Rodin, Auguste - The Temptation of Saint Anthony
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Rodin, Auguste - The Temptation of Saint Anthony
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thedailywhat: Breaking News of the Day: Pussy Riot Gets 2 Years...
Breaking News of the Day: Pussy Riot Gets 2 Years In Jail: Meanwhile in Russia: Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot each have been sentenced to two years in jail for an obscenity-laced performance at Moscow’s Christ The Savior cathedral in February in which they were so bold as to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The woman — Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23; Maria Alekhina, 24; and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29 — are made of tough stuff. As the verdict came down, and a shout of “Shame!” was heard in the courtroom, they just laughed.
Judge Marina Syrova convicted the women of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, saying they had “crudely undermined social order.” She cited three specific elements for finding the trio guilty:
- The choice and timing of venue.
- Their continued performance and resistance to be taken outside by security and cathedral parishioners.
- The defendants’ conduct and their accomplices afterwards.
Here’s the shocking performance that started it all.
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muirgilsdream: This and the following photo are from “Tiles of...
This and the following photo are from “Tiles of Infinity,” an article in the wonderfully interesting magazine, Aramco World. Click photo to see article.
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cystallineambermoments: Starfall painted by Anselm Kiefer,...
Starfall painted by Anselm Kiefer, 1995
The stars are like letters which inscribe themselves at every moment in the sky. Everything in the world is full of signs. All events are coordinated. All things depend on each other; as has been said: “Everything breathes together.” — Plotinus
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pupbutt: no words to even describe how much I prefer cold weather over hot weather text
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The Head of St John the Baptist “King Herod ordered...
The Head of St John the Baptist
“King Herod ordered John’s arrest and had him chained and put in prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, whom he had married even though she was the wife of his brother Philip.
The king sent off a guard and had John’s head cut off in prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, whom he had married even though she was the wife of his brother Philip.”
– Matins responsory for today’s memorial of the Beheading of St John the Baptist. My sermon for today can be read here.
This very fine portable shrine dates to the 15th century, and it was carved in Nottingham from alabaster. Throughout the Middle Ages, Nottingham was a great centre of alabaster carving, and pieces such as this for private devotion, or other panels for church retables were exported throughout Christendom. Many were destroyed after the Reformation, and this complete domestic shrine is exceptionally rare. It is thought to be one of only five that survive in the world.
The central alabaster panel shows the head of St John the Baptist surrounded by six saints. Four of the saints are named on the painted wooden wings: St James the Greater, St Catherine of Alexandria on the left, and on the right, St Anthony of Egypt (decapitated) and St Margaret of Antioch. The remaining saints standing in the forefront are St Peter (on the left) and an unidentified sainted archbishop, possibly St Thomas of Canterbury. Beneath the head of the Baptist is an image of the Man of Sorrows rising from the Tomb, and above is the soul of St John the Baptist being taken into heavenly glory by two angels.
This piece is part of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow.
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dientes-de-leche: Henry Young Alison c.1936
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above-the-bones: ॐ http://above-the-bones.tumblr.com ॐ
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Any ideas as to where the image is taken from?
Any ideas as to where the image is taken from?
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thorsteinulf: Albrecht Dürer - Saint Jerome (c.1496)
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artistandstudio: Lucian Freud, Interior with Plant, Reflection...
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collective-history: A brief biography of the Eight Immortals 1....
He Xiangu
Cao Guojiu
Tieguai Li
Lan Caihe
Lü Dongbin
Han Xiangzi
Zhang Guo Lao
Zhongli Quan
A brief biography of the Eight Immortals
1. Immortal Woman He or He Xiangu is the only female deity among the Eight Immortals. She was from Yong Prefecture in Tang Dynasty, or from a wealthy and generous family in Zēngchéng County.
At birth she had six long hairs on the crown of her head. When she was about 14 or 15, a divine personage appeared to her in a dream and instructed her to eat powdered mica, in order that her body might become etherealized and immune from death. So she swallowed it, and also vowed to remain a virgin.
2. Royal Uncle Cao was said to be the uncle of the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, being the younger brother of Empress Dowager Cao.
Cao Guojiu’s younger brother Cao Jingzhi was a bully, but no one dared to prosecute him because of his powerful connections, not even after he killed a person. Royal Uncle Cao was so overwhelmed by sadness and shame on his brother that he resigned his office and left home.
3. Iron-Crutch Li is sometimes said to be the most ancient and popular of the Eight Immortals of the Taoist pantheon. The legend says that Iron-crutch Li was born during the Yuan Dynasty period (1279–1368), and was originally named “Li Yüan”.
He is sometimes described as irascible and ill-tempered, but also benevolent to the poor, sick and the needy, whose suffering he alleviates with special medicine from his gourd.
He is often portrayed as an ugly old man with dirty face, scraggy beard, and messy hair held by a golden band. He walks with the aid of an iron crutch (t’ieh kuai) and often has a gourd slung over his shoulder or held in his hand.
He often is depicted as a clown figure who descends to earth in the form of a beggar who uses his power to fight for the oppressed and needy.
4. Lan Caihe is the least defined of the Eight Immortals. Lan Caihe’s age and sex are unknown and Lan Caihe is usually depicted in sexually ambiguous clothing, but is often shown as a young boy or girl carrying a bamboo flower basket.
Stories of Lan’s behaviour are often bizarrely eccentric.
Lan is often described as carrying a pair of bamboo castanets which they would clap and make a beat with by hitting the ground, they would then sing to this beat and a group of onlookers would follow and watch in amazement and entertain themselves. After these performances they would give them lots of money as they asked for it, Lan Cai. They would then string this cash and coins on a long string of money that they carried. As they walked the coins would fall off and Lan Cai. They would not care, other beggars would then take the money.
Like all the other immortals they were often said to be in a drunken stupor and left this world by flying on a heavenly swan or crane into heaven. One day while in a tavern, they had supposedly gotten up to go to the bathroom. But before leaving they flew off on the crane or swan and stripped off their clothes on the way up.
5. Lǚ Dòngbīn is a historical figure and also a deity/Immortal revered by many in the Chinese culture sphere, especially by Daoists/Taoists. Lǚ Dòngbīn is one of the most widely known of the group of deities known as the Eight Immortals and considered by some to be the de facto leader. He is also a historical figure who was mentioned in the official history book “History of Song”.
Lü Dongbin is usually portrayed as a scholarly, clever man with a genuine desire to help people obtain wisdom/enlightenment and to learn the Tao. However, he is often portrayed as having some character “flaws”, not an uncommon theme for the colorful Taoist immortals, all of whom in general have various eccentricities
He is said to be a ladies man, even after (or only after) becoming an immortal - and for this reason he is generally not invoked by people with romantic problems. This may also relate to some of the Taoist sexual arts.
He is portrayed as having bouts of drunkenness, which was not uncommon among the often fun-loving Eight Immortals. This also parallels several Taoist artists renowned for their love of drinking.
One story relates that early on after becoming immortal, he had a strong temper as a “young” Immortal, even deforming a riverbank in a bout of anger.
6. Philosopher Han Xiang, one of the Eight Immortals, was born Han Xiang during the Tang Dynasty.
He is said to be the nephew or grandnephew of Han Yu, a prominent statesman of Tang Court. Han Xiang studied Daoism under Lü Dongbin.
Once at a banquet by Han Yu, Han Xiang tried to persuade Han Yu to give up a life of officialdom and to study magic with him. But Han Yu was adamant that Han Xiang should dedicate his life to Confucianism instead of Daoism, so Han Xiang demonstrated the power of the Dao by pouring out cup after cup of wine from the gourd without end.
Because his flute gives life, Han became a protector of flautists.
7. Elder Zhang Guo is one of the Eight Immortals. Of the Eight Immortals he, along with Chung-li Ch’uan and Lu Yen, was a real historical figure; the rest exist only in legend. His existence is said to have begun around the middle or end of the seventh century AD, and ended approximately in the middle of the eighth.
Zhang Guo Lao was known for wandering between the Fen River & Chin territories during his lifetime and was known to travel at least a thousand li per day upon a white donkey or mule.When his journey was finished, he folded his mule up and placed it in his pocket or a small box. When he wished to use the mule again, he poured water on it from his mouth and the mule regained its form.
Emperors of the T’ang dynasty (T’ai Tsung and Kao Tsung) often invited Zhang Guo Lao to court, but he always declined these invitations. Once, when asked by Empress Wu, he finally agreed to leave his hermitage. As he reached the gate of the Temple of the Jealous Woman, he died suddenly. His body was seen decomposing and being consumed by worms, but he was later seen, alive and well, on the mountains of Heng Chou in P’ing-yang Fu.
8. Zhongli Quan is one of the most ancient of the Eight Immortals. He is also known as Zhongli of Han because he was said to be born during the Han Dynasty. He possesses a fan which has the magical ability of reviving the dead.
Born in Yantai Zhongli Quan was once a general serving in the army of the Han Dynasty.
According to legends, bright beams of light filled the labour room during his birth. After birth he did not stop crying until seven full days had passed. Later Taoists celebrate his birthday on the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the Chinese Calendar.
In Taoism, he is known as the True-Yang Ancestor-Master. He is also called “Master of the Cloud-Chamber” in accounts describing his encounter with Lü Dongbin before achieving immortality.
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acidadebranca: blindmen6: ...
Inside Plato’s Cave
In Plato’s fictional dialogue, Socrates begins by describing a scenario in which what people take to be real would in fact be an illusion. He asks Glaucon to imagine a cave inhabited by prisoners who have been chained and held immobile since childhood: not only are their arms and legs held in place, but their heads are also fixed, compelled to gaze at a wall in front of them. Behind the prisoners is an enormous fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway, along which people walk carrying things on their heads “including figures of men and animals made of wood, stone and other materials”. The prisoners watch the shadows cast by the men, not knowing they are shadows. There are also echoes off the wall from the noise produced from the walkway.
Socrates suggests the prisoners would take the shadows to be real things and the echoes to be real sounds, not just reflections of reality, since they are all they had ever seen or heard. They would praise as clever, whoever could best guess which shadow would come next, as someone who understood the nature of the world, and the whole of their society would depend on the shadows on the wall.
[en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_Cave#Inside_the_cave]
Black & White Illustration | 1236
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spanishbaroqueart: Head of Saint John the Baptist Sculptor:...
Head of Saint John the Baptist
Sculptor: Alonso Cano (1601-1667)
Granada Cathedral, Spain
[Vintage postcard, ca. 1908]
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wasbella102: “Strictly speaking, a nose-forward attitude was...
“Strictly speaking, a nose-forward attitude was not necessary in outer space, Where Newtonian rules kept a vehicle moving in the same direction no matter where the prow was pointed.”
Lost Moon - Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
LOL to funny! Oh dear :-s
page 45 is a single sentence section header:
“I can be patient”
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Unknown Artist. St Petka/Peraskevia of Bulgaria. 20th...
Unknown Artist. St Petka/Peraskevia of Bulgaria. 20th century. Bulgarian
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trulydread: Medusa - Franz von Stuck
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ancient-serpent: Petra, Jordania
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Fuck Yeah Renaissance History: Lucretia Borgia: According to Original Documents and Correspondence of Her Day - BIOGRAPHY
Fuck Yeah Renaissance History: Lucretia Borgia: According to Original Documents and Correspondence of Her Day - BIOGRAPHY:
LUCRETIA BORGIA
ACCORDING TO ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF HER DAY
BY FERDINAND GREGOROVIUS
Author ofA History of the City of Rome in the Middle AgesTRANSLATED FROM THE THIRD GERMAN EDITION BY JOHN LESLIE GARNER
Publisher: D. Appleton. Place of…
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reklamalemi: 30, 40, 50, 60 sene önce bugün, 8 Kasım…
8 Kasım 1962
8 Kasım 1972
8 Kasım 1982
8 Kasım 1952
30, 40, 50, 60 sene önce bugün, 8 Kasım…
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