works by near contemporaries. The circumstances under which it was composed are legendary, and lend the work a legitimacy granted to few other works. Boethius was among the foremost government officials in what was essentially the successor government to the end of the Roman Empire. Rome and much of the rest of what would later become Italy was under the control of the Ostrogoth king Theodoric. A product of one of the leading Roman familes, Boethius ascended to a power of great honor and authority under Theodoric, only to be accused of treason late in the latter's life, at which point Boethius was imprisoned and condemned to death. While awaiting his fate (including whether Theodoric actually intended on carrying out the sentence), Boethius wrote this remarkable dialog between a prisoner whose situation closely resembles Boethius' and Philosophy personified as a woman. Although many topics are discussed, the heart of the dialog is the nature of true happiness.

Although few of its readers are likely to face circumstances as dire as Boethius', the work remains remarkably pertinent in an age where ideals of happiness are dictated almost entirely by our modern consumer society. Philosophy carefully explains to the prisoner that that happiness can never be found in such things as fame or power or riches and other things that are confused with the true source of happiness. For Boethius' Philosophy, happiness is ultimately rooted in the Christian God, but even for non-Christians, the lightly theological tone of the work provides much reflection on the nature of happiness in almost any kind of situation.

The Walsh edition of this work is, in my opinion, the finest readily available edition in English. The notes are marvelous, both providing overviews to each upcoming section as well as providing detailed comments on specific lines in the text. The introduction gives any new reader of the work all the context and background that he or she would need to digest the work. Best of all, the translation is exceptionally readable, and the translations of the many poems far above the average for most academic translations of verse.

I recommend this work strongly to either of two kinds of readers. First, for anyone who is a student of intellectual history the work remains for an understanding of a host of writers in the middle ages, as well as for many 19th century poets. Second, anyone interested in devotional or reflectional works, whether religious or philosophical, this remains one of the most essential works in the history of thought. By almost any standard, this is a work that demands careful reading and study.

For a long time, this would stand as the last major work in which philosophy played the role it was accustomed to play in Antiquity; most medieval thinkers would make philosophy the servant of theology and strip it of its profoundly ethical roots - after all, Christianity became the philosophical way of life par excellence. By using philosophy as a character, Boethius emphasizes its vital role in everyday life and the choices that life entails. Although Boethius is usually mentioned in conjunction with Aristotelian and Christian thought, this work is especially linked to Platonism, Stoicism and Neoplatonism: a) it follows the progression of Socratic discourse in a journey that leads one from the suppression of false beliefs towards a gradually clearer approximation of what Good is, and Philosophy is akin to the priestess Diotima of Plato's Symposium; b) the harrowing context in which it was written mirrors the composition of Seneca's Letters to Lucilius; c) its frequent allegorical use of poetry and myths follows the path set forth by the Stoics and Neoplatonists. The first few books free Philosophy's interlocutor from his errors, and Boethius then explores the work's central subjects: justice, the nature of good and evil, providence (themes that also intensely preoccupied Plotinus late in his life). Treating 'Consolation...' only as a compendium of ancient Greek philosophy would be doing it a major disservice, as it would underscore the personal dimension lying at the very heart of the work. Those who forgot that philosophy is a lot more than the mere juggling of concepts should definitely read this key book.

Here you find the unequivocal declaration that not riches, not high position, not fame, not physical pleasure are worth pursuing in-and-of themselves. Such things are of value only if they are obtained in the pursuit of the highest Good. This highest Good is demonstrated to be God. Moreover, Boethius points out that when evil men succeed in obtaining such goals over the righteous, then they cease to truly be men- they are beasts and subhuman. This is a refreshing reminder in the modern world, a world not unlike that of late Roman times.

All happyness, all worth, all reason for being, lies in the One and the Good. Even when we commit immoral acts, it is a result of ignorance on our part in seeking this ultimate goal. Indeed, to turn from the quest of finding the One is to cease to exist at any meaningful level. There is no "fire and brimstone", or talk of eternal torment in hell here. There doesn't need to be. As long as you willfully or ignorantly stray from the Path then you are in hell. And to not find reconnection with the One and the Good is to cease to exist. All of our earthly existence is for the purpose of reawakening to our true nature. This truth lies within all of us and it is only reached by personal introspection (Know thyself.) Only in this way will we return to the eternal Source that lies beyond time itself.

The consolation of the Consolatio lies in the fact that suffering serves a purpose if it puts us back on the true Path. Moreover, earthly recognition of virtue is irrelevent. God always recognises the man of virtue if the masses do not.

I just received this book as a gift.Mr Paul Bax, goes into very detailed and in depth questions .So much untold stories are revealed in this book .I highly recommend it to any Bruce Lee fan or Jeet Kune Do practitioner .The book is a must read ,you will not put it down ....

The book contains many interviews with second gerneration instructors. Some very well written details and insights. Every JKD Branch is covered and the reader will get a very good overview about how JKD has developed and is trained/taught today.

The book itself is well written with lots of info from great JKD Instructors from all around.

2nd Generation students with their insight on Jeet Kune Do.

Paul Bax has hit on a sure fire method for pleasing the greatest audience. Just about every currently active OBLS is represented in Paul's newest contribution to the JKD literature. You can learn first hand how each version of JKD was formulated as you read the testimony from actual students who have risen to the top of their respective classes. After reading the book I can only say that JKD is in good hands.

From back cover:

"True tales about the glories of flying!

For nearly 20 years the experiences of a pilot forever taken by aviation's romance and wonder have been told in the popular FLYING magazine column, 'BAX Seat.' Faithful readers have laughed at and looked forward to Gordon Baxter's candid reflections on the unique genre of general aviation. Now you can enjoy the best of these prized tales in 'BAX Seat: Log of a Pasture Pilot'

This volume is composed of articles written for 'Flying' from 1970-1978. The stories are hilarious, hair-raising, and always artistic. Gordon Baxter uses words to paint landscapes and to give elements texture and personality.

You will be captivated by the depth of feeling and regard for flying that Baxter relates in each story. Baxter's stories assess pilots, passengers, and planes with frank affection, and in all he describes, the pure delight of flying is felt."


From FRONT COVER:

"We were boys in the twilight of barnstorming. Maybe twice a year Jimmy and I would hear what we had been listening for - the sound of an airplane engine. 'Airplane! Airplane!' Running, shouting, grabbing up the kit and bicycling down the empty country road to the long pasture...If the pilot was hunting a pasture, we knew he would make a pass at our field, and we knew it was best. The hungry pilot would see several that might do, but on one of them, a low windsock would suddenly appear, and two small figures marking the ends, waving white flags...."

How do I describe the inital collection of the best of Baxter? I first obtained mine direct from Bax himself and I have a nice note in his own hand. Regardless, if you like Bax Seat over the years, this is one to get, keep, and re-read occaisionally. His stories about the 'houn Dog' and his Mooney stories, learning to fly IFR, stearmans, night fright, and all the other classics will keep you warm and aloft in the coldest of 0/0 weather. We'll miss you Bax.

If you want to start with and understand digital image processing from its basic, this is the right book. Without too much maths it gets you to the point of what can be done, and how it can be done. It helped me to achieve a basic understanding from the zero level.

This older book is an excellent gentle introduction to digital image processing for those who have not yet had calculus, or for those who want to understand the basics before taking on the more daunting task of reading and understanding something like Gonzales & Woods, which is the standard graduate image processing text. The book begins with the basics of the various color spaces and how images are perceived by the human vision system. From that point, the chapters are grouped into the types of image transformations. Formulas are explained either graphically or with very simple mathematical notation. Before and after pictures are provided for each transformation. In chapter five, the author goes into some introductory computer vision and object recognition techniques. The handling of morphological processing is exceptional. The chapter on image compression does a good basic job of getting its ideas across to the reader. However, only the most basic compression techniques are explained in detail such as truncation and Huffman coding. JPEG and motion compression are just verbally described, due to the introductory nature of this text. More recent compression methods such as those involving wavelets are omitted. Part four of the book, "Image Operation Studies", is effective at hammering home what was discussed in the first three parts of the book. In part four, the author describes the algorithmic implementation of 39 of the image transformations described in the book, with the resulting images. This makes for an excellent summary and review for the student. The software on the book's companion disk has long ago become obsolete, but the ideas presented in the book are clear and great for any beginner in the field.

ISBN 0152251057 - I'm surprised to find no reviews on this book, because it's excellent - I assumed I'd stumbled late upon a gem the rest of the world knew about. I was wrong, so let me be the first to tell you, you're really missing out on a great book.

Edmond lives on a farm. There is a pond and a grove of trees, the farthest Edmond's ever been, until today. Today, Edmond has decided to go far away. Along the way, he stops to tell the animals he sees every day that he is going far away and off he goes. To the grove, then through the grove and up a hill. From the top of the hill, he can see a whole new world. He explores, and is joined by his father, who spends the night with him in his newly discovered world before returning in the morning to tell the animals that he has been far away... and has come home.

Through the beginning of the book, Edmond chatters with the animals who chatter back, but once he's passed into territory he's never been in before, he stops talking. Even when his father joins him, neither of them says anything. It's an impressive sort of silence that the reader can't help but notice and it's not uncomfortable, it's just right. Edmond's momentary fear when he's gone over the hill and can no longer see any part of the world he knows is superb, especially since that's the moment his father appears. And Edmond's triumphant return home is really well done, as his father fades back into the background and Edmond notes what has, and has not, changed in his absence.

Martin Bax has written a superb children's story, short enough for young readers and although it's much shorter than a "chapter book", it has chapters. Michael Foreman's watercolor illustrations are spot on - just check out the detail when Edmond surveys the lake! 5 stars are almost not enough!!

This book have all pediatric specialities where endoscopic surgery is usefull (urology, oncology, etc..). Excellent diagrams, pictures and figures. All authors have very experience in this procedures and comment to us all the tips and potencial complications.

I saw a copy of this and there was a quote from JG Ballard so I gave it a try. Its an incredible book, surreal, and in fact it did remind me of Ballard. Definitely an original book, I highly reccommend it if you want something odd and fascinating that you may never have heard of before.

Though little remembered today, Ernest Belfort Bax (1854-1925) was highly influential in his time. A confirmed socialist, he became an early student of Karl Marx, and was instrumental in bringing the Marxist and materialist ideas of history to the English-speaking world. This book, which was first published in 1903, is actually the third book in a trilogy that examined the social side of the Reformation in Germany; the first two books being German Society at the Close of the Middle Ages (1894), and The Peasants War in Germany (1899).

In this book, the author briefly examines the origin of the Anabaptist movement in the mystical and political movements of the Middle Ages. Then, the author moves into an in-depth explanation of early Anabaptist doctrines and practices, and into their history, culminating in their seizure of the German city of Münster in 1633, their ultimate defeat, and then their subsequent development.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating account of the events surrounding the Anabaptist theocracy in Münster. Most books on this subject rely heavily on the accounts left by Catholic observers, who had good reason to *not* provide an impartial look at the events. Mr. Bax, on the other hand, goes to great lengths to get past the hostile reports, and show just what did happen and why. Do not get me wrong, this is not a pro-Anabaptist whitewash of the events, but an even-handed look at just what did happen.

Now, as for Mr. Bax's Marxist views, they do intrude here and there in the narrative, but in fact the author does not use this book as a springboard to preach his worldview. In fact, Mr. Bax is much more restrained than many modern Marxists would be in expressing his political beliefs.

So, if you are interested in a good, even-handed account of what happened in the Anabaptist theocracy of Münster, then this is the book for you. I found it to be fascinating and highly informative, and not a dry account (like you would expect from a book from that era). I highly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.

Lewis Foreman's updated Bax biography is by far the most informed and cogently-presented written source for fans of this composer and I snapped it up as soon as possible after its recent publication. A published composer myself, I had the thrill of spending a few days at Bax's winter haunt of Morar, in the western Highlands of Scotland, staying at the same hotel and maybe even in the same room as the composer may have occupied on one or more of his sojourns; so reading of his winter working-holidays there was especially meaningful to me. I would have preferred a greater number of photographs to be included in the publication, but the composer's well-known camera-shyness may be an indication here.
Don't miss it...

Bax has written some of the most compelling and fascinating music ever to come out of the British isles; yet the survival of his legacy today depends almost entirely on the CD, and his music is virtually unknown outside Britain. I had hoped to find in Mr. Foreman's biography of the composer some explanation or theory regarding this perplexing state of affairs. I had expected, too, to see the colourful richness of the music reflected in an equally colourful description of Bax the man.
To my surprise, however, I found this book rather monotonous and, in a way, superficial. I hesitate to say this, seeing how many decades Mr. Foreman spent on studying his subject, but there it is. Maybe I set too high a standard for a composer biography, La Grange's "Mahler" being my idea of perfection. Compared to that monumental achievement, Foreman only gives us fragments, with the focus on brief analyses of key works, Bax's love interests, and his lifelong infatuation with Ireland and things Irish. What the book lacks is an integrated sense of the musical and social environment Bax lived and worked in, and his views of it. It is inconceivable to me that in a biography of an English composer who lived through the year 1945 no mention at all is made of probably the most sensational musical event in Britain for centuries, the premiere of "Peter Grimes". Similarly, it is frustrating to read that Bax went to hear this or that work of a fellow composer, but never to be told what he thought of it. Too often, Foreman is content with dropping names. Instead of filling in the details, we are treated to an umpteenth love-letter to Harriet or Mary. On a different note, I was quite amazed how the reader is made to forget that Bax actually had children. There's hardly a word about them - they get six and seven entries in the whole of the book, respectively.
In the end we have a pretty clear idea of outward events, but little sense of the inner workings of the man himself. What caused the eventual drying up of inspiration? Why was Bax so vulnerable to alcohol? What was the driving force behind his love affairs? What were his views of his own musical achievements - and those of others? How can it be explained that a man of such prodigious talent did not succeed in truly establishing himself? Why did fatherhood mean so little to him? Such questions remain largely unanswered. You might say that Foreman is a competent musicologist and a decent historian, but not much of a psychologist. Nonetheless, this is no doubt the best book on Bax around (it is, as far as I know, the ONLY book on Bax around) and Foreman does deserve praise for his staunch advocacy of this extremely interesting and unaccountably neglected composer.

Lewis Foreman's update to his excellent biography of Sir Arnold Bax is most welcome. Bax is certainly not a household name, but he wrote seven symphonies, a number of tone poems, and many works for the piano and other instruments. He was a master of complex orchestrations, and his works can be enjoyed on several levels. He was also complex, while at the same time simple, as a man. The new additions to the book help us to understand many of his contradictions, and his relationships.
Bax was born into a well-to-do English family, and never had to seek employment during his lifetime. That let him travel extensively during his youth and early adulthood, and lead to a deep and abiding love of things Celtic. That endures today in a great deal of his music, and the emotion is both close to the surface and also deep in much of his music that plumbs that source.
His tone poems make a fine introduction to his symphonies, and provide hours of enjoyment themselves. He was more than just a tunesmith, and his popularity during the 20's and 30's lead to an unexplainable decline until the 80's. The release of a large volume of his music on CD has resulted in a new audience, and renewed popularity for this almost forgotten composer.
Lewis Foreman has been one of the foremost proponents of his music, and has written the program notes for many of the recordings. His earlier biography was well written, and added much to this readers enjoyment of the music.
The new update has gleaned a lot of new material and many insights from the use of the material in the possesion of Harriet Cohen, his long-time mistress. She removed much of his personal papers immediately after his death, and also retained the large correspondence that she had with Bax over a period of many years. This volume may well be the last word, or nearly so, and is certainly worthy of a place in any musical library.
It also includes a very up-to-date discography and a catalog of Bax's works, compiled by Graham Parlett. A useful bibliography is provided, together with notes and an index. The book will be enjoyable and useful to many readers, and I also urge owners of the original volume to add this one to their collection.

"It is proper to the way of living," the man of letters Jean Paul noticed, "that one is polite also against himself ". However, Mondrian painted manically compulsively out of a fear against the chaos of the world daily. Although it did not feed him, he could not quit this activity, he continued to work, got a pneumonia in that cold New York winter [slaving away in the unheated studio for three days non-stop] and died before he could finish his "victory Broadway boogie-woogie" painting. A tribute to the city of New York which on the other hand almost let him starve, the money at least did not reach for having the heating on. Nevertheless he loved this town full of jazz, dance and boogie-woogie (he liked to dance there). His paintings are telling a tribute to this pulsating, dynamic Big Apple. Burst from the desert of the Dutch landscape, in saved to the liver Paris, escaping the racial world of the Nazis - like many other artists did. While however painters like Max Beckmann were getting a university-chair offered in New York, this luck did not fall to Mondrian. With an astonishing optimistic colour joy he managed to compensate the real sadness. His last work, Broadway boogie-woogie almost works like a city centre Map: Horizontally numbered the Avenues streets -- only the slash of Broadway breaking out of this grid is missing vertical. One is filled with consternation occasionally, out of which suffering art can arise. Mondrian may have been assessed compulsion neurotically -- however if he could set such harmonious works against this hell -- his compositions against the chaos of the world are fascinating forever. The effort must be done - though it has been a hard life for Mondrian ...

Very good but some pictures are in black and white, not in color