“I am exhausted, I can’t bear it any more and I had nightmares last night: the cathedral was falling down on me, it seemed to be blue, or pink or yellow.” —Claude Monet From 1892 to 1893, Monet painted the 31 works that comprise his Rouen Cathedral series. He was solitary and oblivious to the other artists working around him. ... Read More »
You may enjoy one of Renoir’s most famous paintings, “La Loge”, at the current show, “Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The fashionable woman in “La Loge” is Nini Lopez, who was an actress from Montmartre and known as “fish face.” Renoir met her when he moved to Montmartre for the summer to paint “Bal ... Read More »
The latest fashion . . . is absolutely necessary for a painting. It’s what matters most. —Édouard Manet, 1881 Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents a revealing look at the role of fashion in the works of the Impressionists and their contemporaries. Nearly 80 paintings by Impressionist masters such as Manet, Monet, Renoir, ... Read More »
On St. Valentine’s Day jewelry, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones. But who can do more than Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal as a memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child? Born as Prince Khurram in 1592, Shah Jahan was the fifth son of Mughal Emperor Jahangir ... Read More »
“When I was in Aix, I thought I would be better off elsewhere. Now that I’m here, I miss Aix… when you’re born there, that’s it, nothing else appeals.” The urban haunts of Paris may have provided the grounds for Impressionism’s rise, but Paul Cézanne’s life began (and ended) in the southern, Roman city of Aix-en-Provence. Born the illegitimate ... Read More »
The gateway to a tropical eden, Phuket is Thailand’s biggest island and is on the western coast. A steady stream of tourists looking for the idyllic beach has helped bolster Phuket’s economy; it is now one of the wealthiest provinces in all of Thailand. Even after the December 26, 2004 tsunami devastated the area, the resilience of both its people ... Read More »
We wish you a very happy Holiday Season and a New Year filled with peace and prosperity. Here are some Christmas quotes that will surely bring festive cheers during the holiday season. Happy Holidays everyone! Working hours are never long enough. Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation. ... Read More »
Edvard Munch’s iconic Scream changed the course of art history, and has become one of the most reproduced works of art in the world. It’s become one of the most expensive, too, selling for nearly $120 million in May. The artist was born 149 years ago this week in Ådalsbruk, Norway. Soon after, his family moved to the capital ... Read More »
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