In the “modern” world, the lion has maintained pride of place in art and architecture. St. Mark, the evangelist, is usually depicted as a winged lion. He is the patron saint of Venice (at least since the Venetians smuggled his remains out of Alexandria, Egypt in 828 AD), therefore lions—winged or otherwise—are plentiful in that […]
As the sun moves-on—next week into Virgo—we have a final chance to showcase a few more Leos in art. Lions have been portrayed in some of the oldest artwork known to historians. For years, the oldest were the Cave Paintings of Lascaux, France (15,000 years old) which depict a pair of lions mating. Since then, […]
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea In a beautiful pea green boat, They took some honey, and plenty of money, Wrapped up in a five pound note. The Owl looked up to the stars above, And sang to a small guitar, ‘O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my […]
The attractive carved design element known as the “Barley Twist” enjoyed a revival in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (as shown in the wooden candlesticks, above). But the use of this design element is thousands of years old. They were originally called “Solomonic Columns” and are believed to have been used in the […]
Craftsmen and artisans have been hand-hammering metals for thousands of years, working them into shapes both useful and beautiful. Decorative metalwork reached its zenith of precision during the Renaissance through the Age of Enlightenment (18th century). During this period, delicacy and refinement were en vogue. A piece was considered finer if it had no sign […]
On 10 August 1792, the “Storming of the Tuileries Palace” effectively brought an end to the French monarchy (later restored in 1814). Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were arrested and locked away—later to be killed. This bloody chapter in French history was followed, exactly one year later, with the official opening of the […]
On this day in 1974, nine Canadian peacekeepers were shot down and killed while flying over Syria, the largest number of Canadian peacekeepers killed while doing their important work. Since then, 9 August has been designated “Peacekeepers’ Day” in Canada, usually observed on the closest Sunday to this date. In an earlier time, a WWI […]
Scuola di San Rocco (c.1902-04) by John Singer Sargent In my opinion (for what it matters), “Art” is the accomplished manipulation of a medium. Some artists manipulate paint, others marble; some artists will manipulate words, while others manipulate vocal notes. Great artists—by definition—are great at doing it. On Sunday I witnessed a Master’s Class […]
This is the first item I ever sold, in my first store, on my first day. It’s a Mortens Studio Saint Bernard sculpture. After selling it, I came across another two years later. I had to buy it—paying three times more for the replacement than for which I had sold the first! Since that day, […]
Today is a landmark day. Today we launch our new (sales-capable!) website and journal. Today we’re grateful to be starting our 19th year of business. And today I celebrate my 50th birthday! Furthermore: Today is the first day of my favorite sun sign, Leo. 1995 seems like yesterday. I remember—very well—awaking on my birthday that […]
