Franz von Stuck's “Wounded Amazon” and the sculptors' contest described by Pliny the Elder

The Wounded Amazon, Franz von Stuck, 1905. The image of the wounded Amazon is described by Pliny the Elder, who tells of a competition for the finest sculpture on the theme, in which the celebrated sculptors of the 5th century BC Polykleitos, Phidias, Kresilas and Phradmon took part. The statues they made were placed in the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, and the artists themselves settled the order of precedence among them. Sculptures made after these types, which became classical, can be seen today in the Vatican and Capitoline Museums, the Hermitage and the Louvre. Unlike this painting, the ancient Amazons are shown full-length, clad in a peplos slipping from the shoulders and baring the breast. The wound of the marble Amazons described by Pliny is in the neck, where a spear has pierced them, and they themselves are barefoot and only half-naked.

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How silver became the basis of the Ming tax system and why its shortage destroyed the dynasty

The emperors of the Ming dynasty, which ruled China from 1368 to 1644, were in dire need of silver in the sixteenth century. It went chiefly on prestige projects such as the Forbidden City in Beijing and the repair of the Great Wall. The historian Mark Cartwright writes in the

The White Mouse cocktail from London's The Stafford hotel and the life of spy Nancy Wake

Thirty millilitres of saffron gin, fifteen millilitres of fresh lemon juice, fifteen millilitres of honey and rosemary syrup, dry champagne and a star anise for garnish. The White Mouse cocktail is named after the legendary Nancy Wake, the most decorated servicewoman of the Second World War. The Gestapo nicknamed her

Screenshot of an irene.shots post about the ARTPLAY open call: a free exclusive licence on entries that also applies to those who lose.

ARTPLAY Visual Dominant Open Call Terms and a Call to Read Contracts

How is this even a thing? Will there be any comment from the very party in question? And yes: young and not so young, seasoned hands and novices, the naive and the prudent alike, let us always read the contract with the utmost care. Whoever proposes that we sign it,

Three white ventilation pipes of the Centre Pompidou with graffiti, in front of scaffolding covering the facade.

The Centre Pompidou in Paris is closed for renovation until 2030

My beloved Centre Pompidou is now wrapped in scaffolding. Until 2030, Paris has one fewer brilliant place of pilgrimage. But, honestly, every time I glance at it in passing, I am afraid: what if it never reopens?

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How silver became the basis of the Ming tax system and why its shortage destroyed the dynasty

The White Mouse cocktail from London's The Stafford hotel and the life of spy Nancy Wake

ARTPLAY Visual Dominant Open Call Terms and a Call to Read Contracts

The Centre Pompidou in Paris is closed for renovation until 2030