Nearly 700 years ago, in September 1321, the Italian literary great Dante Alighieri died. Dante wrote poetry and important theoretical works on a wide range of topics, including moral philosophy and political thought. For his works, he drew inspiration from the ancient classics by writers such as Virgil and Cicero. In Florence, Dante sat on the Council of…
The Weight of Addiction: Titian’s ‘Sisyphus’
Sometimes we find ourselves addicted to substances, emotions, and ways of thinking that keep us far from experiencing any semblance of inner peace. I came across a painting by Titian of Sisyphus that made me reflect on the nature of our addictions. Sisyphus Twice Cheats Death In Greek legend, Sisyphus was the sly and deceitful…
Behold the Beauty: An Angel’s Woe
In the pastel painting “Heaven Cries,” Spanish painter Montse Jara depicts an adorable young angel in heaven. He’s deep in thought, but he’s not contemplating play. His face is forlorn, and a couple of tears escape him. His left hand gestures toward the earth below as he timidly points his index finger gently down in…
Reviving ‘The Dying Swan,’ Ballerina Anna Pavlova’s Costume
While under lockdown, staff at the Museum of London decided to edit a series of videos documenting the restoration of a rarely displayed item in the museum’s fashion and textile archive: legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova’s swan costume. Pavlova was believed to have worn the costume around 1910 for a performance of “The Dying Swan.” The stunning…
A Golden Byzantine Treasure: Greece’s Hosios Loukas Monastery
Since the 10th century, monks have lived at the Hosios Loukas Monastery in Distomo in central Greece, where they make a living by farming the land and selling souvenirs to pilgrims, who eagerly visit the crypt of St. Luke the Younger, the monastery’s founder. A hermit, Luke of Steiris founded the monastery in the mid-10th century….
The Power of Restraint: ‘Ian Usmovets Stopping an Angry Bull’
Sometimes we have the best intentions and push ourselves into becoming the best version of ourselves. We look in the mirror and say, “Today is the day I take a good look at myself and make the necessary changes in my character to become who I know I can be.” For many of us, we…
Behold the Beauty: ‘Patient Observer’ by Camille Engel
In the painting “Patient Observer,” an American barn owl has been captured gracefully stretching out its wing, revealing a fan of gray, white, and brown feathers that could almost disappear into the stone barn wall. The owl gazes out of the painting as if something has caught its attention, making us wonder if we are…
The Marriage of Mathematics and Sacred Art: Piero della Francesca’s ‘The Baptism of Christ’
“We don’t go to art for information. Rather it’s the experience.”—Roger Scruton, philosopher Piero della Francesca’s “The Baptism of Christ,” which hangs in the National Gallery in London’s Trafalgar Square, was rather like a personal shrine to me. I visited it frequently “for the experience.” When the newsroom became too much of a gallimaufry, I…
A Unique Russian Icon: Moscow’s Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed
For centuries, people have marveled at the ornate brickwork and distinctive polychrome onion domes of the Church of Intercession of Most Holy Theotokos (Mary Mother of God) on the Moat, commonly known as the Cathedral of Basil the Blessed, in Moscow. Remarkably, the cathedral took just six years to complete, with the building work finished…
American Painter Gloriously Captures God’s Creations
You won’t find American realist artist Steve Wineinger’s paintings online easily, if at all, but for decades he has been quietly painting and mastering his art on his farm near Spokane, Washington. The self-taught artist creates fascinating still lifes, sweeping American landscapes, and historical paintings mainly in oil, charcoal, and watercolor. In each and every…
US News
RSS Error: A feed could not be found at `https://www.theepochtimes.com/c-us/feed`; the status code is `200` and content-type is `text/html; charset=utf-8`