Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

lebensdurstige oder lebensverträumte Frauengestalten

English translation:

female figures, hungry for life or lost in a dreamworld / an imaginary realm

Added to glossary by Helen Shiner
Feb 10, 2012 10:24
12 yrs ago
German term

lebensdurstige oder lebensverträumte Frauengestalten

German to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting Book on Klimt
This is a quote from Berta Zuckerkandl on Klimt's paintings of women. I can understand "thirsty for life", but I'm not sure whether "lebensverträumt" means "dreaming of life" or "dreaming life away". I'd also like to keep the repetition in the translation if possible! I'm feeling a bit stumped at the moment.

Thanks for any suggestions.


„Klimt malt die Frau seiner Zeit. Die Struktur ihres Gerüstes, die Kontur ihrer Formen, die Modellierung ihres Fleisches, die Maschinerie ihrer Bewegungen hat er bis in die geheimsten Wesensfasern verfolgt und seinem Gedächtnis für immer eingeprägt. Auf diesem sicheren, festen Boden stehend, variiert er das Thema des Weibes in all seinen Beziehungen zur Schöpfung, zur Natur. Bald grausam wollüstig, bald heiter sinnlich, malt er Frauen voll rätselhaftem Reiz. Der schillernde Fleischton ihres schlanken Körpers, der phosphoreszierende Glanz der Haut, der quadratische Schnitt des breitgewölbten Schädels und die sündhaft rötliche Mähne geben ein Ganzes
von tiefster psychologischer und malerischer Wirkung. Im Portrait schafft er nervige, rassige, **lebensdurstige
oder lebensverträumte Frauengestalten**, die alle trotz ihrer charakteristischen Verschiedenheiten von Klimts
Gnaden sind. Als Idealfigur aber löst er den Frauenkörper in herrliche, dekorative Linien auf. Alles Zufällige,
alles Individuell-Charakteristische fällt ab, nur das rein Typische, der sublimierte Extrakt des modernen Frauentypus, wie der Künstler ihn ausgelöst hat, bleibt in vollster Stilreinheit zurück.“

Thank you!
Change log

Feb 11, 2012 16:50: Helen Shiner Created KOG entry

Discussion

Rachel Ward (asker) Feb 10, 2012:
My current idea is "thirsty for life or dreaming it away". Any good? I'm not sure.
Stephen Reader Feb 10, 2012:
dreaming of is my inclination for the vision possibly underlying the phrase, contemplating life lived as well as its potential. Also because that could cover 'dreaming life away' too. Regards! S. PS, and with Brigitte/Steffen, envisioning different individuals (the women; not B. / S., though yes, you are of course, different individuals. Oh dear language is so simple ain't it :-) )
BrigitteHilgner Feb 10, 2012:
I like ... Steffens "zest for life". In contrast, the other women are dreaming (their) life away.
seehand Feb 10, 2012:
dreamy attitude towards life might be worth considering ... not sure
Steffen Walter Feb 10, 2012:
Regarding "lebensverträumt", ... ... might "pensive" be worth a thought? See http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/cinema_film_tv_d...
Steffen Walter Feb 10, 2012:
No complete answer... ... but something along the lines of "(full of) zest for life" springs to mind for "lebensdurstig".

Proposed translations

+2
4 hrs
Selected

female figures, hungry for life or lost in an imaginary realm

Bit of a stretch, and it depends on how far you want to go from a literal translation

or lost in the realm of dreams
or lost in a dreamworld
or lost in the world of dreams

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Note added at 4 hrs (2012-02-10 14:40:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Easier to construct the sentence in this way than to try and find adjectives.
Peer comment(s):

agree oa_xxx (X) : and also like hungry rather than thirsty for life
22 mins
Thanks, orla
agree Bernhard Sulzer : with your first suggestion.
12 hrs
Thanks
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Went with the "Dreamworld" in the end. Thank you!"
25 mins

female figures parched for and dreaming of life...

a suggestion (did you watch the New Year's concert? That interpretation occurred to me...)
Peer comment(s):

agree Stephen Reader : craving and musing on life?
1 hr
really hard to say for nondescript ages, but the whole oeuvre borders on Freudian.
neutral oa_xxx (X) : its a hard one and I might be wrong but to me the two words are opposites describing 2 different types which this doesnt quite get-eager/lust for life/vigour versus dreamy, far away, languorous...??
4 hrs
neutral Helen Shiner : 'parched for life' just sounds wrinkly to me. Not a phrase I know, but others might be familiar with it.
4 hrs
disagree thefastshow : think parched is a little over the top http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/parch it expresses a craving due to lack of something. Do Klimts women look like that? I'd say they are quite confident enjoying life and to some extend being marked by the
2 days 46 mins
Something went wrong...
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