Essay On Tao Te Ching

The next painting involved in this experiment is by Fransisco Goya. According to Virch Claus this painting is called “The Knife Grinder” and was finished in 1812 and is 26” x 20”. Many of his paintings researched were this same size, mainly based on the court’s preference to record these photos as documents. This painting shows Goya’s respect for the local men and their bravery in the French army. In the image, the dagger that is being sharpened is most likely demonstrating the heavy weaponry that was used in this fight.. The cart, with the sharpening stone is also transportable which is showing their need to move from one location to the next, assuming he follows the warriors nearby. The box above the wheel contains water, as seen from the

In each reading, the human condition was highly emphasized but I believe that these paintings relate to the book Tao Te Ching . Part of the human condition that every human experiences as they grow up is working. While employed, you are in charge of your attitude and work ethic and since it is part of your everyday life, you should master it the best you can. I would say that Stephen Mitchell agrees with this statement and we can relate to each painting to his thought. “The master fulfills her own obligations and corrects her mistakes; She does what she needs to do and demands nothing of others”. In the painting The Milkmaid, the lady seems as if she is doing just what Mitchel mentioned, doing what she needs to do. We cannot tell if she is very happy about her job but by her stance, she seems to be taking pride in her job. Along with the aspect of employment, The Milkmaid also shows hints of life during war. During the war, especially in this time frame, Harriet Stone mentions that woman were the primary workers of the household” while the men were at war. It can be seen that even if she is a maid, there was a difference between men and woman workers, giving the household duties to woman and risky jobs to men. While looking at the painting by Francisco Goya, we can relate the gloomy feel that Goya was trying to show during the war to “The Iliad”. In contrast to the glorification of war