Wonderfully painterly oil sketches made in front of the motif anticipated the changes which weren’t seen again in landscape painting until 20-50 years later.
Turner
At the start of the 19th century, industrial power came from wind and water. Within forty years, steam power was taking over. How quickly did Turner respond to this revolution?
From an elevated viewpoint, finely detailed, great depth, figures and buildings tiny in the immensity of the view, far distant horizon – it’s a World View.
A brief overview of the legendary and mythical history of the city and its empire, with links to all the articles in this series, and some of the finest paintings.
They painted many of their finest works late in their careers: Rembrandt became more painterly and gestural, using surface texture of paint, and Turner anticipated much of Impressionism.
Originally a marsh just outside the city’s walls, it came to be the heart of the city, a market, meeting place, and the political hub.
A saint banished to the island of Patmos, a history wound around a column, and a megalomaniac emperor strangled in his bath by a professional wrestler.
Mark Antony made a bid for power, and revealed his dark side, before defeat by Octavian. In 27 BCE, under the name Augustus, he became the first Emperor of Rome.
With Umberto Eco as our guide, explore Parnassus, the Garden of Earthly Delights, Alcina’s island, Colchis, and the Garden of the Hesperides.
Hannibal crossed the Alps, but the Romans adopted guerrilla tactics before being defeated at Cannae. Then Scipio invaded north Africa and destroyed the Carthaginians at Zama.
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