Hush-a-Bye-Baby,
On the tree top.
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks,
the cradle will fall
Down will come baby
cradle and all
History:
The baby of King James II of England, named James Stuart was an illegitimate heir to the throne because he was not the biological son. With a biological son, King James II would have been able to restore Roman Catholicism in England. As a result of the scandal, King James II was forced to leave the throne. Tricking the citizens and the bishops in 1771 was completely unacceptable. It is said that the nursery rhyme Hush-A-Bye-Baby was written about James Stuart.
Intimidation c1833
Should We Frighten the Child?
The Gentle Touch 1947
Interdependency
Animals Need Safety Too
- Black and White picture
- Baby is off center
- Breaking bough looks deadly for the baby
- Head pointing downwards-instant death
- In response to James Stuarts birth
The Gentle Touch 1947
Can They Save the Baby?
114 years later
- More colors greens, browns, reds, and whites
- Smooth and soft tone
- Cradle seems more secure
- Child is reaching to birds playfully
- James Stuart, parents, nurse--> outlet for these people and their angry to make the baby fall
- Black bird and tree look eire--> hint that something bad may happen
- Bird could be representing the people of England wanting the baby/crown to fall
Comforting or Ominous
Wait and See
39 years later- Brighter colors red and orange
- Soft blues for the shadows
- Yellow for sunlight a sense of uplifting spirits
- Cradle is green with a heart--> resting but not falling out of the tree
- Cannot see the baby's face and there is no blanket
- Unpleasant feeling from all of the falling leaves
- Foreshadowing based on the position of the cradle
- Baby may survive the fall--> green leaves on the bottom right
- The message: Be good, don't cry, and all will be well in the morning if mommy gets some sleep
For Good or Ill
4 years later
- 5 babies from 5 different cultures
- interconnectedness of cultures
- Calming and soft beds--> drinking from their bottles
- Billowy and cotton like leaves
- One child cannot be seen- the most active- the threat
- Only one baby is secured with a ribbon--> the eye is drawn to that baby
- If that cradle breaks it will cause the others to go tumbling
- Underlying meaning: One societies downfall could be lead to a global train reaction
- Cultural war and conflict as a result
Will the Cradle Fall?
Unknown Future
86 years ago
- King James Era in England is depicted
- Royal bed not really a cradle
- Heart is etched in the headboard
- Animals waiting for the baby at the bottom (food)
Baby Pig
Animals Need Safety Too
- Baby is a pig
- Background is creepily dark
- Bough is broad with dark shadows
- blue flower looks like a pinwheel and shows movement from the wind
- Pig is a photograph and the rest is painted
- The pig looks secure no sign of getting hurt
- The respect for animal life is shown
Wide Eyed Baby
Blowing in the Wind
- Contrast between darkness and the clear blue sky
- Golden sun in the background
- Cradle is loosely attached
- The baby's eyes are wide open and alert
- The branches show movement and a plausible terrible ending
I love how you had numerous examples of nursery rhymes, along with pictures and blurbs for each! You gave your readers a great visual. I did not know about the wide-eyed baby. I would originally think 'wide-eyed' meant lively and excitement, but the baby swaying from the branches proves me wrong and foreshadows that something terrible is likely to happen. Also, it is ironic that such gloomy foreshadowing is done in an image that has a bright sun and baby, both sign soy innocence.
ReplyDeleteI like how you showed how the nursery rhyme varied in different time periods. The one with the different countries and dependency is interesting. I also like how you created visual images of how the picture changes throughout time as well.
ReplyDelete