Think, plan, execute, sleep.

Two lenses, two camera positions and two WBs for these 158 stacked exposures.

Solitaire on my mobile kept me going for the later 157 whilst holed up in my duck down gore-tex bivvy bag !

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Heriot Row, Edinburgh

New Town Life

Historical Note:

Heriot Row is a highly prestigious street in central Edinburgh, virtually unchanged since its original construction in 1802. From its inception to the present day in remained a top address in the city and has housed the rich and famous of the city's elite for 200 years

Following the success of Edinburgh's First New Town (from Princes Street to Queen Street) it was proposed to expand the concept northwards onto what was then fairly open land largely owned by the Heriot Trust. The scheme was designed by William Sibbald with the young Robert Reid working mainly on the proportions of the palace type frontages. The project was built by John Paton and David Lind. The two main sections were complete by 1808. The short western section (linking to Darnaway Street then the Moray Estate was slightly later and was executed in 1817 to the design of Thomas Bonnar being built by William & Wallace.

The original concept was for two palace-fronted blocks: Dundas Street to Howe Street; and Howe Street to India Street. The short westmost section was originally planned as part of Darnaway Street and only after construction was it deemed part of Heriot Row.

The original design concept was exceptionally modest: two storey and basement other than the end pavilions and central pavilions, which were set at three storey. Bonnar's west section was all three storeys. In 1864 David Bryce drew up a plan to add a third storey to all the western (central) section, but as this was in mixed ownership not all owners added this. The end result is an irretrievable ragged skyline to the west end of the central section (but the east end of the central section was successfully extended).

The terraces run from Dundas Street to Gloucester Lane, the latter being off the New Town rectangular grid as it is a medieval lane linking Stockbridge to St Cuthbert's Church (which is also of medieval foundation). The lane marks a parish boundary. [Wikipedia]

A Laysan albatross executes a sunrise inspection of the breeding colony on the shoreline sand dunes of Ka’ena Point. I have observed this bird for multiple seasons and happy to see her return. Auxiliary banding data (O220) indicates she was ringed as an adult in March 2007 by PRC.

Though awkward on land, albatrosses are magnificent in the air. Airborne albatrosses are masters of dynamic soaring requiring little metabolic energy or wing flapping. Bones lock into position requiring no muscle to keep the six-foot wing span extended. This mōlī has returned from months and tens of thousands of miles of nomadic solitary foraging at sea to reestablish its pair bond with a monogamous mate. Males with established pair bonds generally arrive first in mid-November and stake out a nesting site, females arrive a few days or so later. After a brief, but elaborate, reaffirming courtship dance followed by mating, the couple return to nomadically soaring over the north Pacific for about two weeks to forage and fatten up for the rigors of nesting and incubation.

Executed on 9 x 12 inch drawing paper.

Portrait of Pope Innocent X is an oil on canvas portrait by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez, executed during a trip to Italy around 1650. Many artists and art critics consider it the finest portrait ever created. It is housed in the Galleria Doria Pamphilj in Rome. A smaller version is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and a study is on display at Apsley House in London. The painting is noted for its realism as an unflinching portrait of a highly intelligent, shrewd, and aging man. He is dressed in linen vestments, and the quality of the work is evident in the rich reds of his upper clothing, head-dress, and the hanging curtains.

The pope, born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj, was initially wary of sitting for Velázquez, but relented after he was shown reproductions of portraits by the artist. A contributing factor for this large advancement in the painter's career was that he had already depicted a number of members of Pamphilj's inner court. The pope, however, remained cautious, and the painting was initially displayed only to his immediate family, and was largely lost from public view through the 17th and 18th centuries.

The portrait was painted during Velázquez's second voyage to Italy, between 1649 and 1651. The subject's vestments are of light linen, suggesting that the picture was probably painted during summer, most likely in 1650. Velázquez included his signature on the paper in the pope's hands, but the date is not readable. There are two versions of the story of how Velázquez came to paint the portrait. According to one of these, while visiting Rome, Velázquez, already a renowned painter, was granted an audience with Pope Innocent X. He offered to paint a portrait of the pope, but Innocent X mistrusted Velázquez's fame, and asked for proof of Veláquez's skills. It would have been then that Velázquez painted the portrait of his servant Juan de Pareja (today at display in the Metropolitan Museum of New York). Once Innocent saw that portrait, he agreed to sit for the artist.

Apparently, when the pope saw the finished portrait, he exclaimed: "È troppo vero! È troppo vero!" ("It's too true! It's too true!"), though he did not deny the extraordinary quality of the portrait.[4] Experts doubt the veracity of this story, and argue that the pope allowed Velázquez to paint him because he had already painted with great success other people from the inner papal court, including the pope's barber.

The portrait was kept at private display by Innocent's family, the Pamphilj, who would display it in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery where it remains to this day. For much of the 17th and 18th centuries, it was a relatively unknown work, familiar only to a few connoisseurs who regarded it to be one of the finest portraits ever. French historian Hippolyte Taine considered the portrait as "the masterpiece amongst all portraits" and said "once it has been seen, it is impossible to forget".

The art dealer René Gimpel noted in his diary in 1923 "Morgan would have offered a million dollars for it. Velázquez was faced with a ruddy Italian, and the artist, accustomed to the pale complexions of his country, unhesitatingly steeped his brush in red the color of wine and brought the bon vivant devastatingly to life.... That face is a whirlpool of flesh, and blood, and life; the eyes are searching.

The 20th century artist Francis Bacon painted a series of distorted variants, often known as the "Screaming Popes", which total more than forty-five known variants executed during the 1950s and early 1960s. The picture was described by Gilles Deleuze as an example of creative re-interpretation of the classical. Bacon avoided seeing the original, but the painting remained the single greatest influence on him; its presence can be seen in many of his best works from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. In Bacon's 1953 version Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, the pope is shown screaming yet his voice is "silenced" by the enclosing drapes and dark rich colors which have been said to create a grotesque and nightmarish tone. The pleated curtains of the backdrop are rendered transparent and appear to fall through the representation of the pope's face.

A reversed form of the portrait features on the cover of occult rock band Ghost's 2018 album Prequelle.

Test 101 - Execute HurtFeelings.exe

Test subjects will be subject to immense sadness.

WHY MUST YOU PROGRAM ME TO FEEL PAIN?!?!

--

Build for Rogue Bricks 101 bricks or less challenge.

This week: feelings (misty water feelings, of the way we wereeeee).

Portrait 2

52 weeks of 2018

Week #25 ~ Environmental Portrait

“An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject's usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject's life and surroundings.”

Mr Gunn is a charming gentleman. He owns John Gunn Camera Shop in Wexford Street, Dublin. If you need anything for your camera or films developed, go to John Gunn's! www.johngunn.ie/

Thanks to John who kindly agreed to pose for me for this shot.

Photographiée au festival du monastère de Phyiang, Ladakh, Inde

Le festival du monastère bouddhiste de Phyiang est consacré à des spectacles de danse sacrée exécutée par des personnages masqués, folkloriques ou religieux, accompagnée de musique jouée par des moines sur des instruments traditionnels tibétains. Ces danses Cham, associées à l'école Gelug ( l'école des fameux Bonnets Jaunes que j'ai déjà évoquée à plusieurs reprises) du bouddhisme tibétain, sont considérées comme une forme de méditation, et une offrande aux dieux.

The Supper at Emmaus is a painting by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, executed in 1601, and now in London. It depicts the Gospel story of the resurrected Jesus's appearance in Emmaus.

Originally this painting was commissioned and paid for by Ciriaco Mattei, brother of cardinal Girolamo Mattei.

The painting depicts the moment when the resurrected but incognito Jesus reveals himself to two of his disciples (presumed to be Luke and Cleopas) in the town of Emmaus, only to soon vanish from their sight (Gospel of Luke 24: 30–31). Cleopas wears the scallop shell of a pilgrim. The other apostle wears torn clothes. Cleopas gesticulates in a perspectively-challenging extension of arms in and out of the frame of reference. The standing groom, forehead smooth and face in darkness, appears oblivious to the event. The painting is unusual for the life-sized figures, the dark and blank background. The table lays out a still-life meal with the basket of food teetering over the edge.

In the Gospel of Mark (16:12) Jesus is said to have appeared to them "in another form", which may be why he is depicted beardless here, as opposed to the bearded Christ in Calling of St Matthew, where a group of seated money counters is interrupted by the recruiting Christ. It is also a recurring theme in Caravaggio's paintings to find the sublime interrupting the daily routine. The unexalted humanity is apt for this scene, since the human Jesus has made himself unrecognizable to his disciples, and at once confirms and surmounts his humanity. Caravaggio seems to suggest that perhaps a Jesus could enter our daily encounters. The dark background envelops the tableau.

The basket of fruit in the foreground has two stray strands of wicker that form an ichthys, the early Christian fish-symbol for Christ. The shadow of the fruit on the tablecloth forms the body of a fish and fishtail.

Decemviri Altarpiece is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Pietro Perugino, executed in 1495–1496, and housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana in Vatican City.

The work was commissioned by the Decemviri ("Ten Men") of Perugia for the chapel in the Palazzo dei Priori, and was executed 1495 to 1496. It was originally surmounted by a Pietà (87 x 90 cm), now at the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria.

The work portrays the Virgin on a high throne, with decorations and reliefs. Behind her is a bright landscape with hills. She holds the child in a position identical to that in the Fano Altarpiece. At her sides are Saint Lawrence, Louis of Toulouse, Herculanus and Constantius of Perugia.

The portico theme was typical of Perugino's late 15th century works, such as the Albani Torlonia Polyptych and the Pietà.

‘Gentle visitor pause awhile : where you stand death cut away the light of many days : here jewelled names were broken from the vivid thread of life : may they rest in peace while we walk the generations around their strife and courage : under there restless skies’.

View On Black

The first castle at Dryslwyn was constructed by the sons of the Lord Rhys in the early part of the 13th century and was further fortified by Rhys ap Maredudd later in the century. By 1287 Dryslwyn was possibly the largest stone castle built by a Welsh prince. In June 1287 Rhys attacked and captured the castles of Dynefor, Carreg Cennen and Llandovery causing the King to raise an army under Edmund Earl of Cornwall and invade Deheubarth. Dryslwyn was besieged and fell after three weeks in August and September. Rhys escaped but was captured and executed in 1292. During the siege part of a wall collapsed and a number of the attackers were buried alive.

The castle now in the hands of the English was repaired but after its surrender to Owain Glyndwr in 1403 and subsequent recapture it was effectively destroyed.

Year - 19 BBY

Planet - Felucia

================

CC - 7131, Station Log

/\/\ Log Entry /\/\

/\/\ End Log /\/\

CC - 7131: "General! Droids spotted in sector 4!"

The Jedi's lightsaber blades ignited, with a glow of blue illuminating the platform beneath his feet.

CC - 7131 and his men began firing at the droids, unaware that another squadron of B1 droids had already reached the bottom of the platform the clones were standing on. They began scaling the supports of the platform, unknown to the clone troopers.

The first droids made their way onto the platform, surprising a few troopers, which killed them in the process.

CC - 7131: "Droids on the platform! Squad, tighten formation!"

The clones formed up, taking out the droids on the platform as they did so. One trooper threw thermal detonators into the midst of the droids attacking the platform on foot, creating a blast of flame and metal body parts. With the droids on the ground handled, Master Evansan directed his attention to the droids on the platform, finishing them off with the help of his men.

CC - 7131: "Enemy neutralized, General Evansan."

Evansan: "Indeed, though I sense our battle is not yet over. There is a great darkness approaching, I can feel it in the Force. There are dark times ahead of us all."

CC - 7131: "Whatever it is, sir, we can handle it...together."

Evansan put a hand on his captain's shoulder.

Evansan: "I know we can, Ray. You've never let me down. I'm going to go report our status to Master Secura."

CC - 7131 (Ray): "Very good, sir."

As Evansan began to walk away, Ray's holoprojector beeped, signaling an incoming transmission. Ray took the 'projector off his belt, and turned it on to receive the message. He was surprised to see Chancellor Palpatine appear in hologram form before him.

Palpatine: "Captain Ray. It is finally time. Execute Order 66 immediately. Ever Jedi is a traitor to the Republic, and must die."

Good soldiers follow orders, Ray heard him say in his head.

CC - 7131 (Ray): "Yes, my Lord. It will be done."

And so it was. Captain Ray of the Grand Army of the Republic turned his weapon on Jedi Master Evansan, and pulled the trigger.

===============

Hello there! This is my "application" build to join the Dark Times group. I've been wanting to build a little Order 66 vignette for a while, so this was a perfect opportunity once I heard about this awesome group of builders.

I chose to do Felucia, which I don't think is done too often. I tried to make it very different from other Felucia MOC's. Usually there is a ton of more growth, but I decided to thin it out a bit, as if the Republic recently built their little outpost.

Let me know what you think, both of the build and story! :)

May the Force of others be with you!

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Through the creations that I build, I hope to inspire other young (or perhaps older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity. We all need a positive way to express ourselves, so let's let LEGO be an extension of us. Your creativity belongs to you, and nobody can take that away. Build what you want to build, and how you want to build it.

Time for a BIG Announcement!! My new class, in collaboration with Sebastian Michaels (aka the best creative educator I've ever met), is now OUT! www.myphotoartisticlife.com/conceptual

I emailed Sebastian a few months back just to say thank you for making education accessible and for offering such a high standard and quality to people who can really benefit. His response? Let's collaborate on a new online course! Long story short, I said YES, and we got to WORK.

It's 12 hours of content with 10 more hours on the way. When you purchase this course, you get access for life with more content being added in the coming months. It takes a deep dive into: 6 photo shoots (including this one!), hours of editing, breaking down how and why images were crafted, detail and theme, planning and executing complex ideas, and how to create YOUR most fulfilling images.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering this class. I hope you find it a beautiful fit for you. In my career I have tried to make education accessible because I believe creativity is not for a select few. The more we express ourselves, the more we give others permission to express themselves. This is how truly open and creative societies are built.

By purchasing this course, you are helping to support me as a working artist while investing in your creativity. I believe everyone has a story that needs to be expressed, and the world will be better for having your story in it. That isn't a gimmick I subscribe to, it is a way of life that I have witnessed, time and time again, change others for the better. No matter how you choose to move forward in your artistry, thank you for being brave enough to create.

I finally decided to execute this shot. This was inspired by DCI's comment on my invisible camera sequel shot. It was a while ago but I finally got it done. Lol. The vision I saw when he said the comment was a little better than this. Not too happy with the execution but i tried. Its good enough. =P

Wanna know about my day? It'd be too much to say. haha. To make it short, the weather killed it. But work was good! Because of this sh*tty weather we're having I had a lot of deliveries. Cheers.

In 1794, the demagogue Maximillian Robespierre was executed, bringing an end to the "Reign of Terror" in France. His leadership would soon be replaced by the "Directory", a committee of five members governing the French Republic along with a 500 member legislature. Despite these new changes and some semblance of normalcy, the next 4 years would be rocked by political gridlock, inflation, revolts, corruption and war. The Directory would wage several successful wars against the great powers of Europe, but could do nothing about the discontent at home. It was hated by the Jacobins and the Royalists alike who the Directory would seek to crush in the streets of Paris. Due to the political gridlock, the Directory had to use the military to enforce its decrees with generals like Napoleon Bonaparte and Barthelemy Joubert playing a role in this.

Eventually the rule of the Directory would come to an end in the Coup of 18 Brumarie (November 9, 1799). The political instability and military defeats abroad were too much for the French people who decided that uncertain authoritarianism was better than the chaos of the republic. The Directory was replaced by the French Consulate with Napoleon Bonaparte as the head. The chaotic and unstable revolution had come to an end and so began the Napoleonic Era.

At first this build started with the catacombs, which I thought would be a cool build to do. I then decided to add the city of Paris itself, but I had a limited time window since the catacombs themselves are relatively new (historically speaking). I decided to go with the French revolution as its one of the most interesting and important events in world history. Many of the buildings were inspired by what's seen in Assassins Creed Unity. I did include an Arno Easter egg in the catacombs because why not. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!

Normandy is a region of northern France. Its varied coastline includes white-chalk cliffs and WWII beachheads, including Omaha Beach, site of the famous D-Day landing. Just off the coast, the rocky island of Mont-Saint-Michel is topped by a soaring Gothic abbey. The city of Rouen, dominated by Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, is where military leader and Catholic saint Joan of Arc was executed in 1431. (Wikipedia)

Normandy’s other world-famous date is June 1944, when the Allies launched their attack on the Landing Beaches. The events are commemorated today and the area around that particular piece of coast is full of museums and memorials, telling the story. (www.tripsavvy.com/normandy-region-of-france-3863169)

Salle exécutée par Giulio Romano (Jules Romain, Rome, 1492-Mantoue, 1546) et Francesco Primaticcio (Le Primatice, Bologne, 1503-Paris, 1570), son élève le plus brillant.

After the battle of Plassey between the British East India company and the Bengal Subah and their French allies, Colonel Robert Clive and Mir Jafar Ali Khan would meet at the British camp in Daudpur. It was here that both men would unknowingly decide the fate of the Indian subcontinent. Mir Jafar was originally one of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, generals until he decided to defect to the British. The British would reward his loyalty by making him the new Nawab of Bengal and he would have Siraj executed. However they would soon realize that he used them in order to secure his own power. Mir Jafar would try to reach out to the Dutch to drive the British out as he saw them as an existential threat. This would fail and he would lose his power entirely. The state of Bengal would become territory ruled by the British East India Company. The British were the sole European power on the Indian sub continent and for the next 100 years would conquer the many states making up modern day India and Pakistan today.

This was heavily based on the iconic painting by Francis Hayman. I always thought the British conquest of India was interesting as it involved an island thousands of miles away conquering an entire civilization and redefining it. I might do more builds and scenes related to it in the future. Also, I did not realize this until after I took the picture that the British flag is slightly inaccurate as its the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and not the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Organ and Quire Screen at Rochester Cathedral.

The quire screen is relatively modern, having been executed in memory of Robert Scott (sometime Dean) with its current statues by J. Loughborough Pearson in or around the late 1880s.

Rochester Cathedral's current pipe organ originates from the 1905 instrument built by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. It was later rebuilt by Mander Organs in 1989, who installed a new choir organ and pipework under the advice of Paul Hale.

Rochester Cathedral in the English county of Kent, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the seat of the Diocese of Rochester, the second oldest bishopric in England after that of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The edifice is a Grade I listed building

There has been a cathedral on this site since 604, but after the Norman Conquest, the by now decayed building was replaced by a new Rochester Cathedral, constructed beginning in 1080 by Bishop Gundulf.

The building was dedicated in either 1130 or 1133, but was badly damaged by fire almost immediately, and then again in 1137 and 1179, with the east end almost complete destroyed. This was replaced around the turn of the 13th Century. There was a significant period of extension in the late 13th and early 14th Centuries, which added much Decorated work while leaving the Norman-Romanesque superstructure largely intact.

The cathedral suffered a steep decline after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, during which time its estates were confiscated by the Crown, and it became dilapidated and fell into disrepute. Samuel Pepys, the diarist, would later dismiss it as a "shabby place". After William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, visited the cathedral in 1633 and complained about its general state, there seems to have been a significant programme of repairs, only to fall into disrepair again under Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth, although remedial work began as early as 1664 after the Restoration. Almost inevitably, the Cathedral was “restored” by George Gilbert Scott in the 1870s.

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

For three standard years, Cascade Company had been fighting against the separatists on the plant Kothlis. One side would push forward as the other retaliated with the same force. From freeing up other planets, we could eventually call out to other groups like the 438th battalion for support, out-matching the droids, and winning us the three year battle. Lieutenant Dyre, Captain Nilo and I were on board our republic cruiser The Collaborator, When we all received a transmission from the chancellor himself. He told us our orders, it meant the Jedi had betrayed us and were now all enemies of the Galactic Republic. Standing only a few meters away was our jedi general Kyde K’ban, we new what we had to do, and we would do it without fail. It was time to execute Order 66.

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Riopelle executed this canvas in the style he learned from his teacher, Henri Bisson. This view depicts his childhood home on De Lorimier street in a working class district of Montreal, where he played street hockey with his friends. He regularly spent Sundays with Bisson painting in nature and the surrounding neighbourhoods. We can easily envision a young Riopelle strolling along this road with a hockey stick in hand and an easel and paint box in his arms.

The church is renowned for its 12th century mosaics executed by craftsmen working in the Byzantine style. The mosaics show many iconographic and formal similarities to the roughly contemporary programs in the Cappella Palatina, in Monreale Cathedral, and in Cefalù Cathedral, although they were probably executed by a distinct atelier.[16]

The walls display two mosaics taken from the original Norman façade, depicting King Roger II, George of Antioch's lord, receiving the crown of Sicily from Jesus, and, on the northern side of the aisle, George himself, at the feet of the Virgin. The depiction of Roger was highly significant in terms of its iconography. In Western Christian tradition, kings were customarily crowned by the Pope or his representatives; however, Roger is shown in Byzantine dress being crowned by Jesus in the Byzantine fashion. Roger was renowned for presenting himself as an emperor during his reign, being addressed as basileus ("king" in koine Greek). The mosaic of the crowning of Roger carries a Latin inscription written in koine Greek characters (Rogerios Rex ΡΟΓΕΡΙΟΣ ΡΗΞ "king Roger").

The nave dome is occupied by the traditional byzantine image of Christ Pantokrator surrounded by the archangel saints: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. The register below depicts the eight prophets of the Old Testament and, in the pendentives, the four evangelists of the New Testament. The nave vault depicts the Nativity and the Death of the Virgin.

c/o Wikipedia

this sculpture can also be seen in img1 F10 and is directly across the road from Kilmainham Jail .at the date of this conditions were not favourable to photograph Kilmainham Jail its self but will have some in the next few days..i will add a note here when i upload some .

La cour Marty, département des Sculptures, aile Richelieu.

La cour Marty a été recouverte d'une verrière dessinée par Leoh Ming Pei. L'architecte de la pyramide lors des travaux d'aménagement de l'aile Richelieu en 1993. Y sont exposées les œuvres exécutées pour le par du château royal de Marty, réé pour Louis XIV. On y trouve les chefs-d’œuvre de la sculpture française des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, dont les chevaux de Marty, réaliser sous Louis XV.

bsh

"Execute Order 66."

Public house at Preston Circus built in the 1870s or earlier. Originally called the Stanford Arms. Locally listed as "a good example of a late 19th century public house, with well-executed detail and design". City of Brighton & Hove, UK.

(CC BY-NC-ND - credit: Images George Rex)

The Tornabuoni Chapel is the main chapel (or chancel) in the church of Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy. It is famous for the extensive and well-preserved fresco cycle on its walls, one of the most complete in the city, which was created by Domenico Ghirlandaio and his workshop between 1485 and 1490.

The main chapel of Santa Maria Novella was first frescoed in the mid-14th century by Andrea Orcagna. Remains of these paintings were found during restorations in the 1940s: these included, mostly in the vault, figures from the Old Testament. Some of these were detached and can be seen today in the Museum of the church.

By the late 15th century, Orcagna's frescoes were in poor condition. The Sassetti, a rich and powerful Florentine family who were the bankers of the Medici, had long held the right to decorate the main altar of the chapel, while the walls and the choir had been assigned to the Ricci family. However, the Ricci had never recovered from their bankruptcy in 1348, and so they arranged to sell their rights to the choir to the Sassetti. Francesco Sassetti wanted the new frescoes to portray stories of St. Francis of Assisi; however, the Dominicans, to whom Santa Maria Novella was entrusted, refused. Sassetti therefore moved the commission to the church of Santa Trinita, where Ghirlandaio executed one of his masterworks, the Sassetti Chapel. The rights to the chapel in Santa Maria Novella that were lost by the Sassetti were then sold by the Ricci to Giovanni Tornabuoni.

Ghirlandaio, who then had the largest workshop in Florence, did not lose the commission however, because on September 1, 1485 Giovanni Tornabuoni commissioned him to paint the main chapel, this time with the lives of the Virgin and St. John the Baptist, patron of Tornabuoni and of the city of Florence. It is possible that the new scenes followed the same pattern as Orcagna's.

Ghirlandaio worked to the frescoes from 1485 to 1490, with the collaboration of his workshop artists, who included his brothers Davide and Benedetto, his brother-in-law Sebastiano Mainardi and, probably, the young Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Structure of the cycle. In green: Stories of the Virgin. In red: Stories of St. John of the Baptist. In violet: Episodes of the Lives of Dominican Saints and the two patrons. In yellow: The Four Evangelists.

The windows were also executed according to Ghirlandaio's design. The complex was completed by an altarpiece portraying the Madonna del Latte in Glory with Angel and Saints, flanked by two panels with St. Catherine of Siena and St. Lawrence. On the recto a Resurrection of Christ was painted. This work is now held divided between the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin and the Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

The cycle portrays on three walls the Life of the Virgin and the Life of St John the Baptist, the patron saint of Florence. The left and right walls each have three rows, each divided into two rectangular scenes framed by fictive architecture, and surmounted by a large lunette beneath the vault. Each side wall has a total of seven narrative scenes which are read beginning from the bottom.

The chancel wall has a large mullioned window of three lights with stained glass, provided in 1492 by Alessandro Agolanti after Ghirlandaio's design. On the lower part of the wall is a donor portrait of Giovanni Tornabuoni and his wife Francesca Pitti, while on either side of the window are four smaller scenes portraying Dominican saints. Above the window is another large lunette, containing the Coronation of the Virgin. In the vault are depicted the Four Evangelists.

The Parnassus is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea Mantegna, executed in 1497. It is now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

The Parnassus is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea Mantegna, executed in 1497. It is now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

The traditional interpretation of the work is based on a late 15th-century poem by Battista Fiera, which identified it as a representation of Mount Parnassus, culminating in the allegory of Isabella as Venus and Francesco II Gonzaga as Mars.

The two gods are shown on a natural arch of rocks in front a symbolic bed; in the background the vegetation has many fruits in the right part (the male one) and only one in the left (female) part, symbolizing the fecundation. The posture of Venus derives from the ancient sculpture. They are accompanied by Anteros (the heavenly love), opposed to the carnal one. The latter is still holding the arch, and has a blowpipe which aims at the genitals of Vulcan, Venus' husband, portrayed in his workshop in a grotto. Behind him is the grape, perhaps a symbol of the drunk's intemperance.

In a clearing under the arch is Apollo playing a lyre. Nine Muses are dancing, in an allegory of universal harmony. The touch of Pegasus's hoof (right) can generate the spring which fed the falls of Mount Helicon, which can be seen in the background. The Muses danced traditionally in wood of this mount, and thus the traditional naming of Mount Parnassus is wrong.

Near Pegasus is Mercury, with his traditional winged hat, caduceus (the winged staff with entwined snakes), and messenger shoes. He is present to protect the two adulterers.

This cowboy executed a technique used back when the Pony Express riders were a bit behind schedule.

He lands as the horse stops and pulls the mochila from his saddle to throw it over the saddle of his next mount.

If I were an Olympic Judge, he would get added, "degree of difficulty" points.

Tantalizingly executing her famous "You sweet THANG!" pose as seen in print ads, magazines, telly adverts & such

Decided to gather all my Clone Minifigs and snap this pic. I also included hologram Palpatine, Anakin, the “what are we going to do” Padawan, and Aayla Secura, almost all of which are official.

You may have noticed my activity on here has gone down recently, and to be honest, it has. Flickr’s just not the same anymore, there’s barely any views, faves, and comments on my posts, and I’ve gained more followers on Instagram in 3 months than I have on here in 3 years. It’s a shame most of the community has moved to Instagram, admittedly so have I, and I’m torn whether or not I should still post here. I haven’t got much stake left here anymore, and as much fun as it’s been, I just don’t know whether I should still invest my time in Flickr. What do you guys think?

Is it the BN Executive Train? Not quite, but close. BNSF (ex-BN) SD70MAC #9766 is on the point of the westbound California Zephyr accounting for Amtrak's power shortage problem. It's something other than dragging coal for this unit.

Day 2 of Spring Break for the kid and I. My turn is over, and we sure packed it in today with a lot of imperfectly planned and executed adventures, but we both had fun. Tons of photos that I haven't seen yet, but this one is from the phone, of a semi-muddy BMX track we stopped at to ride and he's inspecting. It was soft but still fun. I might swap this out once I look at the "real camera" images, but I'm trying not to fall further behind and I like the simplicity of it. Phone>Flickr>Aviary = #103?

The Madonna of Foligno is a painting by the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael, executed c. 1511–1512. First painted on wood panel, it was later transferred to canvas.

The painting was executed for Sigismondo de' Conti, chamberlain to Pope Julius II. It was placed on the high altar of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, the church in which Sigismondo was buried in 1512.

It was moved by Anna Conti, a descendant of Sigismondi de' Conti, to the monastery of St. Anne in Foligno in 1565, and remained there for more than two centuries, hence the name.

In 1799 it was one of many paintings which Napoleon ordered moved to Paris. There, in 1802, the painting was transferred from panel to canvas by François-Toussaint Hacquin and restored by Mathias Barthélémy Röser of Heidelberg. A note was made by the restorer: "Rapporto dei cittadini Guijon Vincent Tannay e Berthollet sul ristauro dei quadri di Raffaello conosciuto sotto il nome di Madonna di Foligno."

In 1815, after the Battle of Waterloo, the painting was returned to the Papal States where it was allocated to the Pinacoteca Vaticana of the Vatican Museum. It was hung in the same room as Raphael's Transfiguration.

The painting is a sacra conversazione, where holy figures seem to be in conversation and draw the audience into their discussion. Rather than sitting under a canopy, of the Umbrian or Florentine style, the Virgin is seated on clouds, embracing Jesus, while surrounded by angels. They look down upon Sigismondo de' Conti, kneeling in a red, fur-lined cape. Conti is presented by St. Jerome on the right with his lion, appealing for the Virgin's protection. On the left are the kneeling St. Francis of Assisi and St. John the Baptist, who is standing and wearing a tunic of skins. As St. John points to Jesus, he clearly looks out to us, pulling us in, while St. Francis points to us and looks at the Christ Child. Between the men is an angel, linking the saints of earth to the Heavenly host. Behind them are the towers of Foligno.

Painted during Raphael's Roman period, it is a testament to his artistic maturity, evidenced in the painting's composition, coloring and form.

Conti commissioned the painting to commemorate his survival of a shell that exploded near him during the Siege of Foligno, his hometown. He credited his safety to heavenly intervention. According to the historian Massimo Polidoro, this painting has been used by UFO websites as evidence of a flying saucer crash. Polidoro states that the house of Sigismondo Conti and a fireball are visible in the painting, and that painters at this time used "symbolic meanings that were anything but random". The angel is holding a sign with nothing written on it; according to Polidoro this was because Sigismondo died before he could tell Raphael what "thank you" to the Virgin he wanted written on the sign. Polidoro describes the UFO explanation as "reinterpreting with the eyes of twenty-first-century Europeans the product of other cultures".

The church is renowned for its 12th century mosaics executed by craftsmen working in the Byzantine style. The mosaics show many iconographic and formal similarities to the roughly contemporary programs in the Cappella Palatina, in Monreale Cathedral, and in Cefalù Cathedral, although they were probably executed by a distinct atelier.[16]

The walls display two mosaics taken from the original Norman façade, depicting King Roger II, George of Antioch's lord, receiving the crown of Sicily from Jesus, and, on the northern side of the aisle, George himself, at the feet of the Virgin. The depiction of Roger was highly significant in terms of its iconography. In Western Christian tradition, kings were customarily crowned by the Pope or his representatives; however, Roger is shown in Byzantine dress being crowned by Jesus in the Byzantine fashion. Roger was renowned for presenting himself as an emperor during his reign, being addressed as basileus ("king" in koine Greek). The mosaic of the crowning of Roger carries a Latin inscription written in koine Greek characters (Rogerios Rex ΡΟΓΕΡΙΟΣ ΡΗΞ "king Roger").

The nave dome is occupied by the traditional byzantine image of Christ Pantokrator surrounded by the archangel saints: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. The register below depicts the eight prophets of the Old Testament and, in the pendentives, the four evangelists of the New Testament. The nave vault depicts the Nativity and the Death of the Virgin.

c/o Wikipedia

Saint Louis of Toulouse is a gilded bronze sculpture of Louis of Toulouse by Donatello with a marble niche all'antica on the facade of Orsanmichele, executed in 1423–1425. It is now in the refectory of the Museo di Santa Croce in Florence.

The statue was commissioned by the Parte Guelfa for their external niche at the centre of the east facade of Orsanmichele facing via de' Calzaiuoli. Their patron saint (canonized in 1317) had given up his crown for the religious life, an idea that favorably symbolized the Guelphs' believe in the Papacy. They backed the papal party against the Holy Roman Emperor in the Investiture Controversy and later conflicts.

The Saint Louis of Toulouse was Donatello's earliest bronze sculpture, that we know of, not only of this size. It measures 2.26 m high with a widest diameter of about 0.75 m and 0.85 m at the bottom. An (above) life-sized bronze statue wasn't done since late-antiquity and the knowledge was almost lost, at least in Tuscany. For the first Baptistry door (1330–1336) modeled after its sole predecessor, Bonanno Pisano's doors for Pisa Cathedral from the end of the 12th century, a hundred and fifty years later Andrea Pisano needed the help of bronze-casters from Venice, where the late-antique/byzantine tradition and the knowledge about casting bigger pieces had been preserved. At the turn of the 15th century, the second door for the Florence Baptistry then marked a new beginning. For Lorenzo Ghiberti, a trained goldsmith, it was a huge challenge, and it took him 20 years (1403–1424), before he immediately took on the commission for the third door.

But in 1412 Ghiberti also had the chance to create the first life-size bronze figure since antiquity, his Saint John the Baptist (finished by 1416). No surprise that it also was commissioned for one of the niches of Orsanmichele again by one of the most wealthiest guilds in Florence, the Arte di Calimala , who were responsible for the Baptistery and for the commission of its bronze doors to Ghiberti. Subsequently the Arte del Cambio and the Arte della Lana were evenly keen to promote their prestige and show their wealth by commissioning also bronze statues of their patron saints for the designated niches at Orsanmichele, and both asked Ghiberti to do it. The Bankers Guild even demanded explicitly that their Saint Matthew should be taller than the Baptist of the Calimala. Ghiberti executed the Saint Matthew between 1419–1422, the Saint Stephen for the Arte della Lana in 1427–1428, replacing an earlier, less prestigious marble figure of their patron saint.

Completed in 1425 the Saint Louis of Toulouse was then the third monumental bronze statue since several centuries, with Donatello also designing its niche according to Vasari, but in 1459 the niche was instead sold to the Tribunale della Mercanzia and used for their commission of the Christ and St. Thomas.

Donatello was still alive when due to political pressure the Parte Guelfa had to give up their prestigious representational space at Orsanmichele, the economical centre of Florence. The statue was instead taken to "the next best location" (Janson), Santa Croce, which their patron saint Louis of Anjou had visited and therefore the Guelphs were affiliated with. It was placed in a niche above the central portal of the facade, in which the coat of arms of the Parte Guelfa were formerly displayed. Aesthetically the niche was "a poor choice", it was too high up, but it also was too shallow for the statue. Today the statues's hollow shell is open on its back, and it is believed that parts of the drapery on the back were taken off the figure to make it fit into its new space. An indicator for this to be true is the fact that the statue doesn't sustain itself and tilts forwards so it has to be held by additional support that is not original.

When the 19th-century facade was built (in 1860) the sculpture was put into store and then into the museum. In 1943 the Orsanmichele sculptures and others were placed in secure storage for the duration of the war. After the war the Saint Louis was briefly placed in then the supposedly original niche at Orsanmichele, and it was first prooven that it was indeed Donatello's sculpture for the Guelphs.

U memorijalnom parku Dotrščina spomenik je u čast žrtava fašizma strijeljanima u ovoj šumi. Spomenik je djelo Vojina Bakića (1915.- 1992.), koji je bio istaknuti hrvatski kipar srpskog podrijetla.

Zbog odbijanja svjetla od metalne površine ovog lijepog spomenika, on se mijenja od sata do sata, od jednog do drugog godišnjeg doba. Nikad se ne čini isti.

Ova je fotografija snimljena gotovo s istog mjesta kao prethodna, ali vrijeme je drugačije. Pogledajte koju razliku čini sunčani dan.

In memorial park Dotrščina there is a monument in honour of victims of fascism executed in this forest. The monument is work of Vojin Bakić, ( born 1915 , died 1992) who was a prominent Croatian sculptor of Serbian descent.

Due to reflection of the light from the metallic surface of this beautiful monument, it changes from hour to hour and from season to season. It never seems to be the same.

This photo was taken almost from the same place as previous photo, but the weather was different. Look what a difference makes a sunny day.

Stormtroopers execute Order 51. Darth Vader has ordered the complete genocidal destruction of Classic Spacemen.

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Once news of the slaughter reached Blacktron leaders (allies to the Classic Space Federation), they declared war on The Empire and began mobilizing forces to save the remaining remote outposts of Spacemen.

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Cooperative Feeding?

I watched a mixed flock of more than twenty snowy egrets and yellowlegs in a line executing a fascinating and apparently coordinated feeding strategy at Bombay Hook.

The behavior may have been coincidental, but it appeared to be intentional and was repeated many times. One group would feed in a line, then the second group would fly over them and land just ahead of them to feed. They appeared to be shepherding a huge shoal of tiny fish into very shallow water on the mudflats.

2019_04_10_EOS 7D Mark II_9569_V1

The 492d FS is a combat-ready F-15E Strike Eagle squadron capable of executing strategic attack, interdiction, and counter air missions in support of United States Air Forces in Europe, United States European Command, and NATO operations. It employs the full array of air superiority and surface attack munitions to include the most advanced precision-guided weapons in the USAF inventory. The squadron is capable of deploying to any theater of operations in the world.[1]

La salle de bal, dite parfois « galerie Henri II », longue de 30 m et large de 10 m, a une superficie qui dépasse 300 m2. À l'origine (sous François Ier), elle était une simple loggia (réalisée sous la direction de Gilles Le Breton) qui ouvrait sur la cour Ovale et les jardins, et qui devait être couverte d'une voûte en berceau, comme en attestent les piles de consoles de retombée des arcs. François Ier puis Henri II décident de la transformer en une grande salle de réception et d'apparat pour y organiser les fêtes royales. La conception de la salle est confiée à l'architecte Philibert Delorme.

Les peintures dont les dessins furent réalisés par le Primatice et exécutées en fresque par Nicolò dell'Abbate et son équipe, décorant la salle de bal, s'inspirent pour la plupart de la mythologie gréco-romaine.

The ballroom, sometimes called the "Henri II Gallery", is 30 m long and 10 m wide and has a surface area of over 300 m2. Originally (under Francis I), it was a simple loggia (designed under the direction of Gilles Le Breton) which opened onto the Cour Ovale and the gardens, and which was to be covered by a barrel vault, as attested to by the piles of brackets at the end of the arches. Francis I and then Henry II decided to transform it into a large reception and ceremonial room for royal celebrations. The design of the hall was entrusted to the architect Philibert Delorme.

The paintings in the ballroom, designed by Primaticcio and executed in fresco by Nicolò dell'Abbate and his team, are mostly inspired by Greco-Roman mythology.

Executing a heavy and low departure from Runway 09R at Bengaluru headed back to Dubai

A T-45C Goshawk (S/N: 165088) from VT-9 "Tigers" executes a touch-n-go at Naval Air Facility El Centro.

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Executing a slight modification of Dodge City's official motto...new-used Cimarron Valley (CVR; ex-CSX) C40-8s #4052 and 4053 creep out of Sublette, KS at a less-than-rapid pace after working the elevators for a good 45 minutes. The train is scheduled to run all the way to Dodge City and at this rate, they might even get there before the next day...or maybe not.

The C40s sport the railroad's new Santa Fe inspired paint scheme, and look damn good doing it.

Click the pic to zoom in.

A new mural for the 2024 Vancouver Mural Festival, "We Howl" by Drift Mural Co. completed on the side of a building in lower Mount Pleasant at 2122 Alberta Street.

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Drift Mural Co. is a project of Anaϊs Labrèque and Dominic Laporte. Exterior and interior mural projects are their specialty and have executed 80+ murals since 2014.