Art's Last Bow

  “Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack. Besides, in this random miscellaneous company we may rub against some complete stranger who will, with luck, turn into the best friend we have in the world.” ― Virginia Woolf, “Street Haunting” Ordering books online is quick and easy, but nothing beats going to the bookstore. The smell of books is pure magic. Especially old books.  Bookstalls by Tavík František Šimon Outdoor bookstalls were a popular way to shop for books throughout the 19 th and early 20 th century, and they retain their particular attraction for lovers of old books to this day. In light of the current preparations to dismantle the bookstalls on the Seine in Paris due to the upcoming Olympics, it seems that comfort is starting to kill culture. Buying books online is cheaper, yes, but you cannot replicate the experience ...

“The Ninth Wave” is a stunning Romantic seascape. It was painted by one of the most famous marine artists in the history of art. Ivan Aivazovsky was an Armenian painter, who lived and worked in the Russian Empire, creating over 6,000 seascapes during his lifetime.  “The Ninth Wave”. 1850. Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky Who Was Aivazovsky? Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817-1900), was one of the most famous painters of the Russian Romanticism. He was Armenian, born Hovhannes Aivazian, and he grew up in the Black Sea port of Feodosia, Crimea. Aivazovsky became one of the leading marine painters of the 19 th century. His amazingly vivid seascapes made his hometown Feodosia famous across the Russian Empire and beyond. In fact, he was one of the rare Russian painters to have an exhibition in London in 1881. After completing his education in St Petersburg, Aivazovsky travelled all over Europe, including Italy. He was later appointed the official painter of the Russian Navy, ...