Art

  • As the saying goes “all is fair in love and war” In the autumn of 1944, an almost twenty-nine-year old English soldier named Jim fell head-over-heels for nineteen-year-old Emelia Sluys. Emelia was staying with relatives on Groesbeekseweg in the city of Nijmegen,the Netherlands, because her home had been destroyed during the Battle of Arnhem. To…

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  • One of the most famous paintings, if not the most famous painting is the Mona Lisa,painted by Leonardo da Vinci. In 1503 or 1504 Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint Lisa del Giocondo (nee Gherardini), the painting became known as the Mona Lisa. Aged 15, real-life Lisa Gherardini married Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. a…

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  • Theo van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker, author, and outspoken critic of Islamic extremism, was brutally murdered on November 2, 2004, in Amsterdam. His death shocked the Netherlands and sent ripples through Europe, igniting intense debates around free speech, religious tolerance, and the place of Islam in Western society. To understand the complex layers of this…

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  • Holocaust in Art

    This post will contain little text. Instead, it has drawings by those who lived through the Holocaust. Above is “Arrival into the Auschwitz Camp.” Just behind the backs of the prisoners and to their left is the guard tower at the main entrance to the camp. (Illustration by Władysław Siwek) Next we see the entrance…

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  • ​Toby Gotesman Schneier is an American Expressionist artist best known for her unique ability to transform objects, people, scenes, & events into jarring and provocative works of art. Her compassion for the human condition, and tenacious belief in a higher power, are conspicuous throughout the work and noted frequently. Her art evokes a poignant sense…

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  • Starry Night-Vincent.

    So many books have been written about the tormented artist,Vincent van Gogh , so there is no way I can add anything to his story. My focus in this blog is about an event that took place this day, July 27th, 1890. On 27 July 1890, aged 37, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest…

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  • I once painted skies.Vast, open, careless heavens that dripped sunlight and hope.My brush danced with joy, my palette a chorus of life.But then came the grey. It was not the grey of morning mist or soft winter clouds—It was the grey of silence,of smoke that climbed like prayerfrom chimneys built to erase names. I was…

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  • A picture tells a thousand words, and in this case, they truly do. The drawings and cartoons are made by Emile Franken. I am not sure what happened to Emile. I do know he was born on 15 April 1921 somewhere in the Netherlands and he survived the war. I also know he spent time…

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  • There is this funny riddle, it goes like “What’s Rembrandt’s first name?” Rembrandt of course is his first name, his last name is van Rijn. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn born  15 July 1606 Unlike the riddle, his life wasn’t funny. He suffered many tragedies in his life. He got married on June 22 1634 to…

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  • Adolf Hitler is infamous for his evil deeds and politics , but a lesser-known chapter of his life is his early pursuit of a career in art. Before he became the architect of one of history’s darkest periods, Hitler aspired to be a professional painter. His time as an artist, though ultimately unsuccessful, played a…

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