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India and its Art
The text below is the excerpt from the book Art of India, written by Vincent A. Smith, published by Parkstone International. In discussing Indian studies I am forced to acknowledge considerable diffidence arising from a survey of the huge bulk of material to be dealt with. In the face of this complexity I find myself inclined to rely on evidence that is subjective and therefore more or less unscientific, in which personal experience and interpretation is increasingly stressed. In speaking of India, a country that in its wide extent offers more beauty to the eyes than many others in the world, a descriptive vein may well be excused. India is multiple; neither geographically,…
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Paul Gauguin and the Impressionists
The text below is the excerpt from the book Paul Gauguin, written by Nathalia Brodskaya, published by Parkstone International. The only thing that set Gauguin apart from others of his circle was his unorthodox interest in art. It might have been stimulated by the atmosphere in Arosa’s house as the owner loved painting and photography and kept a splendid collection of pictures. A friend of Arosa’s, Nadar was a cartoonist and photographer and it was in his studio that the first exhibition of the Impressionists took place. Gauguin’s passion for art might also have been inherited from his relatives, as there were two artists on his mother’s side: a teacher…
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Happy Women’s day – The day is just for you
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Music & Eros
The text below is the excerpt from the book Music and Eros, written by Hans-Jürgen Döpp, published by Parkstone International. Cunning Odysseus had to protect his shipmates from the alluring song of the Sirens by plugging up their ears with wax. However, Odysseus himself did not want to forego the beauty and voices of these dangerous creatures. As a precaution, he had himself bound to the ship’s mast so as not to fall victim to the dangerous singing. How can something as simple as sound transform into a powerful love spell? How is it possible through singing alone to inspire sensuality? Why does music play such a major role in love? We…
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Sex in the Cities – Berlin
The text below is the excerpt of the book Sex in the Cities – Berlin, written by Hans-Jürgen Döpp, published by Parkstone International. The many and varied points of view encountered in this museum demonstrate the multifarious aspects of sexuality. The exhibits reveal that nothing is more natural than sexual desire; and, paradoxically, nothing is less natural than the forms in which this desire expresses itself or finds satisfaction. Items long hidden in the vaults of public museums and galleries of private collectors can be seen here. Many of these images and objects were forbidden in a western society which was less open to sexuality and anything associated with it. So they…
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Homosexuality in Art
“What is done in love is well done” Vincent Van Gogh The text below is the excerpt of the book Homosexuality in Art, written by James Smalls, published by Parkstone International. As a concept, “homosexuality” encompasses a variety of conflicting ideas about gender and same-sex sexual attraction. Its broad range of possible meanings is what makes it such an irresistible, powerful, and ambiguous term nowadays. In its modern sense, “homosexuality is at once a psychological condition, an erotic desire, and a sexual practice.” (David Halperin, “Homosexuality,” in Haggerty, 452) All three senses can and are expressed in artistic or aestheticized form. Homosexuality or, to employ a term of more recent…
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Chinese Art
“A book holds a house of gold.” Chinese proverb The text below is the excerpt of the book Chinese Art, written by Stephen W. Bushell, published by Parkstone International. Our knowledge of the ancient empires of Western Asia has been widely increased by recent discoveries due to the exploration of the ruins of cities and temples. There are undoubtedly many such relics of ancient China awaiting the spade of the future explorer along the course of the Yellow River and of its principal affluent, the Wei River, which runs from west to east through the province of Shensi, where the early settlements of the Chinese were situated. But they lie deeply…
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Christmas might be over for many, but for Orthodox Christian communities, the festivities are just beginning
The text below is the excerpt of the book Icons, written by Nikodim Pavlovich Kondakov, published by Parkstone International. Among graphic arts, the icon took first place in Russian life. Apart from the early Novgorod wall-painting, we may call the icon the chief expression of religious thought and popular feeling as early as the fourteenth century. Later, when wall-painting became subordinate to icon-painting, the icon became the one and only symbol of faith. In view of its special significance and its derivation from the Byzantine model, the Russian icon takes its place as the continuation of a high artistic tradition and in its development offers an unparalleled example of artistic…
This is an interactive art blog in multi languages, you will find new articles on artists, art history, exhibitions, etc. Contributions welcome.
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