Obelisk

Inkpot and Desk Clock

François Thomas Germain inherited his father’s position as silversmith to the King of France in 1748, a time of rococo luxury for the wealthy and powerful. His whimsical designs in silver brought commissions from Russia and Portugal, but the attrition of the Seven Years War crippled the indulgent lifestyle of the monarchy. read more

The Etruscans, 400BCE

Chimera of Arezzo

This is an undeniably modern interpretation. The chimera, like most beasts of antiquity, was the bad guy. Child of the giant serpent Typhon and the half woman half snake Echidna (you know her from the Starbucks logo) the Chimera was an abominable thing, unnatural combination of lion and goat, with the head of a snake for a tail. Her brothers and sisters live in legend. read more

Toyen

What's in a name?

Names are assigned to us before we are aware of their meaning, and we grow into them as much as they come to reflect us. In Japan artists often changed names after milestones in their lives, but in the west, once you've been given a name, you're usually stuck with it—a rigidity that makes claiming a new name even more powerful magic. read more

Sascha Schneider, 1904

Hypnosis

To Sascha Schneider the male body was perfection, and the world its antagonist. Schneider worked in Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the development of Freikörperkultur, free body culture, also called the Health and Hygiene movement. Freikörperkultur aimed to counteract the restraint and stress of industrialization with a restorative mix of open air nudity, exercise, and healthy diet. read more

Born on February 10

Elena Brockmann

Grabbing history painting by the horns

In the 18th century, in Madrid, academic art was dominated by history painting. In fact much of the European art world was obsessed with grand retellings of historical events, on gigantic canvasses with baroque lighting and dramatic composition. read more

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