| Title | Creator | Date | Era | City | Country | Emotional Sum (Sense of Life or emotional World View) | Theme | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports March | Singing Group: Soviet Army Chorus and Band | unknown mid-20th century | 1900s | Russia |
Happiness triumphs. |
The power of joy to motivate action. |
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| Design for Living | Writer: Noel Coward | 1932 | 1900s | United Kingdom |
Life can be giddy and bright. Facing up to one's anti-conventional values is important. Conventional morality must be questioned if it causes suffering and conflict. |
You should follow your deepest values and accept them no matter how unconventional the outcome. A rare combination of the wittiest, lightest of Noel Coward's style, along with deeper themes of romantic love, proper morality and how should one live. |
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| Wall-E | Director: Andrew Stanton | 2008 | 1991-2010 | Hollywood | United States |
The world is garbage, and more garbage and humans have destroyed the earth, because of their wanton consumerism. |
Mankind is a blight on the universe, and only cute robots (as opposed to evil robots) can save the earth from human degradation. |
|
| Comedia | Painter: Thomas Wilmer Dewing | 1892-4c | 1800s | Philadelphia | United States |
Life is sumptuous and beautiful and alive. |
Feminine vivacity and gaiety |
|
| Rape of Polyxena, The | Sculptor: Pio Fedi | 1866 | 1800s |
Strength and complex beauty are central. Vitality, passion and action are hallmarks of this work. |
Life is complex strife, entwined with strong god-like characters. |
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| Covered Box | Designer: John Otar | 1930 | 1901-2000 | Santa Cruz, CA | United States |
Fun; complexity made from simplicity |
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| Fireplace and Door | Designer: Wharton Esherick | 1936c. | 1901-2000 | Philadelphia | United States |
Very orderly exuberance, via "explosive" geometry |
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| Far Country, The | Author: Nevil Shute | 1952 | 1951 - 2000 | Australia |
Life can be bright, happy and successful, but hard decisions must be faced and dealt with. |
A good and happy life is made up of self-directed actions, self-chosen goals. A less important theme is: |
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| Feast of Belshazzar | Painter: Rembrandt Van Rijn | 1635c. | 1600s | London | United Kingdom |
The only way to know the sense of life or world view of the painting is through it's history, since the image is very mixed. Shows an opulent and sumptuous world, but the people are obviously distressed over something. Assuming one knows its history, you could conclude it is an exercise in depicting the dangers of the worldly pursuits and wealth. |
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| Crane Under the Rain | Ohara, Shoson: | 1928 | 1900s | Japan |
Life is difficult. |
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| Brass Bowl, The | Vance, Louis Joseph: | 1907 | 1900 - 1950 | United States |
The world is a delightful place. Good things happen to the deserving. |
Life as a gay, lighthearted adventure. |
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| Three Graces | Sculptor: Antonio Canova | 1814 | 1800s | Italy |
The female human form is beautiful, graceful, ideal. |
Quiet repose and sisterly love. The piece exudes a quiet elegance and peacefulness amidst the complex three-dimensional composition. The inclusion of "sisterly love" is less certain, except that taking into account the mythological background of the piece. It can be argued that one should not take that into account, so perhaps that should not formally be included in the theme. |
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| Old Man with a Young Boy | Painter: Domenico Ghirlandaio | 1490 | 1400s | Florence | Italy |
Human companionship or family closeness is real. |
Quiet familial love. (A grandfather (perhaps) gazing upon a grandson, and vice versa, in a clear moment of happy communion.) |
|
| Fame | Director: Alan Parker | 1980 | 1971-1990 | New York | United States |
Life is hard, but you can succeed, and it is worth it and exhilarating. |
Go after your heart's desire. |
|
| Enemy Below, The | Director: Dick Powell | 1957 | 1951-1970 | United States |
War is deadly and destructive for all parties. |
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| Bolero | Dancers: Torvill and Dean | 1994 | 1990-2009 | United States |
Harmony, grace exist. |
Two people as one. |
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| American President | Director: Rob Reiner | 1995 | 1991-2010 | Washington, D.C. | United States |
Romance is fun, funny and important. |
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| Helene Arpels Dress | Designer: Maggy Rouff | 1937 | 1901-1950 | Paris | France |
Elegance and richness of detail |
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| Rashomon | Director: Akira Kurosawa | 1950 | 1931-1950 | Japan |
The world is terrible and full of disasters and mankind is awful and pathetic. |
Objectivity is a myth -- everyone sees a different reality, a different "story". |
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| Billy Elliot | Director: Stephen Daldry | 2000 | 1991-2010 | United Kingdom |
Life is dirty but one can clean up. |
Go after what you love. |
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| Head of a Bearded Man | Domenichino: | 1625c | 1600s | New York | United States |
Pensive, worried, detached qualities of humanity |
Worry is the way of the world. |
|
| Horse Seen from Behind | Draftsman: Andrea Boscoli | 1587c | 1500s | United States |
Not much except perhaps stylistic -- confident, strong drafting style, and a vibrant, alive, horse. |
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| Ruggles of Red Gap | Director: Leo McCarey | 1935 | 1931-1950 | United States |
Happiness and fulfillment is in yourself. |
Personal declaration of independence from servitude |
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| Tzena Tzena Tzena | Miron - Parish: | 1941 | 1900s | Israel |
Joyous celebration |
Joyous celebration |
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| Senso-ju Temple at Asakusa | Hiroshige: | 1840s c | 1800s | Tokyo | Japan |
Pure, simple, quiet tranquility. |
