Art's Last Bow

How many pre-1940s famous female artists could you name? Although women painters are getting more recognition and serious study than ever before, many people are still surprised that there’s been so many women working in the predominantly male artistic sphere during the past centuries. Let’s take a look at some great women painters to remember.    Renaissance Portraitist The late Renaissance artist Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532 –1625) was one of the first female artists who enjoyed an established international reputation during her lifetime. The daughter of a nobleman, she had seven siblings, whom she often portrayed in her paintings. She was said to have been encouraged in her art by Michelangelo, who approved of her painting when shown it. She became a portrait painter at the court of Phillip II of Spain, painting for his daughter, Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, and third wife, Elisabeth of Valois.    Family portrait, Minerva, Amilcare and Asdrubale Anguissola...

  “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 ...