Oh my... After I tried to cure the boy with music, he rode off into the sunset and hasn't returned until now! I wonder what he's been up to? I'll have to ask him sometime so that I can get through this agonizing suspense and get on with my life! But for now, let's move…
Sit down and listen boy. It's time I told you about a Greek, and not just any old Greek, but The Greek: El Greco, one of my very favorite artists, who was born on Crete in 1541. He was a painter who went to Venice where he developed his craft under Tizian. What was that…
I just got off the phone with my brother. He had read my last entry, Gustave et Gustave (part I), and he was very upset! He did not like the boy falling asleep one bit, he was so outrageously furious that I could hear the foam running from his mouth over the phone. "Let the…
Shh! The boy has gone to sleep.. Now I can finally continue the epic same-name sagas, and enjoy my two favorite Gustaves all by myself, without the boy pestering me and meddling in my private business. Gustave Doré (1832 - 1883) was a french artist mostly known for his engravings, but he was also an…
"Daddy! You told me about the first Jorge, but forgot to tell me about the second Jorge!" No, no, calm down son. I'll tell you all about him, right now! His name was Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (1899 - 1986), but he was more commonly known by the name Jorge Luis Borges. He was…
The second Albrecht, Albrecht Altdorfer (1480 - 1583), has quite a few thing in common with the first Albrecht: They both had the same name (Albrecht), they were contemporary, they were German, they were both artists and they both had awesome monograms (that were quite similar). But there are also things that set them apart.…
There are two Albrechts that I particularly like: Dürer and Altdorfer. Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was a German artist and art theorist active during the Northern Renaissance. He was an immensely talented and innovative artist, that left an enduring mark in the history of western art, which is reflected through his epitaph written by Wilibald Pirckheimer:…
"Tell me more about 19th century Russian art, please daddy!" Ok, ok, calm down son... Here's some Ivan Kramskoj: When studying at the S:t Petersburg Academy of Art, Ivan and some other students wanted to pick their own subjects for their paintings, which of course led to them being expelled (no fun allowed!). They instead…
I like art... I'll post some pleasant art... Since I mentioned Dmitri in my last post, I'll move on to another Russian favorite: Vasily Vereshchagin. Brief biography. Vasily Vereshchagin (1842 - 1904) started off studying at naval school, but after graduating he heeded his true calling; painting. He began his art studies in S:t Petersburg…
Sometimes, when I feel myself drifting closer towards the abyss of insanity, I like to listen to some music, to take my mind away from all the implicit messages and concealed truths I've been granted - both blessed and cursed - to be able to discover and decipher from the world around me (mainly from…
CORYLVS·CASTELLVM 