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The Head of Aristotle

6 Dec

Wow!  Check out this article about the sale of a Raphael piece of art.

This charcoal drawing, known as the “Head of an Apostle” and drawn by the famous artist Raphaello Sanzio da Urbino, has been part of the Duke of Devonshire’s Chatsworth House’s private collection since the 1700s.  Who wouldn’t want to own a Raphael?

Raphael’s drawings and paintings are amazing works of art. The detail, precision, and naturality of the pictures are always amazing to behold. He also created the famous School of Athens.  That work also depicted Aristotle, along with dozens of other famous philosophers. He styled the philosophers bodies in such a way that they are easily recognizable, a fact that demonstrates the power behind his abilities to communicate through his art.

What an amazing buy!  Great shopping success story 🙂

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The Thinker: Pondering Deep Thoughts Since 1880

29 Nov

Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker”

Through me one goes into the town of woe,
Through me one goes into eternal pain,
Through me among the people that are lost.
……………………………………………………………
ALL HOPE ABANDON, YE THAT ENTER HERE!
–Dante Alighieri, “Inferno” Canto III, Langdon Trans.

To me, maintaining his famous pose throughout history, “The Thinker” lives on as one of the most inspirational works of art the world has ever seen.  Just looking at him makes me want to sit down and come up with great thoughts. Or as Winnie the Pooh so wisely says, “Think, Think, Think.”  However, I had never really examined this great work’s history until recently, when I learned The Thinker is only a small part of a far greater and even more amazing sculpture.

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Mata Hari: Seductress, Social Shocker, and Spy (II)

26 Nov
Postcard of Mata Hari in Paris

Postcard of Mata Hari in Paris

Seduction. Deception. Beauty. Destruction.

Thus continues the tale of the stunning, but tragic, figure remembered as Mata Hari. When last we left her, Mata was at the peak of her career as one of the most famous courtesans the world has ever seen.  Her risqué dancing and exotic appearance were only part of her appeal. As with the stars of today, scandal only made her more popular; such as her role in a love triangle that resulted in one of her lovers killing another lover (1). Yes, Mata had a string of men falling at her feet; her affairs would stretch across France, Holland, Russia, and Germany.  She gave them her attention and body; in return, she received jewels, clothes, expensive housing, and other such elaborate gifts (2,1).  It seemed a blessed life to Mata, whose love of presents and shopping was matched solely by her need for attention.

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Mata Hari: Seductress, Social Shocker, and Spy (I)

20 Nov

Postcard of Mata Hari in Paris

Passion. Intrigue. Brilliance. Power.

A woman made infamous by the international scandal of her 1917 trial and subsequent execution, Mata Hari fully embodies William Shakespeare’s statement that “God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.”  Many people still remember the legends left by Mata Hari’s supposed treachery during WWI, her storied life as a spy, and her resulting death by firing squad.  But few know that she was  not always a woman of famed beauty, known for her ability to shock and awe.  Rather, her story was quite different at the beginning . . . in a small town in the Netherlands.

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Seas of Mercury

10 Nov "Terra Cotta Warriors" by jjorogen

Can you imagine entire lakes, rivers, and seas filled not with water, but rather mercury?  Everyone knows about the glorious monument to Chinese industriousness and might–the famous Great Wall of China.  However, people don’t often know about the wall’s history or the emperor who created it.  Researching this topic, I was astonished to discover that the emperor who created the Great Wall also created a tomb that is almost even more fascinating.

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