Restoration reports show that Palma Vecchio’s “Woman at a Window” was drastically altered to make it more acceptable to the morality of an audience long after Vecchio’s generation was passed. The woman in the painting actually had rich blonde hair. Her jawline had been adjusted and her nipples covered. Her eyes, which could have been the most expressive part of the portrait, had also been altered. These changes almost made the subject an entirely different person. In the original image of the woman, her more prominent breasts, distant stare, and appearance by the window implied that she might have been a prostitute. This explains why her mere presence was socially unacceptable and had to be altered in the painting.
History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.
Cicero, in Pro Publio Sestio. He would probably be amused to find today he is the antiquity that we study!
(via historical-nonfiction)
Project Monsoon Clever colorful street art that only appears when it rains
After the Superhydrophobic Street Art, which uses a superhydrophobic coating to create designs which appear only in the rain, here is the Project Monsoon, which uses the same concept, this time with hydrochromic painting, which reveals its color only when wet. This amazing and clever project was designed by a Korean team of designers, in collaboration with Pantone, to provide color to the streets of Seoul during the rainy season, while paying tribute to the Korean culture. A brilliant idea! Source: ufunk
Have you ever seen a painting of an elephant? Probably. What about a picture of an elephant painting a painting of an elephant? No? Well meet Suda who lives in Maetaeng Elephant Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The park was created to provide a unique and safe environment where all elephants are treated well and are free of harm from poachers. In the early years, Suda along with other elephants would paint abstract brush strokes on paper, and slowly over time, they learned to produce two and three dimensional art. They have an incredible ability to trace back over their original brush stroke. Elephants have a keen memory and show that here by being able to repeat the same paintings and techniques.
Caption Source | Meet the Elephants | Park Website