The Cholmondeley Ladies, early 17th century

The Cholmondeley Ladies, early 17th century. The inscription on the painting reads: "Two Ladies of the Cholmondeley Family, who were born the same day, married the same day, and brought to bed the same day." The ladies, portrayed in identical poses and identical attire, with identical infants in identical christening robes, turn out on closer inspection, O MIRACLE, not to be identical themselves. One has brown eyes, the other blue, with different shapes of nose and lips, different jewellery and different lace. One of the babies, too, has blue eyes, the other brown. The unique painting is believed to depict the Cholmondeley sisters: Lettice and Mary.

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September digest: archaeological finds, exhibitions, museums, theatre and the Church

In the finale of the Strugatskys' Roadside Picnic, the Golden Ball is told: "Happiness for everybody, free, and let nobody go away unsatisfied!" I do not promise to offend nobody, but the digest really does come free of charge. So, here is the main business of the

Frederic Leighton

Frederic Leighton. “Daedalus and Icarus”, 1869 Daedalus warns his son not to climb too high: the heat of the sun may melt the wax, but Icarus is already gazing into the distance, and the lamentations of a foolish old man interest him not in the least

The Cholmondeley Ladies, early 17th century

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September digest: archaeological finds, exhibitions, museums, theatre and the Church

Frederic Leighton

Attempts to resolve the problems of many years of uncontrolled mass migration

Characters from Gogol's "Petersburg Tales" on the pedestal of the monument to Nikolai Gogol on Nikitsky Boulevard, photograph of the 1960s