ἕν οἶδα, ὅτι οὐδέν οἶδα
All I know is that I know nothing
Allegedly said by Socrates
So true, 30 years in Education, and I still feel like a kindergarten student, curious and inquisitive, questioning, interested, prying …
Angels in the Palatine Chapel by John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent, American artist, 1856–1925Angels, Mosaic, Palatine Chapel, Palermo, 1897 or 1901, watercolor gouache, and graphite on off-white wove paper, 25x35.5 cm, the MET, NY, USA https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Angels%2C_Mosaic%2C_Palatine_Chapel%2C_Palermo_MET_50.130.83f.jpg John Sin ...
The Laughing Boy by Robert Henri
Robert Henri, American Artist, 1865–1929The Dutch Joe (Jopie van Slouten), 1910, oil on canvas, 60.96 × 50.8 cm, Milwaukee Art Museum, WI, USA http://collection.mam.org/details.php?id=13533Frans Hals, Dutch Artist, 1582/83-1666Laughing Child, circa 1620-1625, oil on wood, Diameter: 27.94 cm, LACMA (Los Angeles County ...
Villa Arianna at Stabiae
Villa Arianna Terrace, 1st century AD, Stabiae, Italyhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Terrazza_B_di_Villa_Arianna#/media/File:Arianna_terrazza_B.JPG During the Archaic period (8th century BC) Stabiae already played an important strategic and commercial role. The city reached its highest population densit ...
The Colosso del’Appennino by Giambologna
Giambologna, 1529-1608Colosso del’Appennino, 1570s, Rock, lava, brick, etc., H. 10 m, Garden of the Villa Medici, Park of Pratolino, Italyhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Demidoff_01.jpg Introducing his book Ambitious Form: Giambologna, Ammanati, and Danti in Florence, Michal W. Cole refers to an October 158 ...
Happy Birthday Miss Jones by Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell, 1894-1978Happy Birthday Miss Jones, Saturday Evening Post cover March 17, 1956, The original oil on canvas painting is part of the collection of filmmaker George Lucas.https://prints.nrm.org/detail/261035/rockwell-happy-birthday-miss-jones-school-teacher-1956 On the 5th of October, we celebrate Wor ...
The Labours of the Months: October
By an unknown Venetian artist…The Labours of the Months: October, about 1580, oil on canvas, 13.6 x 10.6 cm, National Gallery, Londonhttps://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/italian-venetian-the-labours-of-the-months-january#painting-group-info The young man in the new BLOG POST The Labours of the Months: Octob ...
Weaving in Ancient Greece
Attributed to the Amasis Painter, active around 550–510 BCTerracotta Black-Figure Lekythos (oil flask) depicting the preparation of wool and the weaving of cloth, ca. 550–530 BC, H. 17.15 cm, the MET, NY, USAhttps://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/253348?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&high=on ...
Portrait of a Halberdier
Jacopo Carucci, called Pontormo, 1494 – 1557Portrait of a Halberdier (Francesco Guardi?), 1529–1530, Oil (or oil and tempera) on panel transferred to canvas, 95.3 × 73 cm, The J. Paul Getty Museum, CA, USAhttp://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/824/pontormo-jacopo-carucci-portrait-of-a-halberdier-francesco-guardi- ...
The Byzantine Church of Hagia Eirene
The Byzantine Church of Hagia Eirene, between the4th and 8th centuries, Istanbul, Turkeyhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Hagia_Eirene_Constantinople_July_2007_001.jpg The church of the Holy Peace (Hagia Eirene) was built in the fourth century at the place where the old church of the bishop of Byz ...
The Samnite House in Herculanium
The decorated Atrium of the Samnite House in Herculaneum has a Gallery with Ionic Columns and Latticework Screens, 1st century AD, made of painted stucco https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Irelli-Aoyagi-De_Caro-Pappalardo_417#/media/File:Parte_alta.JPG Herculaneum was a peaceful seaside town which was stru ...
Monemvasia by Konstantinos Maleas
Konstantinos Maleas, 1879-1928Monemvasia (Houses at Monemvasia), 1920-28, oil on cardboard, 50 x 57.5 cmhttps://museum.bankofgreece.gr/topoianaforas/modern_greek_art/504_Maleas_en.html Monemvasia by Konstantinos Maleas is one of my favourite paintings…of a city rugged, wildly beautiful, and very historic according ...
Portrait Medallion of Gennadios
Portrait Medallion of Gennadios, 250–300 AD, made in Alexandria, Egypt. Gold Glass, D. 4.2 cm, the MET, NY, USAhttps://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/466645?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&high=on&ao=on&showOnly=openAccess&ft=*&offset=480&rpp=80& ...
The Labours of the Months: September
By an unknown Venetian artist…The Labours of the Months: September, about 1580, oil on canvas, 13.6 x 10.6 cm, National Gallery, Londonhttps://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/italian-venetian-the-labours-of-the-months-january#painting-group-info Another smell of autumn / sweet sweet smell / of Concord grapes / ...
End of the Season by William Merritt Chase
William Merritt Chase, American painter, 1849-1916End of the Season, c. 1885, Pastel on Paper, 35 x 45 cm, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, South Hadley https://www.wga.hu/support/viewer_m/z.html The familiar rhythm of the cricket’s chirps / Create the soundtrack for each day, / Echoing Summer’s end / And that Aut ...
Maiolica Credenza
Nicola da Urbino, active by 1520–died ?1537/38Armorial Plate (tondino): The story of King Midas (This plate is part of the Isabella D’Este Credenza), ca. 1520–25, Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware), Diam. 27.5 cm, the MET, NY, USAhttps://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/459198?searchField=All&sortBy=Rele ...
Off the harbor by Ioannis Altamouras
Ioannis Altamouras, 1852-1878Off the harbor, 1874, oil on paper mounted on cardboard, 23.3 x 30.5 cm, Bank of Greecehttps://museum.bankofgreece.gr/topoianaforas/modern_greek_art/501_Altamouras_en.html Emily, / A ship is floating in the harbour now, / A wind is hovering o'er the mountain's brow; / There is a path on ...