Authoritative, photos on Flickr

Padua: University, one of the most authoritative centers in the fight against Covid -19 in Italy, founded in 1222. by sandromars

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Padova : Università , uno dei centri più autorevoli per la lotta al Covid-19 in Italia ,Fondata nel 1222.

Filling station. Reedsville, West Virginia (1935) by Agirard

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Walker Evans, photographer, June 1935

Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans' work from the FSA period uses the large-format, 8×10-inch (200×250 mm) view camera. He said that his goal as a photographer was to make pictures that are "literate, authoritative, transcendent".

Many of his works are in the permanent collections of museums and have been the subject of retrospectives at such institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the George Eastman Museum.

Original picture:

www.loc.gov/resource/fsa.8c52038/

Library of Congress, USA

Baedeker's Greece 1909 by Blues Views

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Collective 52 Photo Project. Week 05/52- Lovely pages

Karl Baedeker, was a German publisher whose company, Baedeker, set the standard for authoritative guidebooks for tourists.

Our version still has it's original map shown beneath the magnifying glass.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baedeker

Divine Attributes. Nomada goodeniana, Gooden's Cuckoo Bee, on Mossy Saxifrage, Saxifraga hypnoides, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands by Rana Pipiens

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According to one of the fathers of British entomology, William Kirby (1759-1850), the beauty and the attributes of insects are proof for the Highest Attributes of their Creator. No, Charles Darwin had not yet published (1859) his book on the origin of species nor his arguments against a Good Divinity based on, for example, the parasitic lives of Wasps.

In 1802 Kirby in his authoritative work on British Bees named this one for Samuel Goodenough (1745-1827). Bishop of Carlisle (1808-1827), Goodenough was also an avid naturalist.

Our Cuckoo Bee is resting in the sun on Mossy Saxifrage.

Outdoor library by Werner Ustorf

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Martin O'Neill (*1952) is a prominent Irish football manager (managing clubs in England most of the time). There is abundant material about him in the public domain, but the title claims that the book represents "the" (final, authoritative) biography. Perhaps the person currently reading the text disagreed. This is a library copy, left on the bench, in the snow. Waiting for the next reader. You would find it in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. Libraries can't go more public than this. Fuji X100F.

Journey to the past, Alcala la Real by José Luis Belmonte

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Walking through the Fortaleza de la Mota, in Alcalá la Real, is a privilege within the reach of most. The remains that the excavations have brought to light and the buildings that have been so carefully restored make it easy for us to travel to another age full of legends. The silence and peace that you breathe on this bright day in March hold you back as if you were the victim of some spell dictated by a character from your long past. Old streets, ice deposits, cellars, ruins of humble houses and others not so humble, the wall and its gates, the Alcázar and its tower... place you in a setting whose geometry integrates you, little by little, without being aware of it.

Its first name, Qal'at Astalir, changed from the 8th century, as did its urban structure, through the numerous events that took place on this hill, until the definitive Al-Qal'a. Time also brought the Christians to this place - whom I prefer to imagine surprised and surrendered before such an advanced community - and as a bulwark that competes with the rest of the fortress, the abbey church still stands erect. Inside, a spiral staircase allows access, in the shadows and with the help of a beam of light that sneaks through an opening in its walls, to the choir of the temple from which one has an extraordinary perspective of the building, particularly the entire floor of the main nave in which dozens of open tombs make up a gruesome landscape from which all the bodies lying here seem to have fled.

So much time in this place my emotions were dilating in such a way that at a certain moment, walking through the ramparts of the fortress I believed my mind was already alienated when I could see the majestic Sierra Nevada -snow-capped- floating over the orderly fields of olive trees that seemed to obey to the gentle rocking of an immeasurable sea. A sea whose green had been usurped in an authoritative gesture by the sky blue that impregnated absolutely the entire landscape that stretched out before my sight (see the attached photograph).

Auto Parts Shop, Tuscaloosa, Alabama by Agirard

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Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans' work from the FSA period uses the large-format, 8×10-inch (200×250 mm) view camera. He said that his goal as a photographer was to make pictures that are "literate, authoritative, transcendent".

Many of his works are in the permanent collections of museums and have been the subject of retrospectives at such institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the George Eastman Museum.

Photographer, Walker Evans, 1936

Original picture:

hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8c52450

Library of Congress, USA

Stairs @ EMC by Jan

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My Website: www.janhoog.com | View large

The Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC) based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, affiliated with Erasmus University and home to its faculty of medicine, is the "largest and one of the most authoritative scientific University Medical Centers in Europe." With 1320 beds it is the second largest hospital of the Netherlands, only 19 beds behind UMC Groningen.

Sincere Schwäbisch Hall-10 by Peterson's Pixel Painting

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The town was founded during the 12th century in several stages: bishop Gebhard von Würzburg consecrated the recently built Michael's church and installed the Michaelis market in 1156. Since the second half of the 12th century, the Heller coins were minted in Hall that were rather inferior yet replaced the better money, becoming a very widespread currency.

A document of 1204 mentions Hall for the first time as a town; since 1280, the immediacy of supremacy remained uncontested that in the years before had been wrestled from the neighbouring Schenk von Limpurg clan. Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian had to intervene into the internal affairs of the town in 1340, and he had to reform the structure of the council, the authoritative committee of the town's politics.

From 1340 to 1512 it would consist now of twelve aristocrats, six middle-class citizens and eight craftsmen. As a result of the Great Discord from 1510 to 1512, the nobility of the town lost its supremacy. Subsequently, the council was dominated by a group of rather bourgeois, increasingly academically educated families that developed into a new upper class.

Ivan Vazov National Theatre, Sofia, Bulgaria by Kris27 Rizov

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The Ivan Vazov National Theatre is Bulgaria's national theatre, as well as the oldest and most authoritative theatre in the country and one of the important landmarks of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is located in the centre of the city, with the facade facing the City Garden.

A postcard before 1926 with some of the leading actors in the Theater. Source: Bulgarian Archives State Agency

Founded in 1904 by the artists from the Salza i Smyah company, it was initially called simply the National Theatre, but before being named after the prominent writer Ivan Vazov it also bore the name of Krastyu Sarafov between 1952 and 1962. Vazov's play The Outcasts was the first to be performed at the theatre when it opened. The theatre's Neoclassical building, designed by famous Viennese theatre architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner, was finished in 1906 and opened on 3 January 1907. The building was extensively damaged by a fire in 1923 during an anniversary celebration, but was reconstructed in 1929 by German architect Martin Dülfer.

A theatrical school was established as part of the National Theatre in 1925. The bombing of Sofia in World War II caused considerable damage to the building, but it was reconstructed in 1945. Another reconstruction followed in 1971–1975, and a €100,000 restoration project was implemented in 2006.[1]

The Ivan Vazov National Theatre has a well-equipped main stage with 750 seats, a smaller 120-seat stage and an additional 70-seat one on the fourth floor.

Eldir of Bronseplassen by Gorm Helge Grønli Rudschinat

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In Germanic religion and Germanic mythology, a seeress is a woman said to have the ability to foretell future occurrences. Strongly associated with wands, seeresses at times held an authoritative role in Germanic society and mentions of Germanic seeresses occur as early as the Roman era, where, for example, they at times played a role in rebellion under Roman rule and acted as envoys to Rome. After the Roman Era, mention of seeresses occur in records among the North Germanic people, where they form a reoccurring motif in, for example, Norse mythology.

E Lucevan Le Stelle ( 📖 & 🎧 ) by below~tℎe~surface

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An attempt to embed Puccini's Tosca in my self-written poem. The content of the work doesn’t represent my well-being ... I am drinking a gin tonic and "flirting only slightly with death" - smoking :) ...

Hope you will enjoy it ...

Cheers, Bes

E Lucevan El Stelle (Tosca) - embedded in my self written poem:

True love requires the great art of daring to dream awake with open eyes, to use the gentle wings of the imagination as a brush and the grey and desolate façades and streets as a canvas to clothe them anew with bright colours, to give them beautiful, gentle forms - to float with their lightness, to float a dark night on silver shining clouds under the bluish shimmering warm moonlight. To reach places and labyrinths where space and time dissolve.

However, true love is not readily accessible. She is the little sister of the soulless fear-demon, who stands protectively in front of her when an eager soul comes too close to her little sister.

"As proof of your true desire, I demand of you the courage - you must summon to prove your worthiness" she thunders menacingly. As proof she demands fearless, unconditional and selfless willingness to run with passion into her open knives. She invites you to an unequal duel on a cold and dark stage of a brutal dramaturgy where you meet your merciless antagonist who will not forgive any mistake or naivety. She is powerful, prosecutor and judge at the same time.

And if you lose the bitter fight, she will ask you as punishment in a mild but authoritative voice to turn your back on her and close your eyes. Then she will whisper lovingly and reassuringly "I won't kill you right away, I'll let your life escape slowly" and in the same breath ram a knife into your back, piercing your heart.

The deep pain pierces the whole soul

The limbs slacken, the body is one with the earth

The fear-demon applauds... and shouts in a rush of joy “Coda!!!!” (Final act in opera)

The pupils close with dignity like a heavy dark blood-red curtain after a stage performance

The song, conducted by memory, sung by the pain of lost love resounds deeply melancholy to pay its last respects.

Now you are a passive spectator of your own tragedy, listening to a music that was staged just for you:

Bes

"And the stars were shining

And the earth was smelling

The orchard gate creaked

And a footstep grazed the sand

She entered, fragrant

She fell into my arms

Oh, sweet kisses, oh, languid caresses

While trembling, I stripped the beautiful form of its veils!

My dream of love has vanished forever

The hour has passed and I die in despair!

And I have never loved life so much before!"

E Lucevan Le Stelle - Tosca (Giacomo Puccini)

youtu.be/4mX7ugJ5NM8

Daseart by Zahoor Ahmed

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The deserts of the world are threatened by a combination of human exploitation and climate change that could, within decades, wipe out many unique habitats and rare species, an authoritative study has found.

While climate change is causing many semi-dry regions of the world to become increasingly arid, it is making life more difficult for true deserts that have been in existence for thousands of years.

Deserts account for up to 25 per cent of the Earth's land surface, are home to half a billion people and account for 12 per cent of the biodiversity "hotspots" - the richest areas in terms of rare animals and plants. Yet warmer temperatures and less predicable rainfall caused by climate change threatens to upset the delicate balance of desert life which has been honed by thousands of years of relative climatic stability.

🎲🔥 ĐØ₦'₮ ₴₳Ɏ ₳₦Ɏ₮Ⱨł₦₲ (part 1) // RP by ⋆⁺₊✧ Alice ✧₊⁺⋆ (Full Time Mama ❤️)

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- Representation of an extract from a role-play scene made RL, portraying how our characters relationship was at the beginning - We don't do RP in SL -

HERE TO SEE PART 2

ARES Labs based in our RP ASMR

The silence in the laboratory was interrupted and with it, the work in which she had been immersed in the last hours. The cause, the sound of his antigravity boots... something she knew well and that made a shivering sensation run through her body with each step as he approached.

The confident rhythm that those steps marked was mixed with her pulsations, now out of control, causing her to part her lips to take a deep breath when she perceived him behind her at that moment, just a few centimetres away, a distance that only made the sexual tension between both bodies to increase.

Before she had time to think of what to say or how to react, she felt his firm hand between her chin and neck, causing her to hold still with a mixture of feelings between fear and excitement, with her lips parted at the same time that he placed his index finger over them, caressing them in order to carry out a silent command.

- Don't say anything... *he whispered, and his voice, deep, intimidating but seductive at the same time, caused her immediate tension where his breath was noticeable... on the skin of her neck that shyly peeked out of her lab uniform* there are cameras here... *continued this time barely brushing her lips over that space of bare skin* ...Just follow me... *he ordered authoritatively, and despite the fact that this implied disobeying protocols and working hours, she followed him*

Location: Isil designs

Иосифо-Волоцкий мужской монастырь - Iosifo-Volotsky Monastery by Коля Сан

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Иосифово-Волоцкий монастырь, или Иосифо-Волоколамский Успенский монастырь, — православный мужской ставропигиальный общежительный монастырь. Расположен в селе Теряево Волоколамского района Московской области России в 16 км к северо-востоку от города Волоколамска.

Joseph Volokolamsk Monastery (Иосифо-Волоколамский монастырь, Волоцкий Успенский Иосифов монастырь in Russian) is a monastery for men, located 17 km northeast of Volokolamsk, Moscow Oblast. In the 15th and 16th century, it rivaled the Trinity as the most authoritative and wealthy monastery in Russia. It was frequently referred to as lavra, although there was no official corroboration of that status.

#зима #снег #природа #пейзаж #монастырь #волоколамск #россия #никон #winter #snow #nature #landscape #monastery #volokolamsk #russia #nikon #D3200

LISTEN by Ann Supan

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"When the threat is so uncertain (and potentially far-reaching) the problem of communication right now is too much communication from everybody (medically not authoritative) … and too much media exposure, we know, can heighten one’s ANXIETY."

I know what THAT feels- if only everyone else would just keep quiet for a while...and try to listen.

This is based on photographer John's photo of his mother in law while telling a story.

for Close-Up shots=> www.saatchiart.com/art/Drawing-LISTEN/980307/7545373/view

#ArtIsMyTherapy

Twisted Curvy Entanglement by Robert Cowlishaw (Mertonian)

40 2

The sacred character of a midrash is not that it’s true or not true, reasonable or fantastic, but that it compels the student to think and respond, thereby becoming an active participant in the britt. A midrash propels the imagination. It inspires the student to question someone else’s “authoritative” interpretation of a biblical verse or story. It permits everyone to be partners with the Creator. One of the most elegant and unique ways Jews wrestle with God is through midrash—searching for deeper and deeper meanings in the text of the Tanakh...

... The rabbis were not afraid to ask extreme questions, or make inventive propositions, since they weren’t looking for correct answers. They want us to think, and through thinking and debating, the Torah is kept alive.

-Jesus : first-century rabbi / Rabbi David Zaslow with Joseph Lieberman.

Sincere Schwäbisch Hall-8 by Peterson's Pixel Painting

191 6

The town was founded during the 12th century in several stages: bishop Gebhard von Würzburg consecrated the recently built Michael's church and installed the Michaelis market in 1156. Since the second half of the 12th century, the Heller coins were minted in Hall that were rather inferior yet replaced the better money, becoming a very widespread currency. A document of 1204 mentions Hall for the first time as a town; since 1280, the immediacy of supremacy remained uncontested that in the years before had been wrestled from the neighbouring Schenk von Limpurg clan.

Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian had to intervene into the internal affairs of the town in 1340, and he had to reform the structure of the council, the authoritative committee of the town's politics. From 1340 to 1512 it would consist now of twelve aristocrats, six middle-class citizens and eight craftsmen. As a result of the Great Discord from 1510 to 1512, the nobility of the town lost its supremacy. Subsequently, the council was dominated by a group of rather bourgeois, increasingly academically educated families that developed into a new upper class.

Mudflat stalker by back stage

13 8

There was an experienced birder that proclaimed this a Northern waterthrush. He had an authoritative voice and we all know what that gets you. The "Bird ID Help" Group agrees so, there. The South Padre Island Birding Center was chocked full of birds, birders, and lots of winter tourists of many avian, reptile, and humanoid types.

Vauxhall 30-98 (1921) by Roger Wasley

63 5

The Vauxhall 30-98 was manufactured by Vauxhall at Luton from 1913 to 1927. In its day, its best-known configuration was the Vauxhall Velox (Latin for "swift"/"fleet" and the source of English velocity) standard 4-seater with open tourer body. Vauxhall's own description was the 30-98 hp Vauxhall-Velox sporting car. In 1995 it was authoritatively described as one of Britain's best-known sports cars.

This 1921 Vauxhall 30-98, HD 6920 and race number 233, is seen on the hill climb at Prescott on 7th August 2021.

A new partner by Richard De Grataine

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Chapter IV: A New partner

The style card and credits here

Richard was in the central headquarters, his brow furrowed as he looked at the young man who had just entered the room. "Who's this kid?" he asked authoritatively, turning to the boss for answers.

The boss approached and introduced the young man as their new colleague, meant to replace Pablo, who was hospitalized. "Richard, this is Alex, our new recruit," the boss announced with a cheerful tone.

Richard nodded, but his expression still showed skepticism. "I'm not going to babysit rookies," he warned sternly, crossing his arms over his chest.

The boss assured him that Alex was an expert in computer systems and new technologies, although he lacked field experience. "He's a genius in his field," the boss added, trying to convince Richard of the young man's abilities.

Alex, aware of the tension in the room, stepped forward and extended his hand to Richard. "Nice to meet you, I'm Alex," he introduced himself with a nervous smile.

Richard shook Alex's hand firmly, evaluating the new recruit with attention. However, his expression softened slightly upon hearing the young man's words.

Alex took the opportunity to share what he had found out about the suspect who had recently escaped from them. "He was trying to plant some sort of bomb in the nuclear power plant," he reported, his tone filled with concern. "Although we're not clear on how he intended to activate it."

Richard nodded, processing the information. "What's the connection between this terrorist act and the forecast of a change in the timeline?" he asked aloud, looking to both the boss and Alex for answers.

"And furthermore, have we managed to deactivate the threat?" he added urgently, his tone reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

The boss shook his head with regret. "We haven't been able to deactivate the threat yet," he admitted. "Perhaps we should try to contact someone from the ministry in the future, to understand exactly the extent of the change that could occur."

WITH THE COLLABORATION OF:

BRABOS / FATPACK - Yung Skin. BRABOS @ Saturday Sale In Mainstore

Strunsh. Oxford Shorts - Fatpack @ GROUP GIFT

Strunsh. Stephi Sweat Fur #FATPACK @ in main store

[Vile] - Loopy Fruit Earings Gauged @in main store

MODEL RIGHT

KOKOS-TATTOO IVES- EVOX @ new release

KOKOS-HAIRBASE HUGO-EVOX @ other new release

KOKOS-EARRING-ROX-LEL HUMAN @ in main store

[ VENDETTA ]- VINCE FACE SKIN @ MAN CAVE

NEBURG CYBORG / NEBUR C - Armon Duffel Bag set @ in main store

ERSCH - Eston suit -fatpack @ Engine room event exclusive

Chicago by Bo Dudas

73 10

Influenced by the bold authoritative AB-EX work of Franz Klein.

Freelander used this style to create his 'from inside a car' photos to break up the visual field into distinct zones.

House Atreides Arrival on Arrakis by Elven Ranger

150 7

The doors slowly clang open as the bright sunshine and heat instantly take hold. The landing craft carrying House Atreides arrives on the planet Arrakis. The time has come for Paul and his family to become the authoritative force to keep the spice flowing.

Scene 6/14 of the Dune LEGO scenes collaboration hosted by RebelLug.

#RLDune #rebellug #lego #dune #instalego #legogram #afol #conceptart #dune2021

Like a romantic novel. by Czar Fenris

399 11

A connection like one of those cheesy love novels that housewives can't put down.

I'll paint you a picture. Imagine a man- wait no scratch that .. a detective in his office with cold cases piled to the ceiling. Looking over old files and papers , he lights a cigarette and pulls exhaling slowly. A soft knock on the door "come in" he says with a stern voice. He can only see a curvaceous silhouette at first and as she steps into the light his jaw drops. There she stands a beauty like no other, he nervously continues to keep his strong posture as beads of sweet penetrate his face. Closer she walks towards him .. her trench coat drops to the floor , there she stands with nothing except pearls, lace gloves and protruding nipples. She utters the words " I hear you are the man I am looking for?" He responds with an authoritative voice "You have no idea sweetheart".

Yeah ... something like that. .

New pose by Animosity for Saturday Sale.

Animosity Mainstore

The Saboteur's Plan by Richard De Grataine

109 19

The Ministry of Time

Chapter III: The Saboteur's Plan

The style card and credits here

When Richard materialized in the bustling streets of New York in the year 2025, he immediately felt a disturbance in the temporal fabric. People were passing by in a hurry, unaware of the imminent danger lurking in the shadows. Following the coordinates provided by the Ministry, Richard and his companion headed towards the vicinity of a nuclear plant. As they approached, they saw a suspicious figure hunched over a device of peculiar appearance typing rapidly on it. With stealth and precision, Richard approached the saboteur, while his pulse throbbed with electric intensity. Suddenly, footsteps were heard resonating beside him, and Agent Pablo Torres emerged from the shadows, his weapon drawn and ready.

"We have you now," proclaimed Pablo with firm and authoritative voice.

The saboteur leaped and started running as Richard and Pablo chased after him. At a certain point, he abruptly stopped and with a cold smile on his face, rummaged in a pocket and pulled out a small device that he activated with a click. With a dazzling flash of light, a temporal distortion opened before him. Before Richard or Pablo could react, the saboteur disappeared into the temporal vortex, leaving the agents astonished and without clues to follow his trail.

Back at the Ministry, Richard and Pablo faced the harsh reality of their failure. The saboteur had escaped, leaving behind more questions than answers. As they discussed what had happened, Richard noticed that Pablo was out of breath, with a hand on his chest.

"Are you okay, Pablo?" asked Richard, concerned.

Pablo nodded with a weak smile. "I don't think I'll be able to join you in the next pursuit," he admitted.

Richard furrowed his brow, visibly worried about his friend's health. Later, after leaving Pablo in the infirmary, Richard reflected with amazement: "It's the first time we've seen interdimensional portals open wherever one desires. This complicates things a lot."

With time running out, they knew they had to redouble their efforts to stop the saboteur's sinister plans and protect the timeline at all costs.

WITH THE COLLABORATION OF:

LACONIC/BRUTE H+M [FATPACK] @MENSELECTED EXCLUSIVE

LACONIC/HOLDEM JEANS [FATPACK] @ in main store

STRUNSH / Strunsh. Markz Shoes - #FATPACK @ in main store

TANAKA / [TNK] ARCADEPACK @ in main store

TANAKA / [TNK] MAELSTROM MK-7 - FATPACK 50% off now @ in main store

Authoritative and fierce by Werner Ustorf

59 7

Part of our decades-old Christmas decorations - the nutcracker doll made to resemble a toy soldier. In our home, the figurine is guarding the Christmas tree. Making sure that the 'Christmas spirit' is not being joined by some ghosts of the less friendly variety. Good luck with that! Fuji X-Pro1 plus Samyang mirror telephoto lens.

Seize the awkward by Bo Dudas

59 10

Influenced by the bold authoritative AB-EX work of Franz Klein I moved in closer and closer.

Freelander used this style to create his 'from inside a car' photos to break up the visual field into distinct zones.

Monreale Palermo Sicilia Italia by Mauro Astolfi

44 7

Duomo di Monreale o Cattedrale di Santa Maria Nuova.

Mosaici - Abside centrale.

Intorno al Cristo Pantocratore sono posti angeli e santi.

Gesù alza la mano destra in segno di benedizione.

Il suo sguardo è severo ma benevolo ed è orientato verso destra.

I capelli scuri sono lunghi e ricadono dietro la schiena.

Gesù porta una folta barba scura che rende il suo aspetto molto autorevole.

A sinistra sorregge un libro aperto sul quale si legge: “Io sono la luce del mondo” chi mi segue non cammina nelle tenebre”.

Gesù è raffigurato a mezzo busto.

Dietro il Suo capo è disposta una aureola che incorpora una croce per distinguerla da quella dei santi.

Con la mano destra, Cristo compie il gesto della benedizione. Tre dita della mano sono avvicinate a simboleggiare la trinità e l’unità di Dio.

L’indice e il medio, invece rappresentano la dualità della natura di Cristo, umana e divina.

Sono presenti anche alcune iscrizioni, in greco e in latino, che simboleggiano la vicinanza delle due civiltà.

Monreale Cathedral or Cathedral of Santa Maria Nuova.

Mosaics - Central apse.

Angels and saints are placed around Christ Pantocrator.

Jesus raises his right hand as a sign of blessing.

His gaze is stern but benevolent and is oriented to the right.

His dark hair is long and falls behind his back.

Jesus wears a thick dark beard which makes his aspect of him very authoritative.

On the left he holds an open book on which we read: "I am the light of the world" whoever follows me does not walk in darkness ".

Jesus is depicted half-length.

Behind his head is a halo that incorporates a cross to distinguish it from that of the saints.

With his right hand, Christ makes the gesture of blessing. Three fingers of the hand are brought together to symbolize the trinity and the unity of God.

The index and the middle, on the other hand, represent the duality of the nature of Christ, human and divine.

There are also some inscriptions, in Greek and Latin, which symbolize the proximity of the two civilizations.

IMG_3524m

Owner's Car by Vince Montalbano (autofocus)

121 49

The Cunningham car of the early 1950s was the product of revered sportsman Briggs Cunningham’s determination to win the 24-hour race at Le Mans with an American-built automobile. Cunningham had attempted the feat with production-based Cadillacs, but finding them not sufficient to the task, endeavored to build his own car, backed by his not-inconsiderable fortune and bottomless enthusiasm. His team developed a strong tubular chassis with independent coil-sprung front suspension and tuned Chrysler Hemi V8 power, wrapped in slippery bodywork. It won at Road America and Watkins Glen in 1951.

According to Richard Harman’s authoritative book, Cunningham: The Passion, The Cars, The Legacy, C-3 number 5442, the second-from-last coupe built, was based upon the renumbered, unused chassis originally designated 5213. It was completed in the spring of 1953, likely in metallic gray with gray interior trim, 20-gallon fuel tank and engine number 52810226, still installed today, carrying four Zenith single-barrel carburetors. It was originally delivered in the spring of 1954 to R.L. Parish of New York City. Subsequently, it moved west, and in the early 1960s was repaired following an accident while being driven by a lady in Northern California.

Because of their bespoke nature and wonderful heritage, every Cunningham C-3 is a significant automobile. Few, however, stand as prominently as this one, bearing an exceptional, cost-no-object restoration, in spectacular colors, and with an extremely authentic presentation that has won awards across the country. It is truly one of the very finest of its kind and a proven victor — something that Briggs Cunningham, the passionate competitor, would certainly appreciate. There is likely no finer example available.

Cunningham became a reluctant manufacturer of 27 street cars, a homologation requirement for Le Mans. The resultant C-3, also known as the Continental, was originally intended as a dual-purpose sports car that could be driven to the track, raced, then driven home. But by the time the car became a reality, it had morphed into an ultra-luxury 2-seater.

20 coupes, five cabriolets were bodied by Vignale in Italy, based on a svelte Giovanni Michelotti design.

Retailing for between $10,000 and $15,000, the C-3 was the most expensive American car at the time, selling for roughly three times the price of a $3,500 Cadillac Coupe Deville. Speaking of which, the first four C-3s, s/n 5206 through 5209, were equipped with 3-speed Cadillac manual gearboxes. The balance of production, including s/n 5442 featured here, had rather un-sporty Chrysler Fluid Torque Drive semi-automatic gearbox.

This car sold for $945,500, including buyer’s premium, at Broad Arrow Auctions’ sale in Gloversville, NY, October 15, 2022.

planthopper nymph by David Alexander

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I believe this is an issid planthopper; their nymphs have the characteristic "bristles" out their abdomens. I haven't been able to find anything authoritative on their purpose, but there's this - "With regard to the white items at the tip of the Issid nymph's abdomen, they're called abdominal filaments, and the literature describes them as wax secretions. The filaments sure don't look as if they're made of wax, but at such a small scale the laws of physics are different, so wax might behave in surprising ways. In many planthopper species wax secretions serve to camouflage the insect. Maybe my first impression -- that our Issid nymph was an errant wad of plant fuzz -- was the exact impression the nymph "wanted" to convey to predators."

www.backyardnature.net/mexnat/issid.htm

And there's a little bonus spider too...

Big Window by Robert Cowlishaw (Mertonian)

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One of the paradoxes of our age, which has so far not distinguished itself as an Age of Faith, is that millions of men who have found it impossible to believe in God have blindly submitted themselves in human faith to every charlatan who has access to a printing press, a movie screen, or a microphone.

Men who cannot believe in the revealed word of God swallow everything they read in the newspapers. Men who think it absurd that the Church should be able, by virtue of the guidance and protection of the Holy Ghost, to make infallible pronouncements as to what has or has not been revealed by God concerning doctrine or morality, will believe the most fantastic claims of political propaganda, even though the dishonesty of propagandists has become, by now, proverbial.

They find it impossible to believe the Pope when, with the extreme caution and reserve which is characteristic of Rome, he makes one of his rare and guarded ex cathedra pronouncements within the very narrow field of “faith and morals” concerning which, as the Vicar of Christ on earth, he might be expected to know something.

And yet if some movie star or other celebrity, who stalled for three years in the eighth grade and finally gave up all hope of high school, makes a dogmatic declaration on anything from marriage to astrophysics, they will regard it as “authoritative.”

-Thomas Merton, Ascent to Truth.

Lilias Torrance Newton (Quebec 1896-1980 ) - Elise Kingman 1930 by Caffe_Paradiso

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Kingman was the painter’s friend: the two served together in London during the First World War. Here, Torrance newton depicts her a woman of leisure, unattached and at liberty to enjoy the newfound freedoms of the day. Her gaze is authoritative yet aloof, while her revealed shoulder suggests a softer side, amplified by the lily at right. “The impact of her sitter’s personality on mine is what I paint,” Torrance Newton once famously said. A contemporary critic wrote that her colours “dazzle like the screech of a trumpet.”

Ghent Flemisch city by holland fotograaf

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As early as the 11th century, Flemish cloth production had reached such a scale that the supply far exceeded the local demand. As a result, Ghent cloth became an important export article all over Europe. Originally, indigenous wool was used from the many flocks of sheep kept in Artois or on the salt lands and salt marshes of the newly enclosed Flemish polder land. Very soon, however, the raw material gained on the spot was no longer sufficient. From 1100, more and more wool merchants bought their supplies in England. In particular, Lincolnshire wool was of top quality and some of the abbeys had a significant source of revenue thanks to the large flocks of sheep with wool destined exclusively for Flanders. The wool was imported to Bruges and Ghent via the Zwin. The final product, fabricated in Ghent, was fine and durable, but also most valuable. It was sold on all the major West European markets, and even in Nowgorod (a Russian trade centre), in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea, and further in the Near East via Islamic ports. Ghent became the most important textile centre of the known world and, with 65,000 inhabitants, the second city in North Western Europe after Paris.

Throughout its history, Ghent has always been a gateway to the world and has played an active part on the international scene. For example, the people of Ghent will gladly tell the English that King Edward III of England was also proclaimed King of France on the Vrijdagmarkt (Friday Market) during the Hundred Years War. His son, John of Gaunt, founding father of the Lancasters, was born in Ghent. They will tell the Dutch that no less than five Ghent nobles were the authoritative captains of the formidable Watergeuzen fleet during the second half of the 16th century; or that Willem de Key, architect of Leiden Town Hall and the 'Waag' and 'Vleeshalle' in Delft, was also of Ghent origin. They will proudly guide French visitors to the Hotel d'Hane Steenhuyse in Veldstraat, where King Louis XVIII of France sought refuge for a hundred days after the return of Napoleon from Elba. The Americans and the British know that the hostilities between both nations were put to an end by the 'TREATY OF GHENT' which was signed on Christmas Eve in 1814. The World Exhibition of 1913 was intended to put Ghent amongst the modern cities of the 20th century, but the two World Wars dampened this fervour.

Citizens of Ghent have also played important parts outside Europe. Mexico still honours Pedro de Gante (Peter of Ghent) as one of the founding fathers of modern civilisation in Latin America. In about 1700, a large group of immigrants from Ghent contributed to the foundation of Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic. This was also the case for the city of Ghent in the State of Minnesota, USA. Moreover, would you believe it, one of the region's most famous specialities is Ghent Waterzooi !

Ornaments of the Jokhang Temple, Tibet 2024 by reurinkjan

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Jokhang (Lhaden Tsuglakhang)(Jowokhang) ཇོ་ཁང་

Jokhang by Cameron Warner (July 22, 2010) Introduction The Jokhang (jo khang) is the largest temple in Lhasa and arguably the most important pilgrimage site in Tibet. Its most famous inhabitant, the Jowo Śākyamuni (jo bo shākya mu ne) is the most revered Buddhist statue in Tibet. It is customary for Tibetans visiting Lhasa to visit the temple for an audience with the Jowo Śākyamuni immediately upon arrival in the city and again on the way out of town. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Jokhang anchors the oldest neighborhood in Lhasa and functions as the center of religious life for many Tibetans as well as a popular tourist destination. Geographic Location The Jokhang anchors the Tibetan quarter of present-day Lhasa at a geomantically auspicious site chosen by Wencheng Gongzhu (Tib. rgya bza' kong jo). Songtsen Gampo and his two foreign consorts, Bhṛkutī and Wencheng Gongzhu built the temple on top of a small pond called the Milk Lake ('O thang mtsho), north of the right arm of the Kyichu River (Skyid chu) and southeast of the first Potala Palace on Mount Marpori. Early History Songtsen Gampo, the first emperor of Tibet, founded the Jokhang around 640 to house the Jowo Mikyö Dorjé statue (though this is disputed in present scholarship). According to most Tibetan historians, Bhṛkutī, a Nepalese princess of the Licchavi dynasty, brought the Jowo Mikyö Dorjé to Tibet as part of her dowry to become an imperial consort of Songtsen Gampo. The Nepalese connection is still evident in the South Asian layout of the central temple structure and the wood-carved lintels around the doorways of each chapel, most of which are original. After some initial difficulties in construction of the temple, Songtsen Gampo's Chinese consort, Wencheng Gongzhu, performed a divination to select the most auspicious site. Animals helped to fill-in a small lake north of the Kyichu (Skyid chu) river. One of the many names of the temple, Rasa Trülnang (Ra sa 'phrul snang), reflects some of its mythological origins. The name has been interpreted to mean the temple that was "magically-manifested" ('phrul snang) and constructed with earth (sa) transported by goats (ra). However, the etymology of "rasa" most likely refers to Lhasa's origin as a medieval walled-town (rawe sa) (Pommaret-Imaeda ed., 2003: 21). "Trülnang" recalls how Songtsen Gampo magically manifested 108 avatars of himself to assist in the construction of the temple. Much of the early history of the temple is shrouded in myth including how the Jowo Śākyamuni (jo bo shākya mu ne) came to be in the Jokhang. According to Tibetan ecclesiastical history, originally the Jowo Śākyamuni resided in another Lhasa temple, the Ramoché and was later moved to hide it from an invading Chinese army. The name "Jokhang" originally referred to the Jowo Śākyamuni's chapel in particular, the Tsangkhang Uma (Gtsang khang dbus ma), or Central Chapel. The small village of Rasa's name changed to Lhasa (the place of the gods) as it developed around the temple itself. Some of the other names of the temple reflect similar ideas such as Lhadan (Lha ldan) Tsuklagkhang. Middle History The majority of our knowledge of the history of the Jokhang comes from two different genres of Tibetan literature: ecclesiastical histories and catalogues of the temple (dkar chag), usually written to commemorate particular renovations. In the genre of ecclesiastical history, the most important text is the Vase-shaped Pillar Testament (Bka' chems ka khol ma), reputedly an autobiography written by Songtsen Gampo himself and hidden within the temple for the benefit of future generations. It includes accounts of both the construction of the temple and the early history of the Jowo Śākyamuni. However, the various extant recensions of the text date to no earlier than the late eleventh century and therefore it should be read as a document reflecting the concerns of Tibetans from that time period. Around that time, Zangkar Lotsawa (Zangs dkar Lo tsa ba 'Phags pa shes rab) from Ngari (mnga' ris skor gsum) moved the original image in the Central Chapel, the Akṣobhya Buddha (mi 'khrugs pa) to make room for renovations. He expanded the size of the chapel by moving the east-facing wall outwards and moved the Jowo Śākyamuni from his hiding place into the Central Chapel (KPGT II 448; Vitali, 1990: 78). The most authoritative account of Zangkar Lotsawa's work comes from the historian Pawo Tsuklag Trengwa (Dpa' bo Gtsug lag phreng ba) (1504-1566), in his Feast for Scholars: An Ecclesiastical History (Chos 'byung mkhas pa'i dga' ston). The history of the Jokhang cannot be separated from the political history of the Lhasa valley, Read more: places.thlib.org/features/15474/descriptions/236#ixzz1tQg...

The Cataumet Lot by efo

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Cataumet, Mass

Hasselblad

Kudos to the Steamship Authority for their authoritative use of the definite article.

Valencia, Spain - L’Hemisfèric by Coldpix

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The L’Hemisfèric (Planetarium completed 1998) is just one of a number of spectacular museums and buildings that make up the magnificent and world-unique complex of City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.

There is a lot of information on the Internet about this museum complex. Here are three authoritative (in English):

The official site: www.cac.es/ which also hosts some video clips.

Valencia city Guide: www.valencia-cityguide.com/tourist-attractions/the-city-o...

Valencia City Guide and Travel / Tourist Information: www.valenciavalencia.com/sights-guide/cas.htm

The big pig by John Dattilo

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As Jo and I celebrate our 40th year together I often find myself inside my head, reflecting on the story we have penned together. All our different chapters and the characters both created and developed within. There are so many required elements to having a good marriage, all equal in importance. Looking back, and to be honest, our story started with lust, as all I knew of this stranger was what the eye had to offer. A beautiful girl across the room, I needed to know who the blond in the blue dress was. She wasn’t at all interested in me, so I waited another 365 days before we met again.

Once I got to talk to her, the lust was matched by intrigue…I needed to know more, within days of our second meeting I knew I was in love, which was really bad timing as I was leaving on a three-month deployment within a week. In that three months, dozens and dozens of letters were exchanged…old school style. I feel sad for kids today, most of which will never know the thrill of receiving a perfume laced letter at a crowded mail call while at sea! We called a perfumed letter “a smeller” back in the day and the ships postal clerk always announced them out loud. It was through these letters, that I still have today, that still smell good, that respect blossomed from her loyalty and kindness.

I felt that it was important to share all the factual sappiness above before I shared this…we fight well together too. Like any couple we get on each other’s nerves, sometimes I am wrong, sometimes Jo. Sometimes things just seem to build up where we are just looking for a fight, no matter the subject…now is a good time to introduce the big pig!

We were living at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Our kids were small, our budget tight and our family van bulky. We had taken the kids to an October pumpkin farm kind of thing. The sky was blue, the temperature outside was mild, in all aspects it was a beautiful day. And then it happened, we passed a farm field that contained a single pig. I commented that it was a big pig…everything went south from there.

My bride of almost six years simply remarked (with a snarky/authoritative voice I may add) “That’s not a big pig!” I don’t know why I didn’t drop it there and then, but I decided to return fire…questioning her time living the farm (knowing the answer was zero), her level of Swine-ology…probably even her eyesight. I have no idea from where it came, but to my surprise and not more than a second later Joann had a knife in her hand, waving it from side to side as if trying to decide where to cut! OK, that last part didn’t happen…but cartoon knifes were coming out of her eyes!

As if watching a tennis match, we went back and forth until we were no longer talking to each other. It was our biggest fight since playing the game Scruples with friends on Adak Island three years before. To this day we won’t play that game. Later that evening we started talking, shortly thereafter we were laughing trying to answer the question “What was that all about?”

Since that day in late 1991, the big pig comes up constantly and always in jest. “That’s not a big pig” is said aloud every time a pig sighting occurs. A reminder of a time, a fight where we both believe we were still right to this day. Comfortable in the knowledge that you can still love and respect someone who doesn’t know shit about pigs!

This photo was taken while touring the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland on 28 October of 2022. We both agreed that it was not a big pig (a sign of maturity) but for the both of us, it was the prettiest pig we had ever seen!

Monastery Alcobaça (1 of 1) by Jan Herremans (Iam Back)

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The Alcobaça Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça) is a Mediaeval Roman Catholic monasterylocated in the town of Alcobaça, in Oeste Subregion. It was founded by the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, in 1153, and maintained a close association with the Kings of Portugal throughout its history.

The church and monastery were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal, and, together with the Monastery of Santa Cruz inCoimbra, it was one of the most important of the mediaeval monasteries in Portugal. Due to its artistic and historical importance, it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1989.

The Alcobaça Monastery is one of the first foundations of the Cistercian Order in Portugal. It was founded in 1153 as a gift to Bernard of Clairvaux, shortly before his death, from the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, to commemorate his victory over the Moors at Santarém in March 1147. The foundation of the monastery was part of the strategy by Afonso Henriques to consolidate his authority in the new kingdom and promote the colonisation of areas recently taken from Moorish hands during the Reconquista.

The building of the monastery began in 1178, some 25 years after the arrival of the Cistercian monks in the Alcobaça region. Initially, the monks lived in wooden houses, and only moved to the new stone monastery buildings in 1223. The church was completed in 1252. The finished church and monastery were the first truly Gothic buildings in Portugal, and the church was the largest in Portugal. The last touch in the mediaeval ensemble was given in the late 13th century, when King Dinis I ordered the construction of the Gothic cloister, the Cloister of Silence.

The monks dedicated their lives to religious meditation, creating illuminated manuscripts in a scriptorium. The monks from the monastery produced an early authoritative history on Portugal in a series of books. The library at Alcobaça was one of the largest Portuguese mediaeval libraries, but was pillaged by the invading French in 1810, and many items were stolen in an anti-clerical riot in 1834, when the religious orders in Portugal were dissolved. The remnants of the monastery library, including hundreds of mediaeval manuscripts, are kept today in the National Library in Lisbon.

During the Middle Ages, the monastery quickly became an important and powerful presence in Portugal. The monastery owned and developed extensive agriculture areas, and the abbot exerted influence over a large area. A public school was opened in 1269. The importance of the monastery can be measured by the fact that many royals were buried here in the 13th and 14th centuries. Kings Afonso II, Afonso III, and their Queens Urraca of Castile and Beatrice of Castile are buried here, as well as King Pedro I and his mistress, Inês de Castro, who was murdered on the orders of Pedro's father, King Afonso IV. After being crowned King, Pedro commissioned two magnificent Gothic tombs for him and his mistress, both of which can still be seen inside the monastery church.

During the reign of Manuel I, a second floor was added to the cloister and a new sacristy was built, following the characteristic Portuguese late Gothic known as "Manueline". The monastery was further enlarged in the 18th century, with the addition of a new cloister and towers to the church, although the mediaeval structure was mostly preserved. In theBaroque period, the monks were famous for their clay sculptures, many of them are still inside the monastery. Elaboratetiles and altarpieces completed the decoration of the church.

The great 1755 Lisbon earthquake did not cause significant damage to the monastery, although part of the sacristy and some smaller buildings were destroyed. Greater damage was caused by invading French troops in the 1800s. In addition to looting the library, they robbed the tombs, and stole and burnt part of the inner decoration of the church. In 1834, with the dissolution of monastic life in Portugal, the last monks were ordered to leave the monastery.

Today, the Alcobaça Monastery is one of the main historic tourist destinations in Portugal.

More Portugal here :

www.flickr.com/photos/23502939@N02/albums/72157626640111149

more candids here :

www.flickr.com/photos/23502939@N02/sets/72157622769131641

Please do note fave my photos without commenting ( what do people do with thousands of faves, look at them every morning?)

Quetzalcoatl’s Claw by Ramen Saha

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“Photography, like music, must be born in the unmanifest world of spirit.”

–– Paul Caponigro

Paul Caponigro is a master photographer from the golden era whose spiritually-moving images – created over a period of seventy years – speak effortlessly to monotones of one’s soul. Have you seen his Running White Deer? Are they deer? Are they spirits? Are they whispers of the wind? Or, as Paul puts it, is it simply an amazing 'intersection of time, space, light, and emotional stance'? All I know is, this image firmly stirred my definition of creativity, which has never been the same ever again. The Zen exuded from that and other images of this legendary photographer communicates well with the ‘unmanifested world of spirit’ and deeply irrigates the soul.

“You can photograph a thing for what it is and for what else it is.”

Last weekend, the Sunset center at Carmel-by-the-Sea hosted Paul Caponigro for a lecture. Paul is now 87 years old and doesn’t travel much. So, this lecture was a rare opportunity to hear directly from a master. Not surprisingly therefore, upon our arrival, Rishabh and I found the little lecture room overflowing with people – a vast sea of old timers punctuated every now and then by a restless youngster or a famous contemporary photographer. For almost an hour, Paul spoke about his life, images, philosophy, and 'those West Coast photographers' – Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Minor White – who were his mentors in one or another capacity. While narrating abstract images of rocks and clouds, he quoted his mentor/friend Minor (see the title of this paragraph) and fondly recalled their cross-country road trip in the sixties that led to many outstanding landscape images. He spoke about the role of mythology –– our anchoring beliefs that distill the timelessness of a landscape to a single moment represented in the photograph. But by far, '…for what it is and for what else it is', was my favorite definition of creativity for the evening.

"Paul, would you like to tell us something about your editing techniques?”

One got a true glimpse of the photographer’s personality during the question-answer session. In response to the above question about ‘editing techniques’, his brief answer was delivered with a dose of disdain for the process. 'Editing… what editing? If it’s no good, you throw it out!' When someone asked him about the preference of his son – John Paul Caponigro, a creative fine art photographer in his own right – for color imagery, he smirked and quipped, 'He doesn’t know any better'. Finally, finding enough courage, I asked him why certain things (such as, his outstanding negative prints) work so well in black-and-white but would not work at all in polychrome. He was quick to point out that the real deal is not in technicality. 'It’s up to you', he said with the authoritative sensitivity of a Sensei, 'to find a way to get – what you feel is the magic in the color – across through the images you present to your audience. …it’s a lonely process.'

Lonely process it sure is… To find the spirit of a place churning around like Paul Caponigro’s white deer, capturing it for what it is and also for what else it is, and finally editing it to not throw away, but convey to you my dear audience, the mythical magic of the moment when I was there… in color! Yes Paul, it's amply clear… I must not know any better.

Lilias Torrance Newton (Quebec 1896-1980 ) - Elise Kingman 1930 by Caffe_Paradiso

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Kingman was the painter’s friend: the two served together in London during the First World War. Here, Torrance newton depicts her a woman of leisure, unattached and at liberty to enjoy the newfound freedoms of the day. Her gaze is authoritative yet aloof, while her revealed shoulder suggests a softer side, amplified by the lily at right. “The impact of her sitter’s personality on mine is what I paint,” Torrance Newton once famously said. A contemporary critic wrote that her colours “dazzle like the screech of a trumpet.”

Sincere Schwäbisch Hall-9 by Peterson's Pixel Painting

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The town was founded during the 12th century in several stages: bishop Gebhard von Würzburg consecrated the recently built Michael's church and installed the Michaelis market in 1156. Since the second half of the 12th century, the Heller coins were minted in Hall that were rather inferior yet replaced the better money, becoming a very widespread currency.

A document of 1204 mentions Hall for the first time as a town; since 1280, the immediacy of supremacy remained uncontested that in the years before had been wrestled from the neighbouring Schenk von Limpurg clan. Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian had to intervene into the internal affairs of the town in 1340, and he had to reform the structure of the council, the authoritative committee of the town's politics. From 1340 to 1512 it would consist now of twelve aristocrats, six middle-class citizens and eight craftsmen. As a result of the Great Discord from 1510 to 1512, the nobility of the town lost its supremacy. Subsequently, the council was dominated by a group of rather bourgeois, increasingly academically educated families that developed into a new upper class.

National Theater Of Bulgaria by Johann P. Krux

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The Ivan Vazov National Theatre (Bulgarian: Народен театър „Иван Вазов“, Naroden teatar „Ivan Vazov“) is Bulgaria's national theatre, as well as the oldest and most authoritative theatre in the country and one of the important landmarks of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is located in the centre of the city, with the facade facing the City Garden.

Founded in 1904 by the artists from the Salza i Smyah company, it was initially called simply the National Theatre, but before being named after the prominent writer Ivan Vazov it also bore the name of Krastyu Sarafov between 1952 and 1962. Incidentally Vazov's play, "The Outcasts" was the first to be performed at the theatre when it opened. The theatre's Neoclassical building, designed by famous Viennese theatre architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner, was finished in 1906 and opened on 3 January 1907. The building was extensively damaged by a fire in 1923 during an anniversary celebration, but was reconstructed in 1929 by German architect Martin Dülfer.

A theatrical school was established as part of the National Theatre in 1925. The bombing of Sofia in World War II caused considerable damage to the building, but it was reconstructed in 1945. Another reconstruction followed in 1971–1975, and a €100,000 restoration project was implemented in 2006.[1]

The Ivan Vazov National Theatre has a well-equipped main stage with 750 seats, a smaller 120-seat stage and an additional 70-seat one on the fourth floor.

The building's facade is depicted on the obverse of the Bulgarian 50 levs banknote, issued in 1999 and 2006.[2]

The theatre has been host to productions from notable theatre directors such as Alexander Morfov who has been the Chief director since 1993. Thx to Wikipedia ..

Wellington Arch, Hyde Park (London) by Andrea Guagni 7,8 Million

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Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch or (originally) as the Green Park Arch, is a Grade I-listed triumphal arch by Decimus Burton that forms a centrepiece of Hyde Park Corner in central London, between corners of Hyde Park and Green Park; it stands on a large traffic island with crossings for pedestrian access. From its construction (1826–1830) the arch stood in a different location nearby; it was moved to its current site in 1882–1883. It originally supported a colossal equestrian statue of the 1st Duke of Wellington by the sculptor Matthew Cotes Wyatt, acquiring its name as a result. Peace descending on the Quadriga of War by sculptor Adrian Jones, a bronze quadriga (an ancient four-horse chariot) ridden by the Goddess of Victory Nike, has surmounted the arch since 1912.

Both the Wellington Arch and Marble Arch (originally sited in front of Buckingham Palace) were planned in 1825 by George IV to commemorate Britain's victories in the Napoleonic Wars. During the second half of the 1820s, the Commissioners of Woods and Forests and the King resolved that Hyde Park, and the area around it, should be renovated to match the splendour of rival European capital cities, and that the essence of the new arrangement would be a triumphal approach to the recently completed Buckingham Palace. The committee of the project, led by the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool, and advised by Charles Arbuthnot, President of the Board of Commissioners of Woods and Forests, selected Decimus Burton as the project's architect. In 1828, when giving evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee on the Government's spending on public works, Arbuthnot explained that he had nominated Burton "having seen in the Regent's Park, and elsewhere, works which pleased my eye, from their architectural beauty and correctness". Burton intended to create an urban space dedicated to the celebration of the House of Hanover, national pride, and the nation's heroes.

The renovation of Hyde Park, Green Park, and St James's Park began in 1825, with the demarcation of new drives and pathways, subsequent to which Burton designed new lodges and gates, viz. Cumberland Gate, Stanhope Gate, Grosvenor Gate, the Hyde Park Gate/Screen at Hyde Park Corner, and, later, the Prince of Wales's Gate, Knightsbridge, in the classical style. There were no authoritative precedents for such buildings, which required windows and chimney stacks, in the classical style, and, in the words of Guy Williams, "Burton's reticent treatment of the supernumerary features" and of the cast iron gates and railings was "greatly admired".

At Hyde Park Corner, the King required "some great ceremonial outwork that would be worthy of the new palace that lay to its rear", and accepted Burton's consequent proposal for a sequence comprising a gateway and a classical screen, and a triumphal arch, which would enable those approaching Buckingham Palace from the north to ride or drive first through the screen and then through the arch, before turning left to descend Constitution Hill and enter the forecourt of Buckingham Palace through Nash's Marble Arch. The screen became the neoclassical Hyde Park Gate/Screen at Hyde Park Corner, which delighted the King and his Committee, and which the architectural historian Guy Williams describes as "one of the most pleasing architectural works that have survived from the neo-classical age". The triumphal arch became the Wellington Arch at Constitution Hill into Green Park, London, which has been described as "one of London's best loved landmarks". Burton's original design for the triumphal arch, which was modelled on the Arch of Titus at Rome, on which the central and side blocks of the Screen had been modelled, was more technically perfect, and coherent with the Screen, than that of the arch that was subsequently built: this original design, however, was rejected by the Committee – who had envisaged a design based on the Arch of Constantine, on which Nash's Marble Arch had been modelled – because it was not sufficiently ostentatious. Burton created a new design, "to pander to the majestic ego", which was much larger and modelled on a fragment found in the Roman Forum, which was accepted on 14 January 1826, and subsequently built as the present Wellington Arch.

The arch has a single opening, and uses the Corinthian order. Much of the intended exterior ornamentation was omitted as a cost-saving exercise necessitated by the King's overspending on the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace, which was underway at the same time. A contemporary account, written in anticipation of its completion to its original plan, describes what was intended:

The entabulature is lofty and elegant with a richly sculptured frieze, and a row of boldly projecting lions' heads on the cymatium, marking the centres of columns and other sub-divisions of the order. Above the entablature, on a lofty blocking course, is raised an attic, the body of which is embellished with a sculptural representation of an ancient triumph. On each of the columns is a statue of a warrior, and on the summit of the acroterium which surmounts the attic is a figure in a quadriga or ancient four horse chariot

Hybrid Crow (Corvus corone x cornix) by John Knight

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Well out of range as the hybrid zone is well N & W from here. Taxonomy uncertain but authoritative online sources still treat C. cornix as a separate species

KIngs of Alcobaça (1 of 1) by Jan Herremans (Iam Back)

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