Nelson Atkins American Collection

Enjoyed a couple hours today in the Nelson Atkins Museum American Collection.

These are my favorites...


The Sonata, Childe Hassam, 1893
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/CollectionDatabase.cfm?id=18606&theme=american


Conference No 1, Charles Sheeler, 1954
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/CollectionDatabase.cfm?id=27652&theme=American


Raphael West and Benjamin West Jr., Sons of the Artist, Benjamin West, c 1796
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/CollectionDatabase.cfm?id=18949&theme=American

The World’s Greatest Paintings

Thoroughly enjoying The World’s Greatest Paintings DVD series taught by Prof. William Kloss.

A few of my favorites...


The Jewish Bride, Rembrandt, 1667


Luncheon of the Boating Party, Renoir, 1880-81


Portrait of Charles de Solier, Lord of Morette, Hans Holbein the Younger, 1534-35


In a Café, Degas, 1875-76

The Resurrected Christ

“The Incredulity of St. Thomas”, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 1601-1602
http://www.abcgallery.com/C/caravaggio/caravaggio34.html

Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing" (John 20:27 NASB).

Meditations on this image and others in Juliet Benner’s new book, “Contemplative Vision”.

She has chosen what is better

Johannes Vermeer 1654-55

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42, NIV)

Fordlandia

United States and South American history in a fun-to-read package. If you enjoy history, check out this new book by Greg Grandin.

John Waller: The Blessing

let it be said of us / by the fruit we leave behind / let it be said of us that our legacy is blessing for life

Listen here:
http://www.myspace.com/johnwaller/music/songs/the-blessing-28401897

Poignant history you don’t learn at school

Dear Madam, Though a stranger to you I cannot remain silent when so terrible a calamity has fallen upon you and your country, and must personally express my deep and heartfelt sympathy with you under the shocking circumstances of your present dreadful misfortune. No one can better appreciate than I can, who am myself utterly heartbroken by the loss of my own beloved Husband, who was the light of my life, - my stay - my all, - what your sufferings must be; and I earnestly pray that you may be supported by Him to whom alone the sorely stricken can look for comfort, in this hour of heavy affliction. With renewed expressions of true sympathy, I remain dear Madam, Your sincere friend, Victoria.
Queen Victoria to Mary Todd Lincoln, April 29, 1865

As I thought about the Queen's letter, I was reminded of this Scripture:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
St. Paul, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV

Psychology of Relationship

Last weekend my bookclub discussed Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. Overall I was not convinced of the author's thesis, however, there were a couple of things in the book that greatly interested me.

This succinct gem is one that struck me during my reading a few weeks ago; I doubt I'll ever forget it:

Relationship development is often understood as a process of mutual self-disclosure. —Daniel M. Wegner, PhD, Harvard

http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~wegner/pdfs/Wegner%20Transactive%20Memory.pdf

Know thyself! Enjoy being thyself!

Revenge of the Introvert in Psychology Today

Streetcar Named Desire Comes to Topeka

A tremendous build-up of drama crescendoing into thunderous psychological tragedy. What a performance!

http://www.topekacivictheatre.com/productions/477/

Melodrama + Wit

A great combination!

What is the matter with me? Am I too particular? … I can’t think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can’t talk to, or worse, someone I can’t be silent with.

[A couple months later…] Your questions regarding that gentleman are very delicate, very subtle, very much like being smacked in the head with a mallet. Am I in love with him? What kind of question is that? It’s a tuba among the flutes, and I expect better of you.

—Juliet writing Sophie in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

A New Warsaw Taking Shape

"As the war ground toward its final act, Hitler—enraged by the Polish Home Army’s general insurrection, during which more than 200,000 Poles were killed—ordered Warsaw to be physically erased. Over three months in 1944, the Nazis…leveled nearly all of what still stood: incendiary and dynamite squads moved from building to building, reducing them to rubble or, at best, charred shells. No other city in Europe—not even Berlin or Stalingrad—was taken down so methodically."

Warsaw on the Rise
Smithsonian magazine, February 2011