Beautiful Histories ✓

[image] You never know. This ordinary French farmhouse became a significant D-Day site. The de Vallavieille family’s farm, Brécourt Manor, was occupied by the Germans because of its strategic location for a concealed artillery position. The family was forced to live on the property

[image] On this day, May 12, 113 A.D., Trajan’s Column, near the Roman Forum, was dedicated. Thanks to its architect, Apollodorus of Damascus, it has never fallen, standing in this same spot over 1900 years. (Apparently, Napoleon wanted it, but couldn’t find a way to move it.)

[video] Know this before you go: “Reading” the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Part 2:

[video] There’s a kaleidoscope of medieval floor designs in St. Mark’s we rarely get to see. 60-seconds of geometric joy: 🔊

[video] Did you know? 1. The gorgeous 15th c. pulpit in Santa Maria Novella, Florence, was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi? 2. From this pulpit in 1614 Tommaso Caccini preached a sermon attacking Galileo Galilei, denouncing heliocentrism as heretical. 3. The exquisite panels depict

[video] Sacred spaces. Padua, Italy:

[image] Even small churches can mesmerize. San Nicolò dei Mendicoli: One of few Venetian churches with its original porch, which once provided shelter to the poor.

[image] The “Giovanni da San Giovanni” room in the Pitti Palace, Florence, named after the artist who designed it around 1635. The Medici didn’t just collect art, they lived in it.

[image] If you love frescoes, make Santa Maria Novella in Florence a must-see. These, from 1485-90, are by Ghirlandaio (perhaps aided by his apprentice, a young Michelangelo.)

[image] 4 Things to Know About the Miracoli, “the Jewel Box of Venice”: 1. It’s not the work of Codussi, as you might think, but built by by Pietro Lombardo and his sons between 1481 and 1489. 2. It wasn't commissioned by a grand monastic order or the state, but by the public. It was

[image] A meticulously rendered architectural painting by Gentile Bellini, c. 1501. He was known for highly detailed scenes, and in this he highlights lavish Venetian-styled architectural elements and designs.

[image] Happy Birthday, Gothic! 🏛️ On June 11, 1144, Abbot Suger hosted the consecration of the new choir of the Basilica of Saint-Denis outside Paris, introducing Gothic architecture. By blending pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and a "theology of light" via large stained-glass windows,

[image] The soaring central nave of Santa Anastasia in Verona, Italy. A serene masterpiece that seems to be dressed in endless embroidery.

[image] Technique: Jan Vermeer Art historian Carol Strickland notes that in "The Milkmaid," Vermeer defines forms with impasto and with dots of light -- 'a mosaic of paint daubs.' He added everyday details for interest and context, from the Delft tiles along the floor, the footwarmer,

[image] One of Verona’s medieval conical spires. This terracotta “pigna” (pinecone) style was a practical way to top a square tower — and, some say — to direct eyes heavenward. Santi Apostoli, Verona, Italy. (My photo)

[image] It seems these days we’ve lost the ability to “take the long view.” Did you know? 👇 - J.R.R. Tolkien worked on The Lord of the Rings for 12 years. - Johannes Brahms tinkered with his Symphony No. 1 over a period of 21 years before letting it be performed -Nelson Mandela was

[image] "I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs; A palace and a prison on each hand: I saw from out the wave her structures rise As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand..." (Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage). My 📸

[image] There’s something odd about Titian’s painting of St. Mark Enthroned: St. Mark's head is in the shadows. Titian did this intentionally. At the time he painted it, Venice was suffering under the shadow of the Plague. Mark is joined by saints who were protectors against the

[image] "I hold a number of beliefs that have been repudiated by the liveliest intellects of our time. I believe that order is better than chaos, creation better than destruction. I prefer gentleness to violence, forgiveness to vendetta. On the whole I think that knowledge is preferable

[image] "It's not necessarily at home that we best encounter our true self"  -  Alain de Botton

[image] Remembering Captain Walter J. Huchthausen, killed in action in the final months of WWII. Before the war he was an American architect and educator. He served with the MFAA ("Monuments Men") unit, tasked with protecting cultural monuments and rescuing Nazi-looted art. He was

[image] A stroll in Venice’s lovely sestiere of Dorsoduro — with the supposedly cursed Ca’ Dario in the background.

[image] “The blood flow to the brain increases for a beautiful painting just as it increases when you look at somebody you love. It tells us art induces a feel good sensation direct to the brain." (Semir Zeki, Neurobiologist)

[image] "La Bella," by Titian, c. 1536-38. The question is -- Is she presented for us to admire her beauty, or her trappings of wealth? In the Renaissance, feminine beauty was prized because it was fleeting: With disfiguring diseases, dangerous medical practices, and few remedies

[image] If you ever visit Il Santo in Padua for St Anthony’s day, look for these 2 charming scenes of the saint’s life: (See next 2 images)👇

[image] How do you put a door where a door was never intended? Like this. (Giudecca, Venice)

[image] The face of innocence, looking out at us from the past. Girolamo della Robbia, c. 1510

[image] A Canaletto evening in one of the prettiest squares in Venice, Italy. The beautiful facade of the white building, the Scuola Grande di San Marco, is the work of Pietro Lombardo and Mauro Codussi, in the 1400s. It’s now a hospital. (My 📸)

[image] A stately Venetian doorway. (I accidentally got my reflection in this one!)

[image] A mistake many 1st-time visitors to Venice make: They have the wrong shoes. Venice is old, with uneven pavement, so stubbed toes and twisted ankles are more likely. It’s a walking, stair-climbing city. Thick, wide, flexible soles are the best. 🙂

[image] This painting of the Madonna by Tiepolo (c. 1767) contains iconographic details from the book of Revelation, such as: - The moon under her feet; - The crown of 12 stars; and - The ‘ancient serpent’ (Satan), hoping to devour her child as soon as it was born. I’m also drawn to

[image] Fantastic detail work by Vittore Carpaccio, c. 1510. Wow.

[image] Happy Sunday, friends! I hope today has some peaceful moments in store for you.

[image] Gold, tempera, fresco, stained glass, painted arches . . . Throwing in the best of everything for the glory of God at Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy.

[video] Ancient Art. Renaissance home. The Tribuna: Grimani Palace Museum, Venice. This room of ancient sculptures is considered one of the most prestigious and significant collections of the Renaissance, with a highly valued mix of original Hellenistic and Classical Greek marbles,

[video] A golden April evening, one year ago! 😊

[image] If there had been internet in 1505, Giovanni Bellini’s San Zaccaria Altarpiece would have broken it. Church of San Zaccaria, Venice, Italy.

[image] The 500 year old ceiling in the sacristy of San Giobbe in Venice, Italy. Aptly for a church devoted to Job, the panels depict Old Testament prophets and saints.

[image] The high altar of the lovely Gesuati, Venice, Italy. The tabernacle beneath the baldacchino is covered with inlaid lapis lazuli.

[image] In Venice, stop by Ca’ Rezzonico to check out all the terrific carved heads. (There are 5 in just this random photo of a corner of the palace.) There’s one over the main entrance that reminds me of someone but I can’t decide who . . . perhaps Captain Kangaroo? 🤔

[image] The pretty church of San Rocco in Venice. The white stone facade with round and triangular pediments gives it an elegant, classical aspect.

[image] Did you know? The famous Pietà church in Venice didn’t get its Neo-Palladian facade until the 20th century. Built from 1745-60 to replace an earlier version where Vivaldi served, all hope of finishing the facade collapsed with the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797. It

[image] The little Church of San Giorgio dei Greci, Venice’s only Greek Orthodox Church. Next door is a icon museum for those interested in the art of sacred icon paintings.