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Tech NewsA Hidden Figure in a Famous Rembrandt Has Been Uncovered Using X-Rays
Rembrandt’s An Old Man in Military Costume is a 380-year-old masterpiece with a secret. Beneath the famous figure in the feathered cap hides a much younger man, one that researchers are uncovering in color using advanced x-ray technology. Scientists first caught whiff of the hidden figure when scanning the painting with x-rays in 1968. But … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
io9
The Greatest Werewolf Art Of The Middle Ages And Renaissance
While they weren’t always depicted as shirtless teen heartthrobs, creatures who turn from human into wolf (and vice versa) appear in tales dating back to antiquity. So throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, artists have had plenty of strange and creepy stories to inform their werewolf illustrations. A priest administering last rites to the … Continued
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io9The Fonts That Come With Your Computer Are Older Than You Ever Thought
While you may take for granted the basic pack of fonts that came with your word processing software, someone had to invent each and every one of those fonts. And while some common fonts were invented after the advent of the computer, others are centuries old. Above: An example of the memetic use of Impact, … Continued
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Tech News
Syria’s “Monuments Men” Are Trying to Save History Amidst ISIS Chaos
Roman ruins. Byzantine villages. Umayyad architecture. The relics of the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes, and Ottomans. Syria has some of the most remarkable cultural history in the world—and now,National Geographic reportsthat Syrians are using archaeological first aid to save it. In a report from Andrew Curry today, we learn that a coalition of preservationists … Continued
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io9These Secret Artistic Masterpieces Were Hidden Beneath Other Paintings
Over the centuries, it has been common to reuse canvases and paint over murals, meaning that many great works of art have been lost between layers of paint. Fortunately, modern technology and notes on the originals lets us see those hidden masterpieces once again. The Battle of Anghiari, by Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519), painted in … Continued
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There’s A Spelling Error In One Of White House’s Most Famous Paintings
In the largest room in the White House hangs an iconic full-body portrait of George Washington renouncing a third term as president of the United States. There is a small but obvious spelling error contained within the portrait—and it’s actually there for a very specific reason. Top image via Wikimedia Commons. The portrait of Washington … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9
World’s Oldest Anatomical Model Skull May Be Leonardo Da Vinci’s Work
This centuries old, one-third scale anatomical model of a human skull was sculpted by hand and contains remarkable detail. And research suggests that it maybe be a previously undiscovered work made by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci. Photo copyright Dr. K. Becker, used with permission. Stefaan Missinne published his research about this skull sculpture … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
Tech News
You Could Learn Art History From These Amazing Manicures
These nails are sporting an unmistakable dose of Basquiat with a smattering of Warhol. It’s not a rendering—it’s real, hand-painted nail art, taken from Nail Art History, a brand new Tumblr that showcases some very impressive manicures based rather accurately on real works of modern art. Sure, nail art is on-trend right now, but forget … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
io9
Listen to the Butt Song from Hell written on a 500-year-old painting
One section of Hieronymus Bosch’s massive triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights depicts a hellish chorus singing a song painted on the buttocks of a sinner. Now a musician has transcribed it into modern notation for our asinine listening pleasure. Amelia, a music and information systems student at Oklahoma Christian University, decided to figure out … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9
Astronomers know when Monet made this painting — to the very minute
Back in the late 19th century, impressionist artist Claude Monet captured this striking sunset on the Normandy Coast. Now, thanks to the work of forensic astronomers, we known the precise moment it happened: February 5th, 1883 — at exactly 4:53 PM. Art historians know that Monet visited this stretch of the Normandy coast, called Étretat, … Continued
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Michelangelo’s illustrated grocery list is a work of everyday art
While we’re used to seeing Michelangelo’s majestic finished paintings, this shopping list gives us a look at the master’s more hasty and practical drawing. This is an illustrated list that Michelangelo would have given to an illiterate servant. Steve Duin at The Oregonian explained the purpose of the list while it was on display at … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9Artistic Masterpieces That Have Been Stolen, Destroyed or Lost
Just because something is a great work of art doesn’t make it immune to the hazards of war and the fingers of thieves. Pictured here are some of the greatest artworks that we’ve lost over the past century. Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints John the Baptist and Nicholas and Angels, by Lorenzo Monaco, 1402. … Continued
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Wormholes reveal what was destroying art 500 years ago
Wormholes — made by actual worms in wood, not gravitational forces in space — are a key to the past. These holes are where beetles lay their young, in trees, furniture, and even great works of art.. And now scientists say the wormholes in ancient paintings reveal the movements of insect species hundreds of years … Continued
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Behold, the divine baby walker of Jesus Christ
Here’s a new relic for all you amateur Indiana Joneses to instigate Nepalese bar brawls over. Explains the University of California of this odd 1440 tableau, it’s “from the Book of Hours of Catherine of Clèves, containing the prayers and litanies of the Mass in Latin, decorated with 157 lavishly colored and gilded illuminations by … Continued
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The statue of George Washington deemed too risqué for Capitol Hill
If you’ve been to the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, then you may have seen “Enthroned Washington,” the statue Horatio Greenough sculpted in honor of the centennial of George Washington. The statue was originally destined for the US Capitol rotunda, but many were offended by the idea of a half-naked Founding Father … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9
Famous works of art, with all of the characters mysteriously removed
What would da Vinci’s Last Supper look like if all the apostles quit playing that game of telephone, wrapped up their Biblical vittles, and went to go hang out in some Toulouse-Lautrecs? Then it might look a little something like this scene by Hadju Bence, who excises all of the characters out of notable famous … Continued
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“Ruined Spanish Fresco Monkey Jesus” is 2012’s hot Halloween costume
You may remember how an eighty-year-old Spanish woman lovingly trashed the fresco Ecce Homo in a failed art restoration attempt. Reddit user Spinjump took inspiration from this “very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic” and recently debuted this gold-star costume at Anime Weekend Atlanta. We anticipate a veritable Planet of Deformed Messiah Apes come October … Continued
