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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

ménageant des réserves où d’autres sont venus se loger

English translation:

creating reserves where other (colours/materials) settled

Added to glossary by B D Finch
Jul 11, 2018 23:05
5 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

ménageant des réserves où d’autres sont venus se loger

French to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting A painting
Hello,

I am translating an art gallery programme from French (France) into English (British) and am having trouble with the translation of one of the phrases in the description. The work in question is Semences by Pascal Pinaud.

A picture of the work can be found at the following link: http://www.s333485502.onlinehome.fr/index.php?/uvres/series-...

Here's where it appears in the source text for full context: "Au miroitement des surfaces de ses laques automobiles, les Semences substituent une pâte colorée, incrustée dans la toile brute. Disséminées sur de grandes toiles blanches, des mines de crayons de couleur sont écrasées et étalées à l’aide d’un rouleau à ensemencer. L’œuvre témoigne de recouvrements successifs durant lesquels le blanc a effacé certains éléments, ménageant des réserves où d’autres sont venus se loger."

Could anyone help please?
Proposed translations (English)
3 creating reserves where other (colours/materials) settled
3 -2 leaving some colors where other ones came to stay
Change log

Mar 26, 2020 11:08: B D Finch Created KOG entry

Discussion

Kevin Oheix Jul 12, 2018:
"Ménager" is to use sparingly, to be economical, save (ex: space), set aside, provide (ex: a passage)

"Réserves" are portions/spaces left blank, any protected parts, open areas

"Se loger" is to find room, nestle, arrange.
Here, I would say "added" as suggested by Tony, or "incorporated", "contained", "supplemented".

I think "sont venus" shouldn't be translated literally. Like Tony, I would use "have been".
Tony M Jul 12, 2018:
@ Asker I can't make any sensible suggestion as to exactly how to word it, but FWIW, here's my interpretation of what it means:

Successive over-painting means that some areas have been covered with white paint, leaving spaces where yet more colours have been added.

Effectively, applying patches white paint is a bit like making "holes" going back to the blank canvas behind, and then starting again!

Yes, looking at the pictures, you can see there's a lot of white, but this is not because the artist was too lazy to cover all the canvas!

Proposed translations

11 hrs
Selected

creating reserves where other (colours/materials) settled

... A reserve is a temporarily unfinished or blank area of a painting which is surrounded by painted areas that re either partially or fully completed.
[Search domain www.essentialvermeer.com] essentialvermeer.com/glossary/glossary_q_z.html
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks! :)"
-2
45 mins

leaving some colors where other ones came to stay

At the beginning of the sentence, the description appears to be referring to the impact of the color white on the rest of the painting. This leads me to believe that this second half is talking about the result of such color choices on the painting as a whole. Hope this helps!
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : I think you're looking at this the wrong way round
6 hrs
disagree Kevin Oheix : I agree with "leaving some" but I wouldn't translate the end of this sentence literally. Something along the lines of "where more ... have been (added)".
11 hrs
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