On the 6th of July 1886, French Jewish historian Marc L. B. Bloch was born in Lyon, France. Known as the cofounder of the Annales School of French social history, Bloch is considered a quintessential modernist. Born into an academic Alsacian family, he studied in Berlin and Leipzig, fought in the trenches of the Western […]
Category Archives: Myth
June
16
Marie Laveau: Voodoo, Race and Female Power
posted by ArtLark
On the 16th of June 1881, Marie Laveau, Louisiana Creole ‘princess’ of Voodoo, died in New Orleans, Louisiana, aged 79. “A nineteenth-century free woman of color, she is a founding figure of the African-American voodoo tradition. Little is known about Marie Laveau and her introduction to voodoo. Originally a devout Catholic, she “miraculously” transformed herself […]
May
24
‘Pink Narcissus’: Gay Fantasy vs Reality
posted by ArtLark
On the 24th of May 1971, the American arthouse drama film by James Bidgood, Pink Narcissus, was released in New York City. The film focuses on the life of a handsome male prostitute, played by Bobby Kendall, immersed in his erotic fantasies. Like the mythological character of Narcissus, he is obsessed by his own beauty […]
April
21
The Myth of Romulus and Remus
posted by ArtLark
Easter Quote Week continues… 21st of April 753 BC is the date traditionally recorded by Varro as the day when Rome was founded. It brings to mind the famous myth of the twin brothers Romulus and Remus, the alleged forefathers of the great city. The present version of the myth comes from the book entitled […]
April
12
Jim Gary’s Junk Yard Animals
posted by ArtLark
On the 12th of April 1990, Jim Gary (1939 – 2006) opened his exhibition Twentieth Century Dinosaurs at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Gary was the only sculptor ever invited to present a solo exhibition at the prestigious museum; he became known for his large, colourful creations of dinosaurs […]
December
23
Wagnerian Influences in Humperdinck’s ‘Hansel and Gretel’
posted by ArtLark
On the 23rd of December 1893, Hansel and Gretel, an opera by Engelbert Humperdinck, premiered in Weimar, under the baton of Richard Strauss. Humperdinck composed nine works in total for the stage. But Hansel and Gretel brought him the biggest critical acclaim. The libretto, written by Humperdinck’s sister, Adelheid Wette, was loosely based on the Brothers Grimm […]
November
19
Nicolas Poussin: The Master of Intellect
posted by ArtLark
On the 19th of November 1665, Nicolas Poussin, aged seventy one, died in Rome. He was buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Lucina, and in 1830 was commemorated with a monument donated by Chateaubriand. Despite the fact that most of his working life was spent in Italy, Poussin is considered the leading painter […]
November
12
The Loch Ness Monster in Cryptozoology and Folklore
posted by ArtLark
On the 12th of November 1933, a local Scottish man called Hugh Gray took the first known photos of the Loch Ness Monster, a cryptic (an allegedly large unidentified animal) that is meant to live in a lake in the Scottish Highlands. He recalled the incident as follows: “Four Sundays ago after church I went for […]
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