When the dying tyrant Nero proclaimed on his death bed “Oh, what an artist that perishes in me!” his remarks reveal more than just the arrogance of history’s darkest man. They also reveal the almost immutable cultural connection between art and great suffering; between the artist and the sufferer....
Influential people come in all shapes and sizes in all generations throughout history. Such people can be grouped together by shared affiliations and backgrounds, for whatever purposes people are drawn to make lists. This list offers some interesting biographical tidbits about 50 people of Jewish...
Vanitas,” Latin for “vanity,” is a style of painting containing symbols of mortality, but may also include symbols of vanity (such as mirrors and musical instruments), expressing the emptiness and worthless nature of worldly goods. According to art dealer Carlton Hobbs, Belgian painter Antoine...
Paul of TarsusSaul of Tarsus, a.k.a. Paul the Apostle, Paul of Tarsus [?-65 c.e.] was a Hellenistic Jew and student of Gamaliel the Elder who served as enforcer for the Pharisaic Sanhedrin against the apostate Christian sect following the crucifixion of Jesus. Around 33 c.e. he experienced a dramatic...
Named after the British painter Sir Edwin Henry Landseer who painted this breed in one of his works, the Landseer originated from Germany and Switzerland. Often compared to the Newfoundland, the Landseer also belongs to the Mastiff group. A powerful and hardy breed, its weight ranges from 100 to...
Sumi-e is an Asian style of painting. The tradition dates back a thousand years, and though it is largely associated with China, it is also practiced in Japan and Korea. Sumi-e uses the same tools of Asian calligraphy: ink and brushes. It takes a very “zen” approach, which means that it values...
The brain has been divided into two distinct hemispheres called the left brain and the right brain. There is a slight difference in their structure but the division is basically about function. This is not to say that a left-handed person is dominantly left-brained because it is not so. The...
The MeditationsBy Marcus Aurelius Written 167 A.C.E.Translated by George Long Book One From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper. From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character. From my mother, piety and beneficence, and...
A renaissance man, also known as a polymath, is a person who is known for his skills in various fields or disciplines. He is a person who possesses great knowledge about various subjects. The term “renaissance man” has its roots on the artists and scholars who lived in the time of the European...
TimaeusBy Plato Written 360 B.C.E Translated by Benjamin Jowett Persons of the Dialogue-SOCRATES- CRITIAS- TIMAEUS- HERMOCRATES Socrates. One, two, three; but where, my dear Timaeus, is the fourth of those who were yesterday my guests and are to be my entertainers to-day? Timaeus. He...
