Seán O’Casey died on 18 September 1964. He was 84.
Study of Seán O’Casey by Reginald V. Gray, 1964. (For The New York Times)
Goodbye, Seán O’Casey!
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Category Archives: Art
Daily Diversion #276: King Gambrinus
The statue of King Gambrinus (“The Drunken King”) in Columbus’ Brewery District:
No, that’s not Burger King…it’s King Gambrinus (“The Drunken King”).
For years, beginning in the early twentieth century, he stood watch over the August Wagner Brewery (originally Gambrinus Brewery). Now, he conducts his eternal revels around the corner from my apartment.
Books in Art: The Misses Vickers by John Singer Sargent
The Misses Vickers by John Singer Sargent, 1884
[Alternative Muses] Artistic Style: Georgia O’Keeffe
Georgia O’Keeffe is so intrinsically and eternally elegant that mere fashion doesn’t matter; it’s a blip on an inconsequential radar. Unlike aesthetic conformity, personal style effortlessly squashes large spans of time into nothingness.
Don’t believe me?
This image of the legendary artist is 97 years old.
Georgia O’Keeffe by Alfred Stieglitz, 1918.
There’s so much to love about this look, this vibe, this scene.
Where to start?
- Her focused and intelligent gaze?
- The uplift of her eyebrow?
- The sublime beauty that attends every artist as they are working on their craft, which is powerfully evident here?
- That luxuriously thick and practical sweater, with its large buttons, worn over a thin throw-it-on-and-forget-about-it dress?
- Those boots? Those boots.
Fierce. Every last bit. Fierce.
Books in Art: The Bookworm’s Table
The Bookworm’s Table by Claude Raguet Hirst, circa 1890. Brooklyn Museum.
Fun fact: Claude Raguet Hirst, an artist from Cincinnati, was actually a woman (real name: Claudine).
Writers in Art: Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
She died on this day in 1762:
Portrait of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu by Jonathan Richardson the Younger
[Book Nerd Links] Edward Gorey
Edward Gorey’s Books of Eerie Glory [AbeBooks]
This is a nice piece about one of my favourite artists and writers. It’s well-illustrated with many of his book covers.
[Book Nerd Links] Poetry, Painting, and Punk Rock
- The Startling Poetry of a Nearly Forgotten Japanese Modernist [THE NEW YORKER]
- Smoking with Lucia Berlin [THE PARIS REVIEW]
- Vengeance, Death, Blood, and Revenge [THE PARIS REVIEW]
- I Think I Would Rather Be a Painter [THE PARIS REVIEW]
- Bikini Kill to Reissue Debut Record With Three Previously Unreleased Tracks [FLAVORWIRE]
- 6 Quick Ways to Jump-Start Your Creativity [FLAVORWIRE]
The Model and the Mannequin
The Model and the Mannequin (1873) by Giovanni Boldini* has nothing to do with dead writers, reading, writing, books, film, or any of the other usual suspects found on A Small Press Life. I just dig the painting. It’s one of those images that I’d love to jump right into; life would be interesting on that side of the canvas. Look at the colours! Look at the patterns! Look at the textures! The mannequin would have to go (burn it! burn it with fire!), but the model can stay. She’d be a fun, if unpredictable, roomie.
The Model and the Mannequin by Giovanni Boldini, 1873
*Although Giovanni Boldini is one of my favourite 19th century genre and portrait painters, every time I see his name I always think of the Erik Rhodes character from the Astaire-Rogers film Top Hat (1935): Alberto Beddini.
Alberto Beddini: “I promised my dresses that I would take them to Venice and that you would be in them!”
That’s actually a decent companion quote for this piece, isn’t it?
Books in Art: Drawing of Elizabeth Siddal Reading
Drawing of Elizabeth Siddal Reading by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, June 1854
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 