Captain Blood

Captain Blood, N.C. Wyeth

Statue of Jean Althen

Statue of Jean Althen, Papal Palace Gardens, Avignon, Belinda Del Pesco

The Gardeners

Gustave Caillebotte, Les jardiniers, 1875

In the Gardens

Im Schlossgarten
(on the estate of the Schloss Charlottenburg, in the gardens…)
painted by Edward B. Gordon

Celia Thaxter's Garden

Celia Thaxter's Garden, Isles of Shoals, Maine - Childe Hassam
Source

This just seems like the essence of summer!

Colorful Night in the Forest

Colorful Night in the Forest, Remo Savisaar

Summertime

Summertime, Edward Hopper
via WikiArt, Fair Use

Rain at Yabakei

Rain At Yabakei, Goyo Hashiguchi, 1918

Meguro Drum Bridge and Sunset Hill

Hiroshige, Meguro Drum Bridge and Sunset Hill, 1857

Rough Sea at Naruto

Hiroshige, Famous Views of the 60 Provinces: Rough Sea at Naruto in Awa Province
via Arts Everyday Living

I do love Hiroshige. Coincidentally just the other day I came across my book of 100 Famous Views of Edo which I'm now going to reread. I love the sense of motion in the sea above.

Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige)

Vincent van Gogh, Bridge in the rain (after Hiroshige), 1887
via Lines and Colors

I love Hiroshige and you can really see the resemblance to Van Gogh's homage. This makes me want to go back to look at more of Hiroshige's art.

Mariano's

In 1971, Mariano Martinez, Jr. adapted a Slurpee machine to create the world's first frozen margarita machine at Mariano's Hacienda restaurant in East Dallas, proving that not all heroes wear capes. Photo courtesy Mariano Martinez Jr. via D Magazine.

Traces of Texas

I remember being awed when my boyfriend (later husband) took me to Mariano's and pointed out the tribute plaque for being at the place of the invention of the frozen Margarita. The original machine is in the Smithsonian. Thank you Mariano! (Also for all the delicious Tex-Mex we've enjoyed over the years.)

Perhaps surprisingly, I slightly knew Mrs. Mariano once upon a time. They went to our church and when I ran into her at the vet, knowing only that she looked vaguely familiar, she said that she and Mariano sat behind us a lot. It was a real pleasure to tell her that we our wedding feast had been in the back room at the Old Town location (now long gone, though we go to the nearby replacement).

Medieval Honey Bees

Medieval illustration from beekeeping manuscript
Via Animalarium where there is an antique treasure chest of illustrations for anyone who clicks through the link!

Self-Portrait in the Studio

Francisco Goya, Self-portrait in the Studio, 1790-1795
via Wikipedia

I have a thing for self-portraits. Also I love Goya's hat. And his hair.

Herons in shallow water

Herons in shallow water by Ohara Koson, 1934.

The Soul of the Rose, a.k.a. My Sweet Rose

John William Waterhouse, The Soul of the Rose, aka My Sweet Rose

Perfect for today when it is our sweet Rose's birthday!

Roosters

Ito Jakuchu, Roosters

There's just something about chicken paintings and this is glorious!

Bluethroat

 

Bluethroat, Remo Savisaar

As always, with Remo's exquisite photos, click the link to see this larger.

Noli Me Tangere (Don't Touch Me) — We do not always know Christ when we first meet him, and the recognition is always a powerful moment.

Noli Me Tangere, Lavinia Fontana, 1581
via Elizabeth Lev

Fontana’s version emphasized accuracy: Mary Magdalene mistakes Jesus for a gardener, and so she paints him in a broad-brimmed hat holding a shovel. Yet once she has emphasized the literal sense, Lavinia also evokes a beautiful scene. The atmosphere is permeated with warm golden light as a new age is dawning. A little flashback scene in the distance shows the women who have left the city arriving at the tomb where an angel tells them Christ is gone. Mary’s pose in the further scene shows her with the slumped shoulders of dejection, but in the foreground her face becomes radiant with hope. Christ puts out his hand, ostensibly to tell her not to touch Him, but also in a gesture of affectionate blessing. Mary’s gaze is directed toward the wound on his hand made visible for her, but she seems to look beyond it, trying to gaze at his face under the shadowy brim. Proof of his resurrection is not her primary concern as she sinks to her usual place by his feet. The light, setting, and positions evoke a love story, a compelling language that the Counter-Reformation will employ in its time.

Elizabeth Lev, Meeting the Resurrected Christ in the art of the Counter-Reformation

There's more where that came from. Click the link to read the whole piece. 

I love being shown beneath the surface of paintings for deeper meaning. Elizabeth Lev's piece discusses the goals of Counter-Reformation art and opens another piece up for our edification. Be sure to check it out.

Peach branches, Squirrel map

Peach branches, Squirrel map; Qian Xuan

This couldn't be said better and it captures the imagination in the way that today's quote does — by showing us a completely new point of view.