Happy Birthday Frances!

  

 N  E  I  G  H  B  O  R  S

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y !

F  R  A  N  C  E  S

love

   grandma and grandpa 

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good morning jessicca

  

 O  N       T  H  E       R  O  A  D

  

  

love

   dad

 

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Winter

  

 G R A M P S    A N D    T H E    S N O W M A N

N O R M A N    R O C K W E L L          1 9 1 9

Rockwell was twenty-five when the popular

Saturday Evening Post magazine chose this

whimsical illustration for their week's cover.

Rockwell would create 321 of these covers

during his forty-seven years with the magazine.

 R O O S T E R    M A N    A B O V E    V I T E B S K

M A R C    C H A G A L L            1 9 2 5

Here is Russian folk art painted by a Jewish

mystic who believed in the logic of sentiment.

You want to know what people are about?

It starts with the heart.

Then find folks that float in the air.

Add rooster heads as needed.

 C A T C H I N G    T H E    T H A N K S G I V I N G    T U R K E Y

G R A N D M A    M O S E S            1 9 4 3

 Arthritic hands forced Grandma Moses to give up

needlepoint and take up painting.  She was 83 when

she painted this "old-timey" memory of rural life.

The painting was country nostalgia minus all the

telephone poles, tractors, cars and assorted other

odds and ends produced from industrial might.

We could do without all that racket.

 J A N U A R Y

G R A N T    W O O D            1 9 4 0

 

One of Wood's final paintings.

A rabbit's tracks are the only sign

of life in this frozen, dormant scene.

Grant Wood spent three years

working on this portrayal of 

snow-laden corn shocks 

before he felt it to be right.

 S L E I G H    R I D E

R U D O L F    K O L L E R            1 8 9 2

 A hurtling mail coach forces an ox-driven sleigh

with its heavy load into the deepest snow.

In close pursuit comes a petulant, dark storm.

Crows swirl about, excited, overhead.

The Twentieth Century approaches.

The Age of Progress is about to begin.

 T H E    F A L L    O F    T H E    C O W B O Y

F R E D E R I C    R E M I N G T O N

 Soon enough railroad tracks were laid 

everywhere, making long cattle drives

to Dodge City and Wichita unnecessary.

Then cheap barb wire became plentiful

and suddenly everyone had their cattle

penned in.  This led to controlled breeding.

People wanted Hereford and Angus beef

in place of the tough but hardy Longhorn.

The frontier was closed.

The cowboy was now legend.

 

* * * * *

©  Tom Taylor

 

OVER   EASY

 

 

coldValentine

good morning jeremy

  

C  H  I  E  F

   

  

love

   dad

     

     

coldValentine

China

  

S  A  N  X  I  N  G  D  U  I           B  R  O  N  Z  E      H  E  A  D

1 3 t h   C E N T U R Y   B C

Sanxingdui was a highly advanced, Bronze Age

civilization that abruptly vanished about 1000 BC.

A number of heads with mysterious alien-like eyes

have been unearthed at pits associated with ritual

sacrifice.  They may represent deities, ancient spirits

or legendary kings of the Shu Dynasty, such as 

Cancong, the ruler with bulging eyes.

 W  O  M  A  N       W  I  T  H       A       M  I  R  R  O  R

E A S T E R N     H A N     D Y N A S T Y       2 2 0   A D

 

A warm greeting from one that serves the deceased

in the afterlife.  But she is not Cinderella cleaning

cinders from the fireplace.  This is a lady of the 

Han court.  The elaborate headdress, the sophisticated

getup and the very pricey bronze mirror all announce

her elite status in society.  

She is all these things as well as someone's aunt,

delighted by a toddler's first efforts to walk.

 E  N  L  I  G  H  T  E  N  E  D       B  E  I  N  G

S O N G     D Y N A S T Y       9 6 0  -  1 2 7 9   A D

Divinity has come down to Earth and is accessible 

to all.  Still this Buddha is at Royal Ease - relaxed,

but with divine authority.  Here is the Moon-Water 

Buddha, having a compassionate ear but also lost

in contemplation over the illusion of existence -

a glimmering mirage, as is a moon's reflection

over water.

F  L  Y  I  N  G       H  O  R  S  E       O  F       G  A  N  S  U

2 N D     C E N T U R Y     A D

 This mingai, or burial object, resided undisturbed in

the tomb of an army general for nearly two thousand 

years before its discovery in the 1960s.  The vigorous

naturalism of this galloping bronze horse breaks with

the static formalism that ruled over the design of

traditional monuments for hundreds of years.

The weight of the horse is perfectly balanced on a

single hoof.  This cultural icon is on a short

list of artifacts that are far too treasured by the

nation to ever be allowed to leave mainland China.

 L  E  S  H  A  N        G  I  A  N  T        B  U  D  D  H  A 

8 0 3   A D            T A N G     D Y N A S T Y

 Maitreya, the Future Buddha, symbolized happiness

and was carved from red sandstone in the hope this

towering sculpture would calm the confluence of three

rivers that passed by its feet.  It worked.  

The vast amount of rock excavated from the site 

in order to create the statue was dumped into

the river, stabilizing the turbulent currents.

 G  U  A  N  Y  I  N     O  F     T  H  E     S  O  U  T  H  E  R  N     S  E  A  S

L I A O  -  J I N   D Y N A S T I E S           8 0 7 - 1 2 3 4   A D

 The Guanyin Buddha was depicted as approachable,

benevolent, and personally appealing.

What began as a male representation of this form of

Buddha became, over time, increasingly androgenous

as characteristics shifted towards feminine features.

There was no reason to fear this deity of mercy.

This Buddha of compassion would readily tend to

your suffering.  You mattered.

 

Here was a humane expression of values.

The world was growing a heart.

*  *  *  *  *

©  Tom Taylor

 

OVER   EASY

 

 

coldValentine

good morning justin

  

M  O  R  N  I  N  G       F  A  N  F  A  R  E

 

love

   dad

 

 

coldValentine

Giotto - Age of Faith

  

 N  A  T  I  V  I  T  Y

S T .   F R A N C I S   W A S   D E V O T E D   T O   C H R I S T M A S

 Giotto painted this fresco in 1320 at the Basilica of

St. Francis of Assisi.  The Nativity scene is a departure

from the Medieval obsession with painting sainted icons.

They were symbols of faith, drained of emotion.

Compare that with the loving gaze Mary gives Jesus

in the manger scene depicted here.  Now look at 

Joseph sitting in the lower left.  Here's a man

weary from his ordeal.  He's too old for all this

hoo rah rah.

 A D O R A T I O N    O F    T H E    M A G I

T H E    M O M E N T    G O D    B E C A M E    H U M A N

 The Magi were wise men, royalty, from distant lands.

They set their course for a brilliant star, casting its light 

over Bethlehem.  The prophecy of the Old Testament 

was true.  The Messiah was born.  With great humility

these wise men came upon the child.

 

 F  L  I  G  H  T      I  N  T  O      E  G  Y  P  T

K I N G    H E R O D    W A N T S    J E S U S    D E A D

Herod was installed as king by the hated Romans

so he already had good reason to feel paranoid.

Now suddenly there was all this excitement about

a birth, the Messiah, born under his nose.  

Immediately he knew he must find and destroy 

this rival for his throne.

A guardian angel warns Joseph of Herod's threat.

Giotto paints Joseph leading a donkey carrying both

Mary and her child towards the safety of Egypt.

Two angels above are seen urging the holy family

to make greater haste in their run for the border.

 T  H  E      B  A  P  T  I  S  M      O  F      C  H  R  I  S  T

J O H N     P R O T E S T E D  -  Y O U    S H O U L D    B A P T I Z E    ME

 Jesus insisted he be the one baptized in order to

submit to his own commandment for all to be baptized.

The Greek word baptizo means to dip or immerse.

Baptism by water purifies, cleansing one of their sins.

One becomes a part of the Christian community by

first stepping through the door of baptism.

The angels and God himself witness the baptism

of Jesus here in Giotto's fresco.

 K  I  S  S      O  F      J  U  D  A  S

R E D E M P T I O N    B E G I N S    W I T H    B E T R A Y A L    

 The fate of Jesus was preordained.

The treachery of an Apostle of Christ

was warranted if the action would lead

to fulfillment of the prophecy.

It is difficult to believe Judas Iscariot 

could be bought for a mere thirty pieces

of silver.  More likely he was disillusioned 

with the mission of Jesus.  Or did Judas

appreciate his role in bringing Jesus to the

Cross?  Christ's death was the price needing

to be paid in return for humanity's redemption. 

Judas might view his action as noble.

Meanwhile the Apostle Peter slices off the ear 

of a man lunging at Jesus in the ensuing ruckus.

 C  R  U  C  I  F  I  X  I  O  N

A T O N E M E N T    F O R    O U R    S I N S

Pontius Pilate had no taste for putting Jesus

to death for blasphemy.  For Pilate, Christ

was just another crackpot mystic that was

commonly seen wandering about the area.  

But fearing a riot by the angry crowd

protesting in front of him, Pilate gave in

to their demand that Christ be crucified.

Roman soldiers were given the task 

of bringing Jesus to his crucifixion

but not before they provided their own

brand of pain and humiliation to

their captive miscreant.

Jesus was dead.

Then comes his resurrection.

Christ now sits at the side of God

to judge the quick and dead.

But herein was also a promise.

Salvation and everlasting life 

was possible.

The core tenet of the New Testament.

*  *  *  *  *

©  Tom Taylor

 

OVER   EASY

 

 

coldValentine

good morning jacob

  

S  T  O  L  E  N

 

love

   dad

coldValentine

Glimpse of Roman Empire

  

C  O  L  O  S  S  E  U  M

R O M E                        B U I L T :     8 0    A  D

Emperor Vespasian wanted a new amphitheater for 

fifty thousand Romans to view gladiatorial contests, 

animal hunting and public executions.  Tunnels and

chambers below the arena floor provided space for

workers, contestants and animals to wait for their

turn in the arena.

Colosseum seating was broken into tiers to separate 

the various social classes.  The best seats were closest

to the arena and were set aside for Senators, high ranking

officials and important priests.  The Emperor had his own

private viewing box as did the six Vestal Virgins, situated

across the arena, opposite the Emperor.  These were

powerful women of the priesthood, and chosen for their 

service between the ages of 6 and 10.  They were sworn

to thirty years of chastity.  Breaking their oath meant being

buried alive outside the walls of Rome in a stone chamber.

Natural causes was the reason given for their death. 

The highest tier, or nosebleed section, had the worst

view of the arena and was reserved for the

lowest classes, slaves and women.

G  L  A  D  I  A  T  O  R 

C O L O S S E U M

 Gladiators were professional combatants that fought

in the arena for public entertainment.  They were 

enslaved persons that included war captives and 

condemned criminals.  The most famous of the

gladiators was Spartacus, a man who never fought

in a major arena.  Instead he escaped from gladiator

training school to assemble an army of a hundred

thousand enslaved people, in a rebellion against

the Roman Republic.  The war lasted two years

before Spartacus and his force were finally defeated.

 P  A  N  T  H  E  O  N

R O M E                        B U I L T :     1 2 6     A D

 The temple was built to honor all gods:

pan - all  /   theon - gods   (Greek)

but was gifted to the Pope by the Byzantine 

Emperor Boniface IV in 609 AD, and has remained

an active Catholic Church ever since.  Raphael,

the famous Renaissance painter and Vatican favorite,

is among those entombed in the Pantheon's mausoleum. 

It is unique among Roman structures in that the Pantheon

is a round building with a traditional Greek portico

for its entrance.  Its sixteen massive granite columns

are sixty tons apiece and were imported from Egypt.

 

 P  A  R  T  H  E  N  O  N

A C R O P O L I S     O F     A T H E N S              B U I L T :      4 3 2   B C

 The Parthenon has become a symbol of ancient Greece,

democracy and Western Civilization.  It's Doric architecture

is a marvel of ancient engineering and has served as a

template for Roman design.  The temple was severely 

damaged in 1687 when a Venetian bomb exploded

the powder magazine stored inside by the Ottomans.

The Parthenon has been undergoing restoration 

since 1975.

 P  A  N  T  H  E  O  N

D O M E D    I N T E R I O R

The interior of Rome's Pantheon is covered with

the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome,

and rises to a height of 142 feet above the floor.

At the apex of this dome is an oculus, a 27 foot

circular opening, that provides the structure's

only natural source for lighting and ventilation.

The flooring is slightly slanted towards drains,

embedded amidst the tiles, to handle the water 

that falls through the oculus on rainy days.

 P  O  N  T    D  U    G  A  R  D

A Q U E D U C T     B R I D G E                    1 S T    C E N T U R Y    A D

 This Roman three-tier bridge aqueduct supplied the

ancient city of Nemausus in southern France for over

500 years.  Gravity propelled natural spring water 

thirty-one miles at a shallow declining gradient of 

one inch for every one hundred yards.  Precision cut

rocks never needed mortar.  This aqueduct system

was a masterpiece of Roman engineering, continuing

to stand firm after nearly two thousand years.

*  *  *  *  *

©  Tom Taylor

 

 OVER   EASY

 

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