Twenty-five hundred years ago, Socrates turned the poets away from his utopian Republic. He claimed that the poets were too dangerous because they created illusions that led citizens away from the truth. The antidote he suggested was a philosopher king: a wise leader who would censor the poets and guide them in their creations. The…
Art and the Love of Wisdom: ‘Mercury Crowning Philosophy, Mother of Art’
June 5, 2022
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‘Mercury Crowning PhilosophyartArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightLife & TraditionMother of Art’philosophy
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A Master’s Assistants: Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling
June 4, 2022
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artist's assistantsArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightfrescoLife & TraditionMichelangeloSistine Chapel Ceiling
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For almost four years it was a common sight on Vatican Hill. Between eight and a dozen men at their various tasks: Mixing plaster, using pick-axes to give a ceiling the rough surface which helped plaster stick, applying plaster and painting it. Does that sound like an ordinary construction job? It’s actually how one of…
Roman Treasures: ‘The Eternal City,’ the Villa Aurora, and Princess Ludovisi
Rome’s serene skies and stately buildings often serve to salve the wounds of its history. Layers of monuments and ruins conceal centuries of struggles and triumphs. Through its many rebuildings, the Eternal City seems to declare “Tomorrow’s another day.” Villa Ludovisi Aurora is a case in point. Tucked away behind the grand hotels of the…
Carvalho the Draftsman: Studies Celebrating Art Reborn After Major Disaster
May 31, 2022
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Arts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightLife & TraditionLisbonNational Antique Art MusuemPetro Alexandrino de CarvalhoPortuguese earthquake of 1755
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Portuguese artist Pedro Alexandrino de Carvalho (1729–1810) was not only a painter of distinction, but also a draftsman, and his drawings show how he helped to rebuild Portugal’s artistic heritage after one of its greatest disasters, the earthquake of 1755. An exhibit of 17 of his drawings is now on display at the National Antique…
Short-Story Writer O. Henry’s ‘The Skylight Room’: Seemingly Irrational Hope
“Star light, star bright, The first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have this wish I wish tonight.” Children often wish upon a star and never doubt its ability to grant their wish; it holds their dreams. But how long do they hope in the dreams that they shoot…
The Remote Gardens and Pavilions of Versailles
May 30, 2022
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Ange Jacques-GabrielleArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightLife & TraditionLouis XVIThe Petit TrianonVersailles
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Set far back in the grounds of Versailles are the refined gardens and pavilions of the Petit Trianon. Together, they show how European garden design transitioned in the 1700s with two contrasting styles: On the west side, there’s a calm yet uplifting formal French garden, and on the east side, a romantic and picturesque English…
A Tribute to the Age of Discoveries and Exploration: The Hieronymites Monastery
May 29, 2022
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Arts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightHenry the NavigatorHieronymites MonasteryManueline architectureVasco da Gama
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Imagine a place filled with the hopes and prayers for seamen and explorers of a great seafaring country. This place is the Hieronymites Monastery, or JerónimosvMonastery, (“Mosteiro dos Jerónimos” in Portuguese), the most notable Portuguese monastery of the 16th century. The Hieronymites, an order of hermit monks, initially occupied the monastery, which was dedicated to…
Who Really Invented the Movies? The Mystery of Louis LePrince
On Sept. 16, 1890, the inventor Louis LePrince boarded a train for Paris. He had spent the weekend in Dijon with his brother Albert, arguing over the terms of their mother’s will. Louis claimed Albert owed him at least £1,000. Albert refused to pay. Louis was happy to leave this squabble behind. He planned to…
Literary Standards: Are They Real?
There’s long been a debate on whether art should be valued simply because I (or you) like it via a totally subjective stance. Recently, I was privileged to be invited to be one of the two final judges of the 100 Days of Dante poetry competition run by the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing…
Land That I Love: Learning From the Voices of the Dead
May 24, 2022
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"Mornings on Horseback" by David McCullough"Orthodoxy" by G.K.ChestertonAmerican EssenceArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightLife & Tradition
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Becca meets John at a backyard barbeque put together by mutual friends. They hit it off, finding common ground in movies they’ve enjoyed, and decide to get together for coffee. Over the next few weeks, they become friends, but after a while Becca realizes the attraction has deepened. She’s falling in love. The result? She…
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