Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol
Gogol (1 April [ 20 March] 1809 – 4 March [ 21 February] 1852) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin.
The Nose” (Russian: Нос, romanized: Nos) is an 1836 satirical short story by Nikolai Gogol written during his time living in St. Petersburg. During this time, Gogol’s works were primarily focused on the grotesque and absurd, with a romantic twist. Written between 1835 and 1836, “The Nose” tells the story of a St. Petersburg official whose nose leaves his face and develops a life of its own. The story was originally published in The Contemporary, a literary journal owned by Alexander Pushkin. The use of a nose as the main source of conflict could have been due to Gogol’s own experience with an oddly shaped nose, which was often the subject of self-deprecating jokes in letters. The use of iconic landmarks in the story, as well as its sheer absurdity, has made “The Nose” an important part of St. Petersburg’s literary tradition.
“The Nose” is divided into three parts and tells the story of Collegiate Assessor (“Major”) Kovalyov, who wakes up one morning without his nose. He later finds out that his nose has developed a life of its own and has apparently surpassed him by attaining the rank of State Councillor. The short story showcases the obsession with social rank that plagued Russia after Peter the Great introduced the Table of Ranks. By allowing commoners to gain hereditary nobility through service to the state, a huge population was given the chance to move up in social status. This opportunity, however, also gave way to large bureaucracies, in which many of Gogol’s characters worked.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Die Nase
This sandstone sculpture was made by Daniela Eerkens (my ❤, Germany). We work as a Künstlerduo since 2016.
Ausbildung
- 2000-2003 Ausbildung zur Steinbildhauerin, Meisterschule für Handwerker, Kaiserslautern
- 2006-2011 Studium der freien Kunst, Hochschule der bildenden Künste Saar, Saarbrücken Schwerpunkte: Bildhauerei, Performance, Public-Art, Abschluss Diplom
- 2011-2012 Meisterschülerin bei Prof. Georg Winter
Berufliche Tätigkeit
- 2006-2011 wissenschaftliche Hilfstätigkeit für Prof. Wolfgang Nestler und Prof. Georg Winter
- 2010-2011 Mitarbeit im Neuen Saarbrücker Kunstverein, Künstlerische Arbeit mit strafrechtlich auffälligen Jugendlichen – Wochenendworkshops – Diakonisches Werk, Neunkirchen
- Seit 2011 Arbeit als freischaffende Künstlerin im Nebenerwerb
- Seit 2016 Arbeit im Künstlerduo Elton und Daniela Eerkens
Künstlerische Aktivitäten – Auswahl
- 2010 Gründungsmitglied des Neuen Saarbrücker Kunstvereins
- 2010 Eröffnung des Raum für Diplompraxis, Völklingen, 6-monatiges teilöffentliches Performance Projekt
- 2012-2013 Ausstellungs-und Performance Reihe “Present Performance” Stationen u.a.: Stadtgalerie Saarbrücken | Museum für Neue Kunst Freiburg
The Nose [Gogol short story]
Plot: the story is divided into three parts
Part I
On 25 March, the barber Ivan Yakovlevich finds out that his wife has made bread. During breakfast, he cuts a loaf in half and finds a nose in it. With horror, he recognizes this nose as that of one of his regular customers, Collegiate Assessor Kovalyov (known as “Major Kovalyov”). Ivan’s wife demands that he remove the nose from her home, so he wraps it up in cloth and attempts to throw it off a bridge into the Neva River. However, he is caught by a police officer, who refuses Ivan’s attempts to bribe him.
Part II
Major Kovalyov awakens to discover that his nose is missing. He grabs a mirror to see his face, finding only a smooth, flat patch of skin in its place. He leaves his home to report the incident to the chief of police. On his way, he sees his nose pretending to be human, dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking official. He chases it, but it refuses to return to his face. Kovalyov becomes distracted by a pretty girl, and while he is not watching, the nose escapes.
Kovalyov attempts to contact the chief of police, but he is not home. He next visits the newspaper office to place an advertisement about the loss of his nose, but he is refused. He then speaks to a police inspector, who also refuses to help. Finally, he returns to his flat, where the police officer who caught Ivan returns the nose (which was apprehended at a coach station, trying to flee the city). Kovalyov’s joy is cut short when he finds out that he is unable to reattach the nose, even with the help of a doctor.
The next day, Kovalyov writes a letter to Madame Alexandra Grigorievna Podtochina, a woman who wants him to marry her daughter, and accuses her of stealing his nose; he believes that she has placed a curse on him for his fickleness towards her daughter. He writes to ask her to undo the spell, but she is confused by his letter and reiterates her desire to have him marry her daughter. Her reply convinces him that she is innocent. In the city, rumours of the nose’s activities have spread, and crowds gather in search of it.
Part III
On 7 April, Kovalyov wakes up with his nose reattached. He is carefully shaved by the barber and returns to his old habits of shopping and flirting with girls.
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