Blog Posts
John Everett Millais: Ophelia
The painters take really looked like this: Ophelia was not singing while she was drowning. She was just serene in the midst of all the marsh muck.
Elisabeth Taylor
Elisabeth Taylor’s close-up in one of her early movies as a grown-up: The Father of the Bride. Batterfield 8.
Eduard Manet, Argenteuil, les canotiers
The little village of Argenteuil by the Seine, easily reached from Paris by train, was a favourite of the Impressionists. They painted scenes of the changing outdoors and of people in that relaxing ambiance. The couple on the painting does not look happy and relaxed. Each of them seems […]
Madame Bovary
Dr Bovary on his way to see a patient.His wife, Emma, was “educated” on schmaltz. She refused to accept that reality cannot even approach her romantic expectations of life. The end had to be tragic.
David Copperfield – An Excerpt
While going to school David lodged at Mr Wickfield’s. Mr Wickfield had a daughter, Agnes, who became David’s friend and, ultimately, wife.
Cleopatra and Her Men
This is Cleopatra attired as the goddess Hathor. All ancient sources praise her intelligence and charm. She spoke several languages, among them the language of the Egyptians which the other rulers of the Ptolemaic dynasty did not bother to learn. (The Ptolemaic dynasty was of Greek origin. The first Ptolemy […]
The Many Dresses and Faces of Scarlett O’Hara
The Dresses White, ruffled dress in the opening scene of the movie. In the movie this dress is white muslin with green print. The colors are reversed in this recreation but the daring decolletage is the same. The simple, everyday dress in the Civil War scenes. The curtains at Tara […]
Coats, Wraps …
Autumn 1945 – Flared, three-quarter length, single-breasted jacket and pencil skirt in blue wool, white mohair sweater with blue and grey stripes, white mohair beret, white leather gloves. Autumn/Winter 1958 – Woolen, trapeze coat over a lavender, sack dress, white, brimless, felt hat, lavender trim, white leather gloves. Spring […]
Banović Strahinja – A Serbian Narrative Poem in Decasyllable
Sometime in the second half of 14th century, Strahinja (“nj” is pronounced like in “canyon”) was the lord of the territory west of Kosovo. The name, Strahinja, derives from the word strah which means fear, awe. Such names were given to ward off evil. The descriptive Banovich, meaning son of the […]
Henry VIII Fourth Wife
Her name was Anne of Cleves. The marriage did not last longer than six month because Henry did not find Anne attractive enough. He already had his eye on Cathrine Howard. During those six month, however, Anne did her best to reconcile Henry’s daughters, Mary and Elisabeth, to each other […]