Art · Books · Monarchies · Observations · Paris
On the other hand, David's sketch indubitably depicts not the majestic Queen of France but a condemned, emaciated woman, made ready for execution. Marie Antoinette was only 37 at the time of her execution on 16 October 1793. After her trial she spent 10 months in the Temple
Art · Books · Monarchies · Paris · People
Marie Antoinette in the procession to the scaffold, 16 October 1793. The Revolution's first crime was the death of the king; its most terrible crime was the death of the queen Chateaubriand's famous phrase acquires its meaning once one truly reflects on the fate of this
The East · Art · Monarchies · Humour
Cyrus the Great walked into Babylon as though it were his own home. Quite literally: without a fight, by way of the river, past the guards. He conquered Babylon in 539 BC, exploiting the discontent of the population and diverting the course of the Euphrates so that his troops could
Faith · Art · Books
It is a door in a wall long abandoned, Stones, moss and nothing more, Beside it a beggar, like an uninvited guest, And the keys hang at his belt. Knights and men-at-arms ride past, The howl of trumpets, the jangle of silver, And no one glances at the
NB! · Art
NB! · Art · Museums · Humour
Coming Up · Art · Moscow · Museums
Metal bars, beds, hospital wards, kettles: all these are not mere objects but traces of presence, occasions for reflection. Her paintings seemed almost empty, yet it was in that very emptiness that their strength was born. Anna wrote short phrases on the canvas, as though keeping a private diary: "
Faith · Art · Humour
Luca Mombello is a name all but forgotten outside Italy, yet in the sixteenth century this painter held a place of his own. His painting “The Immaculate Virgin and God the Father”, made somewhere between 1560 and 1580, conveys that delicate borderline where spirituality is interwoven with sensibility. At the
Art · Books · Humour
Dante descended into Hell once, but illustrators go down there every time they are asked to add a few more details. The design of this recent Italian edition of the Divine Comedy makes the book a collector's find at first glance
NB! · Art · Ethnography
Faith · Art · New York · Society
Jesus Christ knocks at the door of the United Nations building in New York. The painting is evidently meant to convey that true peace can be found only through Christ. One might, however, put a question on the side to the moneychangers driven out of the temple: why has Bethlehem
Art · Museums · Pop Culture
Sotheby’s will offer for sale the collection of the Ertegun family, founders of the record label Atlantic Records. The principal lot is Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait of 1940, estimated at $40 million. Also on offer will be works from the collection of the billionaire Leonard Lauder, founder of