Category: Europe
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Tidal wave
Tidal wave “It sometimes happens that there is a convergence between past and present moments, and as they come together one experiences something of that stillness in the hollow of a wave about to break.” (Anselm Kiefer) In the past, Venice was a formidable maritime power whose ships triumphed over turbulent seas. Now, with the…
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Vintage Kiefer
Vintage Kiefer The enormous paintings that – for the time of the exhibition – covered the painted walls of the Sala dello Scrutinio in the Palazzo Ducale in 2022 consist not just of paint on canvas. Whole bicycles, shopping trolleys, clothes and, of course, little submarines are attached to the canvasses. But it’s through the…
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Questi scritti, …
Questi scritti, … … quando verrano bruciati, daramo finalmente un po’di luce : These writings, when burned, will finally cast a little light. That’s the title Kiefer gave to his exhibition of paintings in the Palazzo Ducale in Venice in 2022, coinciding with the Biennale of that year. It’s a line taken from a text by…
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High five at the Arsenale
High five at the Arsenale Except for the time of the Biennales, the corner of Venice in which the Arsenale is situated is hardly touched by the mass of tourists. While between Rialto and San Marco the people inch forward in their thousands, the Arsenale remains deserted. Photos of the week: Arsenale, Venice, Italy 2022
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Medieval wood carving
Medieval wood carving On the underside of the hinged seats of the choir stalls in medieval churches often a ‘misericord’ was carved, a small wooden seat on which the clergyman could lean while he was supposed to stand during long parts of the different services. So normally a misericord was hidden from view, either because…
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Ter Apel infirmary
Ter Apel infirmary The village of Ter Apel in The Netherlands has lately come into the news because of the inhuman conditions in the overcrowded Center for Asylum Seekers. Before the establishment of this Center, Ter Apel was known for the well preserved remains of the medieval Monastery of the Order of the Holy Cross.…
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Madonna dell’Orto
Madonna dell’Orto In the Chiesa della Madonna dell’Orto in Venice we can admire Tintoretto’s “The Apparition of the Cross to Saint Peter”. The whirling movements of the angels and the recoiling figure of Saint Peter are full of dynamic action. The painting dates from c.1556. What a contrast with the altar piece from c.1495 that…
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Not any window
Not any window Standing still near a window behind which you’ve spent part of your life. That’s what I’m doing here, in the garden of the oldest house of Vandoeuvres. It’s the small window of the outhouse on the right, between the two trees. It evokes memories of ten happy years with my companion and…
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Chandelier
Chandelier When passing “Het Schoolhuis” in Holysloot I saw this chandelier inside, magically lit up by the sun. Blue sky and tree tops reflected in the window. What a lovely sight. What a beautiful moment. Photo of the week: Chandelier in restaurant Het Schoolhuis, Holysloot, The Netherlands 2017
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Geneigter Frauenkopf
Geneigter Frauenkopf Better known in its bronze cast, I particularly like the plaster version of this sculpture by Wilhelm Lehmbruck that I saw in the Museum of Modern Art in Freiburg. It is so beautifully placed in its transparent perspex box against the white window. Exceptionally delicate and moving. Photo of the week: Wilhelm Lehmbruck,…
καιρός remembered 