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Putto in Nicolas Poussin's Painting
In: 17th Century Art
Question: What is the putto in Nicolas Poussin's painting "Aurora and Cephalus" doing? Answer: Showing the huntsman Cephalus a small portrait of his wife Procris. more...
In: Renaissance Art
Which painting - from 1280, 1503, or 1517 - was carried through Florence, was stolen by an Italian nationalist, or was the first obtained by the National Gallery, London? more...
What are the subjects doing in the paintings of these 16th and 17th-century Spanish masters; where can visitors see these paintings today? more...
What are the subjects doing in the paintings of 16th- and 17th-century Italian artists Titian and Rosa and where can visitors see these paintings today? more...
In: Renaissance Art
What are the subjects doing in the paintings of these 15th-century Dutch and Italian masters and where can art enthusiasts see these paintings today? more...
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On July 19 in 1854 Eugene Delacroix muses on the temperament required of those who would lead us politically.
- “…Men scarcely ever base their happiness on the real blessings of life…As they mount, so do their ambitions…As for true happiness, they draw further and further away from it; the blessings and peace of mind, and independence based on modest and easily satisfied aspirations, are denied to them. Their time is at every man’s command and they waste their lives in futile occupations. So long as such men can feel the dignity of wearing ermine and silken robes, and provided that the wind of favour blows in their direction and supports them, they will wear themselves out among dusty papers, gladly devoting themselves to other people’s business. To be a minister of state or a president is a risky position, for it not only endangers a man’s peace of mind but his reputation as well, and puts his character to a severe test. Unless he can rely upon his conscience, he will come to grief amidst the every-increasing dangers to which he is exposed.….”
I can’t help but consider the nearing presidential election. What kind of man are the candidates? When a man becomes a seeker of power to that extent, and thereby a tool of those who put him into power, and allows himself a limitless exposure to and scrutiny by the media, how difficult must it be for him to retain his self-respect and sense of balance? Does he indeed, as Delacroix hints, lose sight of the simple pleasures of life?
How interesting to me that artist Delacroix shares with his readers his contemplation on such a vast array of topics, including this one.
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In: Classical Art
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Stan Parchin
Christ on the Cross in the Renaissance
In: Renaissance Art
By: Stephanie Cox
Raphael's School of Athens Painting
In: Renaissance Art
By: Stephanie Cox
Renaissance Painting of Baptism of Christ
In: Renaissance Art
By: Stephanie Cox
Medieval Cistercian Architecture
In: Medieval Art
By: Andrea Kirkby
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Images of the Egyptian Goddess Nut
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