John Singleton Copley and the USA

The American painter John Singleton Copley (1733-1815) was concerned with issues related to the independence the USA. A statue of Copley was erected in Copley Square in Boston.


O pintor americano John Singleton Copley (1733-1815) preocupou-se com temas relacionados com a independência dos EUA. Possui estátua na Praça Copley em Boston.

John Singleton Copley (1733-1815)-'the siege and relief of Gibraltar, 13 September 1782 (the defeat of the floating batteries at Gibraltar)'-oil on canvas-ca 1783 London-Tate Gallery

John Singleton Copley (1733-1815)-'death of the Major Peirsons'-oil on canvas-ca (1782-1784) London-Tate Gallery

John Singleton Copley (1733-1815)-'the victory of Lord Duncan aka surrender of the Dutch Admiral DeWinter to Admiral Duncan, 11 October 1797 (battle of Camperdown)'-oil on canvas-(1798-1799) Edinburgh-National Gallery of Scotland

John Singleton Copley (1733-1815)-'the collapse of the Earl of Chatham (William Pitt) in the house of Lords (11 May 1778)'-oil on canvas London-Tate Gallery

John Singleton Copley (1733-1815)-'John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) (six President, 1825-1829)'-oil on canvas-1796

Winter with snow (Inverno com neve)

In difficult situations of citizens’ life, it is advisable to recall the words of a Portuguese poet (Augusto Gil) "snow is falling in nature and in my heart”.


Em situações difíceis da vida dos cidadãos convém relembrar as palavras dum poeta português (Augusto Gil) «cai neve na natureza e cai no meu coração».

Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823-1900)-'winter in Switzerland'-oil on canvas-1851 Private collection

Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (1848-1916)-'the boyarynia morozova'-oil on canvas-1887 Moscow-Tretyakov Gallery

Jean-Desiré-Gustave Courbet (1819-1877)-'poor woman of the village'-oil on canvas-1866 Private collection

Joos de Momper the younger (1564-1635)-'village in the winter'-oil on wood Hamburg-Kunsthalle

Nikolay Nikanorovich Dubovskoy (1859-1918)-'winter in the Trinity-St Sergius monastery'-oil on canvas-1917 Moscow-Tretyakov Gallery

Mosque (Mesquita)

The word mosque seems to derive from the Arabic word “masjid” through the Spanish “mosque”. It is intended to welcome the faithful Muslims for their prayers and community meetings. Mosques display the most expressive forms of Islamic architecture characterized by domes and towers (minarets).


O vocábulo Mesquita parece derivar da palavra Árabe “masjid” por intermédio da Espanhola mezquita. Destina-se a acolher os fiéis Muçulmanos para as suas preces e reuniões comunitárias. Apresentam as formas mais expressivas da arquitectura Islâmica caracterizadas pelas cúpulas e torres (minaretes).

Auguste Borget (1808-1877)-'an Indian Mosque on the Hooghly river near Calcutta'-oil on canvas-1846 Private collection

Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904)-'young Greeks at the Mosque'-oil on panel-1865 Minneapolis (Minnesota)-Institute of Arts

Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904)-'public prayer in the Mosque of Amr, Cairo'-oil on canvas-1870 Private collection

Charalampos Laskaris (1950- )-'Istanbul. Blue Mosque'-oil on canvas

al-Hariri Maqamat-'interior of a Mosque'-ca 1240 St Ptetersbug-Institute of Oriental Studies (Ms Iraq)

Love of Venus and Mars (Amor de Vénus e Marte)

Several painters have worked the theme of love among Greek gods. Venus (Aphrodite), the wife of Vulcan (Hephaestus), has been thought to have demonstrated a sexually promiscuous behavior. In her affair with Mars she was caught by her husband. When Vulcan complained to the Olympic Gods he received a hearty laugh in response. In Greek mythology gods behaved like humans except in the immortality. Some paintings depict a certain degree of eroticism. Tintoretto hides Mars (Ares) under the bed.


Diversos pintores consideraram como tema o amor entre os deuses gregos. A Vénus (Afrodite), mulher de Vulcano (Hefestos), tem sido atribuído um comportamento sexualmente promíscuo. No caso com Marte terá sido surpreendida pelo marido. Quando este se queixou aos deuses olímpicos terá recebido uma gargalhada como resposta. Na mitologia grega os deuses tinham um comportamento humano excepto na imortalidade. Algumas obras revestem-se de carácter mais ou menos erótico. Tintoretto esconde Marte (Ares) debaixo da cama.

Piero di Cosimo (1462-1521)-'Venus, Mars and Amor'-oil on wood-ca 1595 Berlin-Gemäldegalerie

Jacopo Robusti or Tintoretto (ca 1518-1594)-'Venus, Mars and Vulcan'-oil on canvas-ca 1551 München-Alte Pinakothek

Carlo Saraceni (1579-1620)-'Venus and Mars'-oil on copper-ca 1500 Madrid-Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

Sandro Botticelli (ca 1445-1510)-'Venus and Mars'-tempera on panel-ca 1483 London-National Gallery

Alexandre Charles Guillemot (1786-1831)-'Mars and Venus surprised by Vulcan'-oil on canvas Indianapolis-Museum of Art

Germany (2nd Reich)

Count Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck (1815-1898) unified Germany when he was the Prime Minister of Prussia (1868-1890). The proclamation took place at Versailles (1871), the year he received the title of prince. He became the first Chancellor (1871-1890) of the second Empire (Deutsches Reich), which ended in 1918. The Holy Roman Empire (843-1806) is considered the first empire.


O conde Otto Leopold Eduard von Bismarck (1815-1898) unificou a Alemanha quando Primeiro-Ministro da Prússia (1868-1890). A Proclamação realizou-a em Versalhes (1871), ano em que recebeu o título de príncipe. Tornou-se o primeiro Chanceler (1871-1890) do segundo Império (Deutsches Reich) que terminou em 1918. Considera-se que o primeiro foi o Sacro Império Romano-Germânico (843-1806).

Anton von Werner (1843-1915)-'the Proclamation of the German Empire'-oil on canvas-1885 Friedrichruh-Bismarck Museum

Franz von Lenbach (1836-1904)-'portrait of Otto Bismarck'-oil on canvas-1880 München-Städlisches Galerie im Lenbachhaus

Franz von Lenbach (1836-1904) 'portrait of Otto Bismarck'-oil on wood-1889 München-Städlisches Galerie im Lenbachhaus

Franz von Lenbach (1836-1904) 'portrait of Otto Bismarck in Cuirassier uniform'-oil on canvas-1890 München-Städlisches Galerie im Lenbachhaus

Franz von Lenbach (1836-1904) 'portrait of Otto Bismarck'-oil on canvas-1894 Private collection

Paris Florists (floristas)

The French painter Louis-Marie de Schryver (1862-1942) travelled through central Paris to paint women selling and buying flowers.


O pintor francês Louis-Marie de Schryver (1862-1942) percorreu a zona central de Paris para pintar mulheres a vender e comprar flores.

Louis-Marie de Schryver (1862-1942)-'the flower seller, Avenue de l'Opera, Paris'-oil on canvas-1891 Private collection

Louis-Marie de Schryver (1862-1942)-'the flower seller, Elysées'-oil on canvas-1895 Private collection

Louis-Marie de Schryver (1862-1942)-'the flower seller, Avenue de l'Opera, Paris'-oil on canvas-1895 Private collection

Louis-Marie de Schryver (1862-1942)-'a flower seller near the Arc de Triomphe'-oil on panel-1897 Private collection

Louis-Marie de Schryver (1862-1942) 'a flower seller at the Place de la Concorde'-oil on canvas-1892 Private collection

Renaissance banquets (Banquetes da Renascença)

The Renaissance banquets were characterized by a growing sophistication with regard to table setting and guests’ costumes.


Os banquetes renascentistas caracterizavam-se por um crescente requinte quanto à baixela e trajes dos comensais.

Dirck Hals (1591-1656)-'banquet scene in a Renaissance hall'-oil on wood-1628 Wien-Gemäldegalerie der Akademie der Bildenden Kunste

Giovanni Antonio Fasolo (1430-1472)-'concert and banquet'-fresco-1570 Caldogno (Veneto)-Villa Caldogno Nordera

Frans Hals (ca1580-1666)-'banquet of the civic guard of St. Andrew'-oil on canvas-(1627-1633) Haarlem-Frans Hals Museum

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510)-'the story of Nastagio degli Onesti-wedding banquet (four episode)'-tempera-(1482-1483) Private collection

Anton Claeissens (ca 1538-1613)-'banquet'-oil on panel-1574 Bruges-Groenige Museum

Hunting by Hans Makart (1840-1880) (motivos de caça)

He was chosen by Emperor Franz Josef, Elizabeth of Bavaria’s husband, to decorate some of the main palaces of the recent Ring avenues (Ringstrasse) in Vienna, because he was considered the prince of painters (Malerfürst). He executed several frescoes, mainly about hunting.


Foi escolhido pelo Imperador Frans Josef, marido de Isabel da Baviera, para decorar em Viena alguns dos principais palácios das recentes avenidas do Ring (Ringstrasse), por ser considerado o príncipe dos pintores (Malerfürst). Executou várias pinturas a fresco, nomeadamente sobre a caça.

Hans Makart (1840-1880)-'die Falknerin' 'the falconress'-canvas-ca 1880 München-Neue Pinakothek

Hans Makart (1840-1880)-'the Nile hunt of Cleopatra'-oil on canvas Wien-Österreichische Galerie Belvedere

Hans Makart (1840-1880)-'the falcon hunt'-canvas-1879 Wien-Historisches Museum der Stadt

Hans Makart (1840-1880)-'feast wagen of the hunt'-canvas-1879 Wien-Historisches Museum der Stadt

Hans Makart (1840-1880)-'hunting party with treasure'-canvas-1879 Wien-Historisches Museum der Stadt

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (sete maravilhas do Mundo Antigo)

The Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574) idealized in his engravings the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.


O pintor holandês Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574) idealizou em gravuras as sete maravilhas do mundo antigo.

Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574)-'colossus of Rhodes'-hand-coloured engraving-1572

Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574)-'hanging gardens of Babylon'-engraving-1572

Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574) and Philips Galle (1537-1612)-'temple of Artemis (Ephesus)'-engraving-1572

Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574)-'statue of Zeus (Pausanias; desciption, IV, 11, 1f)'-engraving-1572

Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574)-pharos of Alexandria'-hand-coloured engraving-1572

Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574)-''the great pyramid of Giza'-engraving-1572

Maarten van Heemskerck (1498-1574)-''the mausoleum of Halicarnassus'-hand-coloured engraving-1572

Greed – the seven capital vices (avareza)

Avarice, either understood as vice or as a deadly sin, corresponds to a discommendable situation of the human condition.


A avareza, quer como vício ou pecado mortal, corresponde a uma situação pouco recomendável da condição humana.

Hieronimus Bosch (ca 1450-1516)-'greed' (the seven deadly sins)'-oil on wood-1485 Madrid-Museo del Prado

Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (design) (1481-1536) and Ugo da Carpi (flourished 1502-1532)-'Hercules chasing Avarice from the Temple of the Muses'woodcut-(1516-1517) New York-Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pieter van Heyden (active 1551-1569) after Pieter Brueghel the Elder (ca 1525-1569)-'greed'-engraving New York-Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1626)-'allegory of avarice'-oil on canvas New York-Metropolitan Museum of Art

Paulus Moreelse (1571-1638)-'avarice'-oil on canvas-1621