ἕν οἶδα, ὅτι οὐδέν οἶδα
All I know is that I know nothing
Allegedly said by Socrates
So true, 30 years in Education, and I still feel like a kindergarten student, curious and inquisitive, questioning, interested, prying …
Iris celebrated as the flower of February
Katsushika Hokusai, 1760-1849Kingfisher, Irises and Wild Pinks, ca. 1834, Woodblock Print, 22.9x16.5cm, Victoria&Albert Museum, London, UKhttps://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O71685/kingfisher-irises-and-wild-pinks-woodblock-print-katsushika-hokusai/ Katsushika Hokusai is best known for iconic landscapes like The ...
February 2026 Newsletter
February 2026 As winter lingers, art invites us to contemplate, discover, and embrace the subtle beauty of the season. This month, let the timeless February 2926 Newsletter stories guide you through worlds where history, imagination, and artistry intertwine. Featured Posts: 🌼 Sunday, February 1: Flower & ...
Madonna of the Goldfinch
Raffaello Sanzio’s Madonna of the Goldfinch (before 1506) shows the Virgin Mary seated outdoors, gently holding a book as the Christ Child and young Saint John the Baptist interact with a goldfinch, set against a serene Renaissance landscape. Left: https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/mary-christ-and-the-young-john-the-b ...
View of Venice
Childe Hassam, American, 1859-1935View of Venice, c. 1883, Oil on Canvas, 32.4 x 40.6 cm, Private Collectionhttps://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6519611?ldp_breadcrumb=back When Childe Hassam set out on his first extended European journey in the summer of 1883, he was still a young Boston-based illustrator searchin ...
The House of Menander
The House of Menander, built after the 2nd century AD, on earlier remains of the Hellenistic period, Mytilene, Greece – Photo Credit for the mosaic of Menander: Amalia Spiliakou, Summer 2025 In ancient times, the landscape west of the Euripos river, opposite the island-city of Mytilene, underwent a remarkable trans ...
The Musée d’Orsay’s remarkable Hare-shaped Teapot
Émile Auguste Reiber, French Artist, 1826 - 1893Tea-Pot shaped as a Hare, c. 1882, Silver and Ivory, Height: 12,8 cm, Length: 24,8 cm, Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay), Paris, Francehttps://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/artworks/theiere-19279 The Musée d’Orsay’s remarkable Hare-shaped Teapot, designed by Émile Auguste Reiber i ...
Fayum Mummy Portraits
Mummy Portrait of a Lady, c. 225-250 AD, Encaustic painting on linen and motifs with gilded stucco, Height: 95.8 cm, Private Collectionhttps://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6552510?ldp_breadcrumb=back Fayum Mummy Portraits stand among the most haunting and intimate survivals of the ancient world, faces painted nearl ...
Feast Day of Saint John the Forerunner
The Baptism of Christ, Nea Moni, Chios, 11th century, Mosaic, Chios Island, Greece – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, 2025 Every year on January 7, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of Saint John the Forerunner, the prophet who prepared the way for Christ and baptized Him in the Jordan River. On the island of ...
The Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)
Publisher: Issued by Goodwin & Company - Printer: George S. Harris & Sons (American, Philadelphia)Snowdrop (Galanthus Nivalis), from the Flowers series for Old Judge Cigarettes, 1890, Commercial color lithograph, 7 x 3.8 cm, the MET, NY, USAhttps://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/400559 As ...
January 2026 Newsletter
Dear Readers,As a New Year begins, I welcome you to the January 2026 Newsletter, inviting you to step into a world of art that bridges the past and presents enduring masterpieces that continue to inspire. Whether you're easing back into routine or embracing January’s fresh start, these art stories offer a moment t ...
Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room
Yayoi Kusama, b. 1929Infinity Mirrored Room – A Wish for Human Happiness Calling from Beyond the Universe, 2020, Mirrors, wood, LED lighting system, metal and acrylic panel293.7 × 417 × 417 cm, Guggenheim, Bilbao, Spain – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, Spring 2024 As the year draws to a close and we turn our thoug ...
The Nativity Fresco of Peribleptos Monastery in Mystra
Nativity Scene, Peribleptos Monastery, circa 1348/80, Mystras, Greecehttps://eclass.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/ARCH396/Didaktiko%20yliko/PanKal997.htm The Nativity Fresco of Peribleptos Monastery in Mystras captures the spiritual heart of the season through the radiant artistry of Byzantine devotion. High on ...
Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve
Norman Rockwell, American Artist, 1894-1978Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve, 1947, Oil on Canvas, 77.2x71.8 cm, Private Collectionhttps://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/american-art-n09939/lot.19.html?locale=en Under the soft glow of a dim shop light, Norman Rockwell captures a rare moment of quiet hu ...
Tomb of the Jugglers
Etruscan Tomb of the Jugglers, 510 BC,Necropoli dei Monterozzi, near Tarquinia, Lazio, Italy – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025 Standing within the Necropoli of Monterozzi near Tarquinia, I was immediately captivated by the Tomb of the Jugglers and its vibrant celebration of Etruscan life. Dating to the 6 ...
IVLIA BELLA
Iulia Bella plate, Faenza, end of 15th – beginning of 16th cent., Maiolica, Diameter: 28.2 cm, International Ceramics Museum in Faenza, Italy – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025 The IVLIA BELLA plate, housed at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza, stands as a luminous example of early Renais ...
Boat Fresco of Orchomenos
Wall Paintings from the Mycenaean Palace of Boeotian Orchomenos, Late Bronze Age, 13th century BC, Archaeological Museum of Thebes, Greece – Photo credit: Amalia Spiliakou, February 19, 2024 Among the fragmentary remains of the Mycenaean palace at Orchomenos, a wall painting depicting a long, narrow oared vessel of ...