Musée de Cluny

by ArtFrench ArtMedieval ArtMuseumsPowerpointsTravel
View of the 3 architectural phases of the Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge (Roman, 20th century, Renaissance) in Paris, France https://www.paris.fr/pages/reouverture-de-cluny-le-musee-qui-modernise-le-moyen-age-21099

The Cluny Museum, officially known as the Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge, is a captivating institution located in the heart of Paris, France. Housed in the former Cluny Abbey, a medieval Benedictine monastery, the museum is dedicated to the preservation and display of artifacts from the Middle Ages. Its rich collection spans from the Late Roman Period to the 16th century and includes a diverse range of artworks that provide a fascinating glimpse into medieval life. The architecture of the Cluny Museum itself is a marvel, blending the 20th century, Medieval, and Renaissance elements, with beautiful gardens adding to its charm. Visitors can explore the intimate courtyards, chapels, and thermal baths, which are among the best-preserved Roman baths in France. The Cluny Museum stands as a unique space, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the art, history, and culture of the medieval period in an enchanting setting.

View of the Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge, in Paris, France
https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/episode-8-cluny-museum-walking-tour/

Visitors to the Cluny Museum in Paris can explore a rich and diverse collection of artifacts from the Middle Ages. https://www.musee-moyenage.fr/en/ Some of the highlights include:

Medieval Sculptures and Architectural Fragments: The museum houses a remarkable collection of medieval sculptures, including statues, reliefs, and architectural fragments from churches and cathedrals. The sculptures depict saints, biblical figures, and scenes from religious narratives, revealing the profound influence of Christianity on medieval art. Additionally, the architectural fragments provide insights into the grandeur of medieval structures, allowing visitors to appreciate the ornate details and exquisite craftsmanship that adorned sacred spaces like the Notre Dame of Paris or Sainte-Chapelle.

Illuminated Manuscripts: The Cluny Museum features a splendid collection of illuminated manuscripts, showcasing the intricate and detailed illustrations found in medieval books. These manuscripts often include religious texts, literary works, and scientific treatises.

Stained Glass Windows: The museum displays a selection of medieval stained glass windows, offering a glimpse into the stunning visual artistry that adorned churches and cathedrals during the Middle Ages. These windows, meticulously crafted with vibrant colors and intricate designs, provide a vivid representation of the storytelling and symbolism embedded in medieval Christian traditions.

Musée de Cluny Faces, For more information on the depicted ‘Faces’, please check the attached PowerPoint https://www.musee-moyenage.fr/en/

Everyday Life Artifacts: Visitors can explore a variety of everyday objects from medieval life, such as ceramics, textiles, and metalwork. These artifacts provide insights into the daily lives, customs, and technologies of people during the medieval period.

The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries: This famous series of six tapestries is considered a masterpiece of medieval art. Each tapestry represents one of the senses, and the intricate designs and vibrant colors are a testament to the craftsmanship of the time.

Roman Baths, Gardens, and Courtyards: The Cluny Museum is situated on the site of ancient Roman baths, and visitors can explore the well-preserved frigidarium (cold room) and caldarium (hot room), gaining an understanding of Roman engineering and architecture. Additionally, the museum features charming gardens and courtyards, offering peaceful spaces for visitors to relax and enjoy the historic surroundings.

Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge,  View of the interior, Paris, Francehttps://www.studiogardere.com/en/projects/museum/musee-de-cluny-musee-national-du-moyen-age/

The Cluny Museum in Paris offers a unique and alternative experience for visitors exploring the French capital due to its singular focus on the Middle Ages. Amidst the iconic landmarks and modern attractions of Paris, the museum provides a serene escape into the rich tapestry of medieval history, art, and culture. Its diverse collection offers an immersive journey into a bygone era. The atmospheric setting of the former Cluny Abbey, complete with Roman baths and picturesque gardens, enhances the distinctive charm of this museum. It provides a more intimate and specialized encounter, allowing visitors to delve into the intricate details of medieval life, religious practices, and artistic achievements, creating an enriching contrast to the contemporary allure of Paris.

For a PowerPoint Presentation of Masterpieces from the Cluny Museum, please… Check HERE!

Early Christian Funerary Paintings

by with No Comment ArtByzantiumExhibitionsMuseumsStudent ActivitiesTravelWorksheets
Tomb Painting of a Bird (Lark?), early 5th century, fresco painting,  Museum for Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki (Photo: Makis Skiatharesis, ΜΒΠ archive)

“A Work of Art which did not begin in Emotion is not Art” Paul Cezanne said… and I think of him every time I visit Room 3, “From the Elysian Fields to the Christian Paradise” in the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, to admire the exhibited Early Christian Funerary Paintings.    http://mbp.gr/en/room-3-elysian-fields-christian-paradise

Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki

Visiting the Thessaloniki Museum of Byzantine Culture is a true cultural experience. For years now, I have visited it with my Pinewood students, trying to instil upon them the fine essence of Byzantine art and culture. The actual Museum building comes to my assistance… every time!  In 1989, the Museum’s architect, Kyriakos Krokos, wrote: I wanted a space within which movement would create a feeling of freedom, stirring up the senses, and where the exhibit would be a surprise within the movement. Walking through the Museum with my students, one surprise surpasses the other. The floor and wall mosaics in the first Early Christian Period Room, attract everybody’s attention, the Byzantine tunics with their fine embroideries are eye-catching, the icons and the intricately illuminated manuscript in the Middle Byzantine Period Room are definitely noticed. Finally, as we are about to leave, one last surprise: a beautiful Post-Byzantine golden eikonostaasi, one last startling work of art to ponder. After each visit, my students, pencils, notebooks and cameras, in hand, surprised and dazzled, come one step closer to understanding our Byzantine heritage! What more can I ask…    

Grade 6 students eploring the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, photographed by Kostas Papantoniou

When I visit the Museum of Byzantine Culture alone and am in a mood, I cannot fully describe, my steps take me directly to Room 3: “From the Elysian Fields to the Christian Paradise.” Dimly lit, usually very quiet, full of elusive treasures to discover, this is my place, the Room, I love…

Room 3: “From the Elysian Fields to the Christian Paradise” was the first Exhibition Room in the Museum to open, back on the 29th of March 1997. It was the result of an EU funded Research Program,  titled “The Transformation of the Roman World AD 400-900.” As the title of the Exhibition Room connotates, this is an area dedicated to afterlife during Late Antiquity. All exhibited items come from tombs in cemeteries excavated outside the Walls of Thessaloniki. They consist of funerary gifts, inscriptions, and items of worship of the dead. According to the Museum experts “The exhibit is complete with a series of extremely rare and unique funerary paintings. These illustrate in an exceptional way the transition from the Late Antiquity concept of the afterlife into a heavenly place of material prosperity, along with the shift from the funerary customs and decoration of Antiquity that still survives to the final triumph of the Cross with the emergence of the New Religion and the establishment of the belief for the Last Judgment and the Resurrection of the Dead.” http://mbp.gr/en/room-3-elysian-fields-christian-paradise

View of Room 3: “From the Elysian Fields to the Christian Paradise” in the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki (Photo: ΜΒΠ archive)

It is these unique funerary paintings I seek out every time I visit my favourite Museum in Thessaloniki. They carry Hellenistic Naturalism and Roman Verism, traditional Late Antique or novel Christian subject matter, higher or poorer quality craftsmanship… all together, these amazing frescoes transfer me to an exciting world of unwavering changes and exciting cultural developments… the world of the Early Christian period and the artistic milieu of Thessaloniki, a city worth visiting!

Articles you might find interesting about Early Christian Funerary Paintings in Thessaloniki:    https://www.academia.edu/24852527/Iconographic_Programs_of_the_Early_Christian_Tombs_of_Thessaloniki_in_the_Context_of_the_Contemporary_Traditions_of_the_Funerary_Art_English_translation_     and    https://bookonlime.ru/lecture/8-early-christian-funerary-painting-thessaloniki-macedonian-and-roman-traditions    and    https://www.didaktorika.gr/eadd/handle/10442/13516

For a Student Activity on Early Christian Funerary Painting, please… Click HERE!

The Month of June

by with No Comment ArtPowerpointsRenaissanceTravel
The Month of June, latest 1407, possibly by Maestro Venceslao, Fresco, Torre Aquila, Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, Italy

The Month of June is an amazing fresco that comes from the Torre Aquila in the Castello del Buonconsiglio, in Trento, Italy. It is part of a fresco Cycle of the Twelve Months painted on the walls of the tower’s 2nd-floor main room. Today, only eleven of the original 12 panels survive as a 16th-century wooden spiral staircase, connecting the tower floors, destroyed the painted panel of March. The famous painted Cycle of the Months is divided into twelve panels, one for each month. Each one of the twelve panels is separated by a slender column, distinctive yet subtle, so as not to disturb the natural continuity between months and the seasons.

This exceptional room, 6 x 5,8 x 3 m in size, was commissioned by Prince-Bishop George of Liechtenstein, as a quiet, atmospheric retreat, away from the rest of the Castello’s busy and noisy state quarters. It has been suggested and widely accepted that the painter of this extraordinary fresco Cycle of the Months was Maestro Venceslao, a Czech painter, popular in the Tyrol area of the time.

June is the 6th month of the Year and the beginning of summer. A glorious, busy month for both the aristocrats and the peasants of Trento. With snow disappearing even at the highest peaks, the shepherds and the servants of the Prince-Bishop George of Liechtenstein, need to move to the mountainous pastures, where most of the Prince’s possessions are. They need to take care of his cows, while their women do the milking, and the processing of milk to butter and cheese. Are they making a 15th century version of the famous Trentino cheese Bela Badia? In May, all citizens of Trento had a moment to rest, but in June, they all go back to their daily chores!    https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-cheeses-in-trentino-alto-adige-sudtirol

One might wonder how the young Trento noblemen and ladies spend their June days… think no further, the answers are in the Trento fresco. Enjoying the best time of the year, young men and ladies of noble birth spend their days in the countryside! They walk out of their walled cities, as depicted in the upper left side of the painting, wearing their finest clothes, and join in the festivities of the month. Long summer days are on their thresholds and they embrace them! The lower part of the painting shows 5 couples dancing in a circle accompanied by their dogs and a group of musicians who set the tone. Are they celebrating the first day of Summer? The scene is inviting to say the least… a garden surrounded by green hedges, beautiful lilies, playful dogs and a quintet of merry musicians! https://www.worldwidewriter.co.uk/frescoes-of-trento-the-painted-city.html

The Best Art You’ve Never Seen: 101 Hidden Treasures From Around the World by Julian Spalding, Rough Guides Reference, 2010 https://books.google.gr/books?id=L3e0BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=cycle+of+the+months+paintings&source=bl&ots=PDmmhZPn37&sig=ACfU3U0ZvpPwd-ZSa8dnhL4AUn2uBLt26g&hl=el&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjVxcGIzNzmAhWRGewKHQiuD5g4ChDoATAGegQIBxAB#v=onepage&q=cycle%20of%20the%20months%20paintings&f=false

Until Next Month… check HERE! for a PowerPoint!

Virtual Trip to meet the Pre-Raphaelites

by with No Comment 19th century ArtArtTravel
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1828–1882
Monna Vanna, 1866, oil on canvas, 88,9 cm × 86,4 cm, TATE Britain, London

“Conception, my boy, fundamental brain work, is what makes all the difference in art…” once said, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. During COVID 19 Days, we need a new meaningful Conception of our Life, and how we can make it powerful and fulfilling… just like ART! London, home of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his Brotherhood friends, is an ideal Virtual Trip to meet the Pre-Raphaelites! Please… Stay in the comfort of your HOME! Snack on something deliciously BRITISH! …and ACTION!

The Guildhall Art Gallery in London, founded in 1886 as the “Collection of Art Treasures worthy of the capital city,” exhibits some superb examples of Pre-Raphaelite works.

According to the TATE experts “The Pre-Raphaelites were a secret society of young artists (and one writer), founded in London in 1848. They were opposed to the Royal Academy’s promotion of the ideal as exemplified in the work of Raphael. …Inspired by the theories of John Ruskin, who urged artists to ‘go to nature’, they believed in an art of serious subjects treated with maximum realism. Their principal themes were initially religious, but they also used subjects from literature and poetry, particularly those dealing with love and death. They also explored modern social problems.”    https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/pre-raphaelite.

Let’s uncover the mysteries of this secret society of painters with the help of our KIDS and the TATE    https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/who-is/who-are-pre-raphaelites …and let’s explore Pre-Raphaelite London! https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/articles/a-pre-raphaelites-tour-of-london/    and    https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/pre-raphaelite-art-london-best-paintings-exhibitions-a3965701.html

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1828–1882
Monna Vanna, 1866, oil on canvas, 88,9 cm × 86,4 cm, TATE Britain, London

Movie Time with the Pre-Raphaelites… and ACTION!

Effie Gray is a 2014 British biographical film written by Emma Thompson and directed by Richard Laxton. It is based on the true story of John Ruskin’s marriage to Euphemia Gray and the subsequent annulment of their marriage.     https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605798/     and     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BLzK1z0EII

Desperate Romantics is a six-part television drama series about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, first broadcast on BBC Two between 21 July and 25 August 2009. Discussing the series’ billing as “Entourage with Easels,” Franny Moyle, whose book about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Desperate Romantics: The Private Lives Of The Pre-Raphaelites was an inspiration for the series, said: “I didn’t pitch it as ‘Entourage with easels’ … I pitched it as a big emotional saga, a bit like The Forsyte Saga. Having said that, I think it was a useful snapshot – a way of getting a handle on the drama.”     https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1346018/?ref_=kw_li_tt     and     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4BraAD71cE

The BBC Documentary, The Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Revolutionaries, examines the 19th century Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood art movement. This 3-Part Documentary explores its origins, some early works and the criticism faced by the Brotherhood.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkWONORqHZw     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe9JOWEYldU     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSCRU73LIms

FOOD… with Victorian Recipes

What did the Victorians eat? Mrs. Avis Crocombe was the head cook at Audley End House in the 1880s. She compiled many different recipes in her handwritten cookery book, which includes a range of Victorian delights – including a recipe for a roasted swan! Will they prove interesting to taste?     https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/victorian-recipes/

Small Arch of Galerius

by with No Comment ArtPowerpointsRoman ArtSocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesTravelWorksheets
Small Arch of Galerius, early 4th century AD, carved from a single block of marble, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

“The Galerian Complex, the most important monumental group in Thessaloniki, was built at the turning-point of two worlds, the Roman and Byzantine. Its erection began in the late 3rd century-early 4th century AD when the Caesar Galerius Valerianus Maximianus (293-311 AD) chose Thessaloniki as the seat of the eastern part of the Roman Empire.”  The Small Arch of Galerius found in the Octagon area of the Complex, valued and cherished, is exhibited today in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. http://galeriuspalace.culture.gr/en/

One of the most important buildings within the Galerian Complex, the Octagon is a significant and luxurious structure worth exploring. It was the first important building that visitors arriving at the Palace by sea would enter and be dazzled. Facing the glorious Thermaic Golf of Thessaloniki, the Octagon is massive and opulent. All Palace buildings were meant to impress the visitor and set the tone… the Octagon area did an excellent job!

Excavation of this amazing structure started in 1950 and continued up until 1981, bringing to light all that survives today.  A splendid conservation and restoration program continued and in 2008, the archaeological site of the Palace of Galerius in Thessaloniki was awarded a EUROPA NOSTRA medal by the European Union. Today, the Galerian Complex, right in the heart of the city, is one of the most popular archaeological sites in Thessaloniki.

The Galerian Complex and the Octagon Area

… Agathoniki was on an official visit to the Court of Emperor Galerius in Thessaloniki… powerful and rich, she was treated with respect for her age and the loyal services extended to the Emperor…  She was modestly dressed but her gifts to the Emperor were valuable and exotic, coming all the way from Seres, the mythical lands of the East. She was guided to enter the Palace Complex through the grand, South Peristyle Court, its Porticos adorned with magnificent floor mosaics and a beautiful garden in the center. It was her first visit to Thessaloniki and she enjoyed every single thing she saw… she was, however, on a mission, so she briskly walked through a triple arch, a Tribelon with two columns, to enter an impressive Vestibule with two semi-circular niches on its narrow ends. She stopped for a minute to compose herself, reflect on her mission, and confidently entered the grandest room of the Palace… the domed Octagon! The room was magnificent! Its walls were covered with multicoloured marble revetments and square panels intricately worked in the opus sectile technique. The floor, featuring marble geometric motifs, created simple yet elegant chromatic oppositions… and there were four different Emblemata, right where she was standing, worthy of a great master! What a wonderful Audience Hall this is, she thought, as the entrance of the Emperor brought her to her knees…

Agathoniki, the imaginary visitor of our story, saw many more wonderful rooms and artefacts in the Palace of Galerius… My favourite artefact, still surviving today, is a small, marble Arch. Discovered at the north end of the eastern portico of the South Peristyle Court, the Small Marble Arch crowned a horseshoe-shaped niche framed by pilasters. This Arch, known by the conventional name “The Small Arch of Galerius”, is on display in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. Could this small, luxuriously adorned, niche be a Palace Temple?

This Arch, known today as “The Small Arch of Galerius”, is on display in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. According to Thessaloniki Museum experts, “The arch, a work of high artistic quality, is the product of a local workshop in Thessaloniki. The rich relief decorations occupy three sides of the arch. The main side depicts two men from the East, possibly Persians, raising two circular medallions with their hands. The right medallion depicts Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximianus, while the left one initially depicted his wife, Galeria Valeria. During a later intervention, after Galerius’ death, a mural crown was added to the female portrait. This alteration transformed the female bust into the depiction of a deity, most probably the “Tyche (fortune) of Thessaloniki”, who accompanied Galerius, the deified ruler of the city. Two winged Eros figures holding a garland fill the space between the medallions. Another medallion with a bust of Dionysos is located at the inner part of the arch, surrounded by vine branches. The right side of the arch depicts the hooved god Pan playing a pipe and holding a lagobolon (stick for hunting hares). The left side depicts a maenad.”    http://galeriuspalace.culture.gr/en/monuments/oktagono/    and    https://www.amth.gr/en/exhibitions/highlights

Along with my Grade 6 students, we study the history of Thessaloniki, visit the Archaeological Site of the Galerian Complex and prepare a RWAP (Research-Writing-Art-Project) that they thoroughly enjoy…

For a PowerPoint on the Galerian Complex Octagon Hall, please click HERE!

For a student RWAP on the Small Arch of Galerius, please click HERE!

For examples of Student RWAP Work, please click HERE!

Grade 6 student RWAP
RWAP stands for Research – Writing – Art – Project

The Mauritshuis

by with No Comment ArtMuseumsPowerpointsRenaissanceTravel
Hans Holbein the Younger (formerly attributed to)
Portrait of a Woman from Southern Germany, c. 1520 – 1525, oil on panel, 45×34 cm, The Mauritshuis in The Hague

“A visit to a museum is a search for beauty, truth, and meaning in our lives. Go to museums as often as you can” wrote Maira Kalman and she couldn’t be more right. Go to the  Mauritshuis in the Hague, stand in front of the Portrait of a Woman from Southern Germany and quietly wait for the experience to envelop you!

Back in 2006, I visited the Mauritshuis in the Hague for the first time, and I will never forget the Experience. It is the kind of Museum I particularly enjoy and love… small, intimate and colourful!    https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/

Designed as a private house for Johan Maurits of Nassau, Count (from 1664), Prince of Nassau-Siegen, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) and governor of Dutch Brazil, the   Mauritshuis is palatial in both, inspiration and essence. The Prince of Nassau-Siegen hired the finest architects of the time in The Netherlands, Jacob van Campen and his assistant Pieter Post, to design and materialize his dream residence. Johan Maurits, however, was not in a harry! As governor of the Dutch Brazil and one of Holland’s preeminent military leaders, he travelled extensively, while his architects were busy building important architectural works to establish their name. So, the Mauritshuis started in 1636 and finished in 1641. The Prince lived in the house for only three years, from 1644 to 1647, after which he moved to Germany for yet another important post, to become stadtholder of Kleef.

Mauritshuis is often referred to as Sugar Palace, but this is not a reference to the light-coloured natural stones used for building its façade. Johan Maurits earned a lot of money in Brazil trading in sugar cane, and Mauritshuis was made possible thanks to cane sugar and to the efforts of enslaved men and women from Africa. Sugar Palace is just one reminder of European colonialism and exploitation! https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/discover/mauritshuis/history-of-the-building/

Today, the building Johan Maurits of Nassau commissioned is one of the finest examples of Classicist Dutch Architecture in The Netherlands and the Home of a Great Collection of Dutch Masterpieces. Mauritshuis is the home of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring or the astounding View of Delft,  Rembrandt’s Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp or his 1669 Self-Portrait, Carel Fabritius’ Goldfinch of 1654, Paulus Potter’s Bull of 1647, and The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man of 1615 by two famous Flemish masters: Rubens and Brueghel.

Hans Holbein the Younger (formerly attributed to)
Portrait of a Woman from Southern Germany, c. 1520 – 1525, oil on panel, 45×34 cm, The Mauritshuis in The Hague

Today, I would like to stand in front of a Renaissance Painting I find alluring… the Portrait of a Woman from Southern Germany of 1520-25, formerly attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger. Her face is so striking, standing out well against a rather cool, blue background… beautiful but stark, pale, yet bright, clear and strong. She wears a finely pleated collared blouse, a fur-lined jacket fastened with a red cord and a rather old-fashioned cap and veil, like those worn by townswomen in Southern Germany. Whoever painted this magnificent Portrait, the Woman from Southern Germany, young and demure, greets us with her hands clasped, her eyes modestly cast down, and a faint smile to brighten her whole face! She is grand! https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/explore/the-collection/artworks/portrait-of-a-woman-from-southern-germany-275/detailgegevens/

For a PowerPoint on more Renaissance Paintings in the Mauritshuis Museum, please… click HERE!

Virtual Trip to meet the 1st Emperor of China

by with No Comment ArtTravel
Terracotta Warrior from Qin Shihuangdi’s Tomb, 210 BC, Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Xi’an, China

Confucius once said that… Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it! During COVID 19 Days, we meditate, seek our inner soul and find beauty in many little things around us… like taking a Virtual Trip to meet the 1st Emperor of China. Please… Stay in the comfort of your HOME! Snack on something deliciously CHINESE …and ACTION!

Today I would like to take you on a trip to a Country I visited few years back and wish to visit again… when all, will be easier once more… CHINA!

I would like you to meet Quin Shi Huang Di, the man who spent a life time uniting all of China’s kingdoms “under heaven” and his rule, becoming the 1st Emperor of China!

Quin Shi Huang Di unified the country, standardized the laws, money, weights, measures and writing. He built the Great Wall of China and even had the country named after him. He built himself an amazing tomb that is famous for the army of 6,000 terra-cotta warriors.

Explore the Museum of QIN SHI HUANG DI Terracotta Warriors and Horses with lots of valuable information and multimedia references…. https://web.archive.org/web/19990128143139/http://www.bmy.com.cn/Defaulte.htm and https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/south-east-se-asia/china-art/a/terracotta-warriors-from-the-mausoleum-of-the-first-qin-emperor-of-china …and YouTube Videos with amazing Facts and Pictures!

Movie Time in China …and more ACTION!

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – This is the famous 2000 Ang Lee adventure of a young Chinese warrior who steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man… https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190332/?ref_=ttls_li_tt

The story of the uncompromising Mulan, the story of the young Chinese maiden who disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father. You can see the new 2020 version of Mulan… https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4566758/

or the old Mulan animation classic… https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120762/

SNACKS …Chinese in style with Stir-Fries everybody will… love! https://www.thespruceeats.com/top-stir-fry-recipes-694945

For the original Virtual Trip to meet the 1st Emperor of China document, please… click HERE!

Brussels Virtual Destination

by with No Comment ArtArt NouveauNewsTravel
Hôtel Hannon, In 1902 the engineer Edouard Hannon (1853 – 1931) called upon his friend, the architect Jules Brunfaut (1852 – 1942) to build this mansion, a masterpiece in the Art Nouveau style.

The Swiss painter Hans Ruedi Giger (1940 – 2014), once said that… I like elegance. I like art nouveau; a stretched line or curve… During our COVID 19 Days, we need the elegance of Art Nouveau Art… and stretched, curved lines to feel comfortable and cosy! The Belgian capital city Brussels is so much Art Nouveau in spirit! It’s an ideal travel destination for our 1st May Weekend! Stay in the comfort of your HOME! Snack on something deliciously BELGIAN! …and ACTION! in a Brussels Virtual Destination Tour!

The city of Brussels, capital of Belgium, is located in the heart of Europe, and serves as the de facto capital of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions. Do you know that the most common theory of the origin of the name Brussels is that it derives from the Old Dutch Bruocsella, Broekzele or Broeksel, meaning “home in the marsh”?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art short but a wonderful article that follows is an introduction to the Art Nouveau style in the arts…  https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm

The spectacular glass cupola of Victor Horta’s Van Eetvelde House, 1895

…while the following article and the YouTube Videos introduce us to the Art Nouveau capital city of Europe… Brussels! https://theculturetrip.com/europe/belgium/articles/the-most-remarkable-art-nouveau-houses-in-brussels/

Movie Time in BRUSSELS …and ACTION!

King of the Belgians is a 2016 mockumentary comedy film produced, written and directed by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth. While Nicolas III, King of the Belgians, is making an official visit to Istanbul, Wallonia declares its independence and so Belgium doesn’t exist any more… The hard trip back home becomes not only a desperate (and comical) travel across the Balkans but also an inner trip where Nicolas III tries to understand who he really is. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4818804/

Tintin and the Lake of Sharks is a 1972 French-Belgian animated adventure film based on The Adventures of Tintin, directed by Raymond Leblanc. It was not written by Hergé, but by the Belgian comics creator Greg (Michel Regnier), a friend of Hergé. It was later adapted into a comic book with still images from the film used as illustrations. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069383/

FOOD Brussels style

Belgian chocolate is supposedly the best in the world! For almost 400 years, Belgium has been producing delicious chocolate. The unique combination of the finest ingredients, exclusive production methods and stringent quality controls make Belgian chocolates a favourite worldwide. Today, Belgium counts approximately 2000 chocolate shops. Among them is the popular Brussels shop of a Chocolatier from Thessaloniki, Mina Apostolidis. http://www.minachocolate.com/moms-are-special/?fbclid=IwAR1wq0puPyd6l8TtINEsXOLJysgtvdnbfm8iGW6ynuB6OwovTMH5FW-mR6M

For the original Spring Break Virtual Destination document, please… click HERE!

The Month of May

by with No Comment ArtPowerpointsRenaissanceTravel
The Month of May, latest 1407, possibly by Maestro Venceslao, Fresco, Torre Aquila, Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, Italy

“Fresh new rose Delighting Spring,    By field and stream,    Singing gaily,    I declare your rarity    – to the flowers.” by Guido Cavalcanti (between 1250 and 1259 – August 1300), the Italian poet, troubadour, and best friend of Dante Alighieri. https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Italian/Italianpoetry.php

The Month of May fresco comes from the Torre Aquila in the Castello del Buonconsiglio, in Trento, Italy. It is part of an amazing fresco Cycle of the Twelve Months painted on the walls of the tower’s 2nd-floor main room. It was commissioned by Prince-Bishop George of Liechtenstein, who wanted to show life and prosperity in his “well-governed” territories. The painter of these remarkable frescoes, Master Wenceslas, understanding well what he was commissioned to do, created the best 15th-century advertising brochure for the Alpine city of Trento. The Month of May presents a bright spring scene, crowded with well-dressed aristocrats who, in the lush local countryside, serenely enjoy the splendours of their privileged life. 

Master Wenceslas, a Bohemian painter active in Trento since 1397, creates an amazing May scene, full of natural beauty… the sun triumphs, nature is in full bloom, and roses are present wherever you see! This is the time for Trento peasants to rest after a busy April, preparing and sowing the fields, repairing or rebuilding the fences of the vegetable gardens.  Their duties accomplished by April 23, the feast of San Giorgio, as the custom dictates, they are out of the “picture.” The Month of May scene is dedicated to the local ladies and gentlemen and their idle aristocratic activities.

Master Wenceslas paints a striking May scene introducing themes and focusing on details. A city on the upper left side of the panel, surrounded by bright red walls sets the tone… bright, elaborate, almost otherworldly. The white Gothic church within its Walls balances the effect and stands out, introducing one of the four main colours present in the composition, white, red, green and blue. Next to the walled city but connected with it through a bridge, two aristocratic couples are about to eat al fresco, as a circular white-clothed table displays an abundance of delicacies. What an amazing and luxurious “picnic” setting this is… rugged mountains, a deep dark green forest, and a well-constructed fountain of spring water! They sit comfortably and talk amicably around the table, dressed in their brightest and finest, while one of the ladies is about to fetch water from the spring. Is this vignette a reference to the Fountain of Youth, which, according to legend, could renew beauty and youth for eternity?

The lower part of the composition is entirely devoted to the pleasures and amusements of courtly society. In a lush meadow filled with roses and wildflowers, gracious gentlemen and beautiful ladies gather, mostly in pairs, to celebrate spring and the month of love! A young man kneels, in an act of homage, in front of his lady, another bends his forehead to be crowned with a wreath of flowers, and couples talk intimately or hold hands, lovingly. They wear their finest multicoloured garments, jewelled crowns or wreaths of flowers. Men wear tight-fitting jackets with coloured socks, or large cloaks with frayed edges, women are dressed in tight-fitting overcoats. The most fashion-conscious wear the long-toed shoes that are furious in France. The Trento scene of May is cheerful, sunny, elegant and optimistic! http://italianocontesti.ru/il-calendario-medievale-torre-aquila-a-trento-maggio/ and https://www.discovertrento.it/en/citta-di-trento/eventi/dettaglio/-/dettaglio/Torre+Aquila-Buonconsiglio+Castle/569149#.Xqui86gzZPZ

For a PowerPoint, please… check HERE!

New York Virtual Destination

by with No Comment ArtNewsTravel
Childe Hassam, 1859-1935
Manhattan’s Misty Sunset, 1911, Oil on canvas, 45.72 x 81.28 cm, Butler Institute of Art

Socrates once said that… The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing the ability to enjoy less… During our COVID 19 Days, seeking happiness needs nurturing… and Art can be of great assistance… for a New York Virtual Destination!

Our travel destination this upcoming weekend is in New York… and we can do it Virtually! Stay in the comfort of your HOME! Snack on something deliciously AMERICAN! …and ACTION!

Let’s start our TOUR with no other than Frank Sinatra and his famous New York, New York!!!

As an introduction to the great city of New York, the following Documentaries are of great help! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEHSPA0MI50 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWhSpFXhcos

As we experience this most challenging and uncertain time, The Metropolitan Museum of New York contributes to the effort to make this pandemic as pleasurable as possible… https://www.metmuseum.org/

The MET connects people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas… bringing people together… with GREAT ART… and The Met 360° Project https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/met-360-project …for our KIDS and TEENS! https://www.metmuseum.org/learn/kids-and-families https://www.metmuseum.org/learn/teens

Movie Time in NEW YORK …and more ACTION!

West Side Story, is the 1961 musical tribute to New York, the historic city of immigrants.  Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ Romeo and Juliet reboot West Side Story – based on the 1957 musical – shows the depth of the cultural divides between the Sharks and Jets, NY street gangs. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/

The Age of Innocence, Martin Scorsese’s 1993 sumptuous adaptation of Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer-winning 1920 novel, is a period-perfect evocation of the late 19th-century Gilded Age in New York City. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106226/

Ghostbusters is the 1984 hip comedy in which Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis play parapsychologists who save New York City from a ghost infestation with a 100-foot marshmallow man. Among the New York institutions captured by Ghostbusters were Columbia University, the New York Public Library, Columbus Circle, and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087332/

FOOD New York style

Egg Benedict – This epic dish has defined brunch for many decades, an agglomeration of poached ova and Canadian bacon on an English muffin splooged with a very French hollandaise sauce. It was the creation of the legendary Chef Oscar at the Waldorf Hotel in the 1890s… https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/eggs_benedict/

New York… style Cheesecake – This New York cheesecake recipe has it all. It’s rich, dense, slightly tangy, and so creamy. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/original-new-york-cheesecake-51200640

For the original Spring Break Virtual Destination document, please… click HERE!