Something Beautiful

Color

I like the color in both these works by twentieth-century American artists --

Imperial Valley in Imperial County near Karboul Mounds, California, 1966, Joseph E. Yoakum (colored pencil and ballpoint pen on paper) (larger version)

Train in Coal Town, 1968, by Jack Savitsky (large version)

North American Landscapes in Art

This excellent site has been around for a long time, but it's still good -- North American Landscapes, which reveals the ways in which North American artists have depicted the continent's varied landscape.

I keep meaning to dissect its parts so that a passer-through can more easily find his or her way around. Perhaps posting this will prompt me finally to get around to that.

Western Facade, Notre Dame de Paris

This is pretty nifty -- the three portals of Notre Dame Cathedral's western (main) facade.   Choose a point you want to see closer up, and click on it! 

Notre-Dame de Paris

Not surprisingly, the world-famous Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris has quite a wonderful website.   

First, there is an interactive floorplan, with not only 14 photos but also 10 panoramas of different parts of the cathedral. 

** If you have time for only one glimpse of this entire site, please choose the Autel principal , or main altar, in the center of the floorplan, where it says "Transept." **

* * *

The cathedral is still an active house of worship, and thus offers numerous opportunities for prayer and meditation.   

For that very reason you can listen to several selections of sacred music here -- 

Magnificant du Ton Peregrin (children's choir, great organ) (words)

Magnificat du Ton Royal (soprano, baritone, organ)

Alma Redemptoris Mater (soprano, organ)  (words)

Ave Maris Stella (soprano, organ) (words)

Ave Regina Caelorum (soprano, organ)  (words)

Regina Caeli (baritone, organ) (words)

Salve Regina (baritone, organ ) (words)

Salve Regina (choir only)

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St Martin and the Beggar (El Greco)

The painting of the day for today at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. is St. Martin and the Beggar, c. 1597, by El Greco.  Great colors! 

Meditation timer

If you ever meditate, in any form whatever, you will want to know about the Berkeley meditation timer.

Florence Skyline

Some sights never get old. Here is the skyline of Florence, Italy, from several points of view -- Florence skylines.

Native American Storage Jars

These two items might look a bit ordinary at first glance, but if you look at the enlargements, you'll see something quite impressive --

Black-and-White Storage Jar with Abstract Geometric Motifs, 1890s, Ácoma, New Mexico, United States (ceramic  earthenware  and pigment)

Polychrome Storage Jar with Macaw and Floral Motifs, 1880s, Ácoma, New Mexico, United States (ceramic  earthenware  and pigment)

Rabbi of Vitebsk

Here's one of my lifelong favorites, here called "The Praying Jew" but sometimes also known as the Rabbi of Vitebsk, by Marc Chagall (1923 copy of a 1914 work).

Kawase Hasui

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) is my favorite among the many excellent Japanese printmakers of the 19th and 20th centuries.   Here are two of his best works, imo --

Taishō Pond in Kamikōchi (color woodblock print).

Snow at Funabori, Edogawa, 1932 (color woodblock print).

Both are at the Los Angeles County Museum site, where many other Hasui prints can also be found.