Art · Paris · People
"I am creating the image of a genius!" "Just don't forget to sign it, or everyone will think it's you" Rodin modelled his bust of Hugo without the sitter ever posing for him. For, as is well known, Hugo could not sit
NB! · Observations · Humour
NB! · Architecture · Observations
When I see buildings like this, I wonder what guides the people who find them beautiful. Which books have they read, what did they dream of as children, what films do they love?
Architecture · Faith · Observations · Heritage · Society · Humour
Graffiti on the walls of Canterbury Cathedral, the chief Anglican church of Great Britain, built in 1070. This is the cathedral founded by Saint Augustine himself, and its walls have been disfigured with hideous tags. And do you know what? The graffiti on the walls of the Cathedral and Metropolitical
Art · Observations · Paris · Society Pages
All week, everyone I know in Paris has been discussing Kirill Serebrennikov's premiere at the Théâtre du Châtelet, where "Hamlet. Ghosts" was presented, to a text by Serebrennikov about Hamlet in the context of world culture and modern history. The first thing that distinguishes the production
Observations · Heritage · Mores · Rome
The oldest café in Rome has closed. The owners of the building have evicted the cosy Antico Caffè Greco, near the Spanish Steps, where Stendhal, Casanova, Andersen and Schopenhauer once sat, and where, among our own compatriots, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, for one, left his mark. The long stand-off between
Architecture · Faith · Art
The frescoes of the Duomo in the Italian city of Spoleto are the last work of Filippo Lippi. They were executed on the commission of Cosimo de' Medici in 1466, together with Fra Diamante. The fresco of the Dormition of the Virgin is by Lippi; the other scenes in
Architecture · Observations · Society · Paris
Trump plans a majestic triumphal arch opposite the Lincoln Memorial, and a pedestrian bridge leading to it with statues of American presidents in niches, for the 250th anniversary of American independence, to be celebrated in 2026. The project is grandiose and, naturally, designed to remain a monument to the Trump
NB! · Humour
People · Pop Culture · Nature
I chose to turn away from the bustle of the world, from its falseness, its wounds and its vanity, to take refuge in a sanctuary built with my own hands. Here, in this quiet haven where only nature and tenderness reign, I have found peace. The trees stretch their branches
Art · Books · Heritage · Paris
When I see a virtuous man perishing in poverty while a scoundrel bathes in luxury, I ask myself: what have we done with this world? We devised laws to curb crime, yet those very laws protect the criminal, provided he is rich. We extol the truth, yet chase after falsehood,
Faith · Cinema · Pop Culture · Rome
It is reported that Mel Gibson will change the cast for the sequel to The Passion of the Christ. Meetings with actors are currently under way in Rome. The project has been in pre-production for several months. The film will be devoted to the events of the three days