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kaffeehaus.bsky.social
Viola Tricolor
@kaffeehaus.bsky.social
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kaffeehaus.bsky.social
GIOVANNI DI PAOLO
(1403-1482, born and died in Siena)

The Adoration of the Magi, ca. 1450

Zoom in on the très chic magus on the left in his red tights and little ermine coat:
www.nga.gov/artworks/15-...
Painting of an adoration scene in front of a rock cave in which ox and ass are watching the holy family with friendly faces. To the right of the cave we see a flat landscape extending to the horizon dotted with blue mountains. In the foreground on the right the holy family looking to the left where, in the middle of the painting, the three magi are standing, kneeling and bowing to newborn Christ. On the left of the painting their men.
December 4, 2025 at 9:43 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
JOHN FREDERICK PETO
(1854-1907, born in Philadelphia, died in New York City)

Still Life with Cake, Lemon, Strawberries, and Glass, 1890
Painting of a still-life: On a table with white linen table cloth in front of a dark turquoise wall from left to right: A white plate with red berries, in the middle of the painting a lemon cut in half with its open side presented to us, behind it a yellow piece of cake and on the right side a glass of water.
December 4, 2025 at 4:04 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
RICHARD TAYLOR

Coffee Grinder, ca. 1940

(www.nga.gov/artworks/215...)
Painting of a red metal coffee grinder composed of a lengthy body in which one puts the beans, one wheel on either side, one of them with a handle.
December 3, 2025 at 12:54 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
HENRI-JOSEPH HARPIGNIES
(1819-1916, born in Valenciennes, died in Saint-Privé)

River and Hills, ca. 1850-60

(www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/he...)
Painting of a river: We seem to be on it, on a low bridge maybe or on a boat. The river makes a curve in front of sunlit rocky hills under a blue sky both of which the river mirrors. On the left side of the river: a light path with a figure walking or standing. The atmosphere is calm, maybe evening.
December 2, 2025 at 9:08 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
FELICE BEATO/JAMES ROBERTSON

Fountain at Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul, 1853

(www.nga.gov/artworks/212...)
Black and white photography of a corner with a fountain net to which two men are sitting. The photo is very precise all the ornaments on the facade are well visible including Arabic calligraphy which would be readable if one knew Arabic.
December 2, 2025 at 9:11 AM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
GIUSEPPE RECCO
(1634-1695, born in Naples, died in Alicante)

A Cat Stealing Fish, late 1660s
Very dark still-life, only highlights of fish, bowls visible PLUS the ecited little face of a cat and her paw while stealing fishh.
November 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
Another one by Chardin:

Still-Life with Cat and Fish, 1728
Still-life with fish, maybe salmon on the center left. A cat behind it with its paw already resting on the piece of fish.
November 29, 2025 at 5:41 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
JEAN-BAPTISTE-SIMÉON CHARDIN
(1699-1779, born and died in Paris)

Still-Life with Cat and Rayfish, ca. 1728
Painting of a still-life in light brown hes mostly with fishh. A cat sneaks in from the right and tries to steal an oyster.
November 29, 2025 at 5:39 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
Cats involved in still-lives:

JAN FYT
(1611-1661, born and died in Antwerp)

Game and Hunting Gear Discovered by a Cat, 1640s
Painting in brown hues of a still-life with game. In the upper left corner a cat appeares.
November 29, 2025 at 5:35 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
RAPHAELLE PEALE
(1774-1825, died in Philadelphia)

Still Life with Apples, Sherry, and Tea Cake, 1822
Painting: Still-life with on a grey stone table in front of a grey wall that appears black on the left. From left to right: a small red apple, a glass with maybe white wine, a small blue porcellain plate of which we barely see the rim. On it a big yellow apple, green leaves and red berries I cannot name. On the right edge of the plate there is a small cake in the size of a muffin with white icing and maybe pistachio powder on top.
November 28, 2025 at 5:01 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
At least, this doesn't seem to be ignorance of beauty but rather its pursuit (could still be idiocy or feigned affection, though!) :

CHOKHA
(India, active 1799 – ca. 1826)

Escapade at Night, ca. 1800-1810

(www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...)
Miniature painting of a man on a long ladder climbing up to his lover who is waiting in a big palace.
November 26, 2025 at 9:14 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
... to create a completely different reality. Isn't every conspiracy also a tale of the power of sowing doubt? It's intriguing as long as no one gets damaged in any way, shape or form.

HIROSHIGE, Untitled (Two Rabbits, Pampas Grass, and Full Moon), 1849-51
Painting of the silhouette of a rabbit on the slope of a hill in front of the blue evening sky. Above it the full moon, next to it grasses and a second rabbit.
November 25, 2025 at 8:32 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
The Colliseum, 1919

(collections.lacma.org/node/217375)
Black and white photography with dramatic contrasts of shadow and light of a part of the colliseum.
November 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
H. Y. Summons

Gruyères, ca. 1930

(collections.artsmia.org/art/30753/gr...)
Black and white gelatin silver print of a small street with a row of old stone houses. No line is straight here. Sun shines into the street from the left upper corner. Flowers in many windows.
November 25, 2025 at 8:05 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
November (must be!):

H. Y. SUMMONS

Vesuvius, 1939

(collections.artsmia.org/art/30754/ve...)
Black and white gelatin siver print of a flat landscape with leaf-less trees and grass and mount Vesuvius in a darker grey on the horizon. Dark cloudy sky, could be winter.
November 25, 2025 at 12:36 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
"Mere Christianity" now on my reading list.

📚
Book Cover of "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis
November 24, 2025 at 12:38 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
November personified:

JEAN-FRÉDÉRIC BAZILLE
(1841-1870, born in Montpellier, died in Beaune-la-Rolande)

Portrait of Auguste Renoir, 1867
Painting: Portrait of a man sitting gloomily on a brown chair in grey trousers and a black jacket. He has pulled up his legs, arms around his knees, feet dangling in front of him. The background is grey.
November 24, 2025 at 8:03 AM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
... period, books played a vital role in reshaping knowledge, imagination, and aesthetic sensibilities, reaching an expanding Arabic readership and global networks of solidarity."

Wow, the graphics within these books are interesting, too:
www.decolonizingthepage.com/en/beyond-wo...
Photo of a book page with Arabic script in black and graphics showing a flower garland, tall cypress trees, a vilage and a mosque in red. Photo off a book page with Arabic script in black and what looks like a surreal rendering of three people clad in white tunics waliking away from us over the silhouette of a person lying on the ground. They are walking toward a rectangle covered in Arabic words. Photo of a book page with Arabic script in black. In the middle a sketch of three figures seemingly floating in the air.
November 23, 2025 at 5:18 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
""Orientalizing" is a complex term that was coined in reference to the spread of Near Eastern and Egyptian ideas, motifs, and other cultural elements to Greece and the rest of the Mediterranean world."

Sphinx - Corinthian, ca. 600 BC - ca. 575 BC

Image:
www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artif...
Detail of a vase: A sphinx painted in brown hues on beige background.
November 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
BARTOLOMEO CAVAROZZI
(1587-1625, born in Viterbo, died in Rome)

Grape Vines and Fruit, with Three Wagtails, 1815-18
Painting in dark green hues mostly oft what looks like a wall of many different leaves and fruits, light green grapes, red cherries and green and yellow peaches. It looks more like tapestry, leaves, vine and grapes interwoven, while cherries and peaches seem like colourful highlights.
November 17, 2025 at 6:57 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
Jar

Greek or Roman, apparently no date or any kind of specification on the museum homepage: www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
Black and white photograph of a black jar with a small base and a big and round body and a smaller opening at the top, a bit wider than the base but significantly narrower than the body of the vase. Made from terracotta with black glaze.
November 15, 2025 at 4:17 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
Sleep and Death (Cista handle), 400-375 BC

Etruria

Who is it?
"Designed for attachment to the lid of a large bronze cista, a cylindrical lidded box, these three figures probably represent Sleep (Hypnos) and Death (Thanatos) holding the body of Sarpedon. A son of Zeus who helped to defend ...
Photo of a small bronze scene with three figures: Two male figures in armour, the right one with wings, carrying away a naked man.
November 12, 2025 at 1:30 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
MAURICE DENIS
(1870-1943, born in Granville, died in Paris)

Végétation, 1939-1940
Photo of a sketchbook, the left page is blank, on the right page different leaves in different hes of green in front of a dark background.
November 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
Gray's citations of ancient Greek vase painting surely would have worked better in E.1027 than Le Corbusier's murals ...

"The screen “Le Destin” and the “Charioteer” table Gray created for table for fashion designer Jacques Doucet."

(image link in 1st post)
Two photos: on the left a red lackered screen with blue figures citing ancient Greek painting on vases; on the right an orange table with black figures.
November 10, 2025 at 6:33 PM
kaffeehaus.bsky.social
"Badovici opened the door to his friend Le Corbusier and had him paint a series of semi-abstract murals, some of them with erotic themes, the sheer power of which truly ravaged the house’s delicate Minimalism."

E.1027 (image from link above) :
Photo of Eileen Gray's house, a white minimalist building with a flat roof at the foot of a hill with mediterranean vegetation.
November 10, 2025 at 6:28 PM