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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

du haut du puits de lumière

English translation:

(others) with a broader point of view

Added to glossary by emiledgar
Jan 12, 2012 16:22
12 yrs ago
3 viewers *
French term

du haut du puits de lumière

French to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
This is from an article about modern art. The preceding sentence and the end of the phrase in question are:

Quelques esprits chagrins se plurent alors à dresser la nomenclature des absents qui tendait à réduire cette histoire de l'art moderne à une vision essentiellement belge. D'autres, du haut du puits de lumière, y virent un signe.

I'm not sure what "du haut du puits de lumière" means in the context - looking at the matter from a different perspective?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 (others) with a broader point of view
3 +3 while the enlightened condescendingly noted this was a sign
4 [blessed] with a more illuminating point of view
Change log

Jan 17, 2012 14:07: emiledgar Created KOG entry

Discussion

Jocelyne Cuenin Jan 12, 2012:
Est-ce qu'on parle de Bruxelles et de son musée d'art moderne ?
B D Finch Jan 12, 2012:
Enlightenment I think the reference to a puits de lumière works because they are ubiquitous in art galleries in order to maximise hanging space on walls. It doesn't matter that it isn't mentioned elsewhere. However, is it being used ironically or not?
Laurette Tassin Jan 12, 2012:
Well then to me the following sentence confirms my proposal.

... noted this was the sign of the death of Modern expression in a town ...
Teresa Quinn (asker) Jan 12, 2012:
No, the "puits de lumière" metaphor doesn't appear anywhere else in the article.
The next sentence is:
Celui de l'enterrement de la modernité dans une ville, finalement, plus inculte que conservatrice.
Thanks to all for the suggestions.
Martin Cassell Jan 12, 2012:
seeking illumination ... ... does the "lightwell" / "shaft of light in the darkness" metaphor occur elsewhere, or only here?
philgoddard Jan 12, 2012:
It sounds like the next sentence or two might enlarge on this - what do they say?

Proposed translations

+1
7 mins
Selected

(others) with a broader point of view

seems to me
Note from asker:
Many thanks for your help
Peer comment(s):
agree JaneD : yes - this is about people with wider experience than the simply Belgian sphere or that relating to this town in particular recognising that this was the death knell of modern art and not just... whatever the document is about.
1 hr
Thank you.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
27 mins

[blessed] with a more illuminating point of view

Perhaps. "Blessed" is a bit of a leap (of faith ;) ), but would give the idea of height and closeness to the light source. "Lightwell" somehow just wouldn't work in English.
Note from asker:
Thank you for your comments, they were very helpful
Something went wrong...
+3
36 mins

while the enlightened condescendingly noted this was a sign

this is how I hear it.
But withou much context ... I could be way off

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 59 mins (2012-01-12 17:22:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

so literally from the top of their shaft of light thought it was a sign, to me as in the previous sentence remarking on how some thaought moderna art was belgian sound very ironic as well...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2012-01-12 17:24:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

oops sorry for all the mistakes:
some thought
modern art
both sentences sound ironic
Note from asker:
Many thanks for your help
Peer comment(s):
agree B D Finch : Am I right in understanding that you read "puits de lumière" as a banal substitute for sun/source of illumination ... in French too and, hence, ironic?// Now you mention the other meaning of lumière, I agree.
13 mins
La lumière being a metaphore for knowledge, le puits de lumière is litterally a shaft of light, but du haut de adds the irony, as if these people were gods of a sort // thanks
agree David Vaughn : Obviously ironic, from up on above
4 hrs
Thanks David
agree Yvonne Gallagher : interesting viewpoint:-)
10 hrs
Thanks ;-)
Something went wrong...
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