Jan 2014: I fell in love all over again

Incarnation of Portia (Kate Dolan). She has haunted my dreams for many moons. But first the details. She was painted by Millais in the UK in 1886 and was long incorrectly identified as a portrait of Ellen Terry in her role as Portia from Merchant of Venice. Its actually Kate Dolan not Ellen Terry but wearing the same costume that Ellen wore in Act IV of the play. But bah! forget all that gumph.

Look at the face and hair, the strong lines, the lovely big innocent eyes, pools of innocence, that porcelain skin, that distant gaze with inscrutable expression, that dimple in the strong chin, god she is a goddess!

But scroll down to the bottom and see who she resembles, mindboggling resemblance no?

 

Jan 2014: The Nymph of Dampierre

Now here's a beautiful beautiful fountain with a delicious looking nymph washing her hair. The statue was made in 1763 and was placed in a Chateau in France.

The vase shows some satyrs chasing after some more nymphs. But she looks amazing, I am a sucker for long hair so to see one lady immortalised in stone...mmmmm

Jan 2014: Ugolino and his sons

Ugolino was an Italian Nobleman and he was mentioned in Dante's divine comedy. As a father myself, this story and this representation hit very close to my heart and mind. Yes, i would have gone mad if I had to face this scenario. The sculptor is obviously brilliant and brings out the madness and the horrible choice in front of the father clearly.

Father our pain', they said, 'Will lessen if you eat us you are the one Who clothed us with this wretched flesh: we plead For you to be the one who strips it away'. (Canto XXXIII, ln. 56–59)

”

“	… And I, Already going blind, groped over my brood Calling to them, though I had watched them die, For two long days. And then the hunger had more Power than even sorrow over me (Canto XXXIII, ln. 70-73)

Jan 2014: Blinded by his emperor and forced to beg for alms

This was such a poignant bronze statue of Belisarius, a general of the 6th century AD in Rome, who was blinded by his jealous emperor, Justinian, and was forced to beg for alms. Do go check the wiki entry of this chap. Gosh, he sounds like a great general to me...and I didnt even know his name.

Jan 2014: Faces

Here are a series of photographs of some really arresting faces in three formats, one is in the form of a free standing statue, then we have a plaque and then small terracotta test statues. But the amazing thing about each of them is how powerfully their expressions come out. Truly magnificent statues.