Even the great Titian had a go at the drama. I guess it must have been one of these irresistible legends you simply had to paint as an established artists. And why not? It has sex, drama, aristocracy, a damsel in distress, a virgin brutally raped and killing herself - a public outcry and attack of a noble Roman family. Who can resist that story?

I applaud Titian’s honesty in the scene - that a rape is not a charming affair. He didn’t hide the event behind some symbolism or abstraction: the rapist forcing his knee between her legs and having his hard steely dagger ready to pierce her. His red pants are on fire (more or less).

But I must say that the Lady looks a bit fat and disproportionate. Also how he holds the dagger looks a bit odd - similar to Rembrandt who also had some problems including the dagger in a way you realize it’s one and painting it dangerously.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Certainly not Rembrandt’s finest hour. It looks a bit awkward - and the dress is certainly not very Romanesque. She looks more like a Victorian Lady admiring a dagger.

Sorry for the bad image quality - anyone got a better file?

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

I am still not very convinced by Rembrandt’s second attempt to paint the tragedy of Lucretia. The wound wound looks more like a soup stain, the dagger is hard to see and what’s with the rope?

Sorry for the bad image quality - anyone got a better file?

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Maestro Cagnacci is a new discovery for me - one I made researching this series about Lucretia. This painting was sold this year (2007) for a staggering 1,4 Million Euros.

Lucretia in her final moments: rapped and dishonored - ready to end her life. Compared to Titian’s, Rembrandt’s and Botticelli’s attempts this one is reigns supreme. It really looks like a snapshot of her last few seconds on this earth. Despair and imminent doom are in her face, the firmly holds the dagger (yes, and this time the deadly iron looks menacing and real).

The whole painting has that timeless feeling: it’s setting isn’t tied to any period, since it’s minimalist and her ripped dress could be almost from any period.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Click image for more Bellucci.

I am a bit underwhelmed by this painting. It has all the right ingredients, but somehow the spark for greatness is missing.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Click image for a bigger final moment.

A young woman rapped - in her final seconds. She must be terrified, full of anger, fear, confusion - but also determination. The last few thoughts before your own death after you have been violated must be terrible.

Another rare catch of a unknow  Maestro - at least to me. I couldn’t find much about Mazzanti on the Intranets apart from this tidbit (taken from here):

Mazzanti Ludovico (1686-1775)

A painter who came from a noble family of Orvieto, he belonged to the Romano-Neapolitan school of artists and carried out his early work in Rome and Orvieto. In Rome he collaborated with Nicolò Pomarancio in the church of Santa Maria Apollinare, while at Orvieto he designed the upper mosaics for the Cathedral façade (1713-1714). He executed many works at Naples, where he was based during the years 1733 -1740, and in Campania (the Abbey of Montevergine).

In 1744 he became a member of the Academy of St. Luca. When he was invited to Città di Castello he was already famous. He painted the frescoes of the original cupola of the Cathedral, designed by the architect Nicola Barbioni, which collapsed in the earthquake of 1789. Documents relating to this work are conserved in the Museum archives. All that remains are the Evangelists at the base of the cupola arches and some models held in the Cathedral Museum: a work of "truly baroque magniloquence" (V. Casale). At Città di Castello he painted two altarpieces for the "Murate" monastery (enclosed order of nuns) and other works in private houses. He also received commissions from foreign countries notably France and Poland.

This painting looks like a sequel to Guido Cagnazzi’s Lucretia - just a few seconds later. I am amazed by the perfect painting of her cloths and her skin looks so silky it’s unbelievable.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Click image for a closer look.

Here some info about this great Sculptor (taken from here):

Damián Campeny y Estrany

(b Mataró, 12 April 1771; d Barcelona, 7 July 1855). Spanish sculptor and teacher. He began studying at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de la Lonja in Barcelona at the age of 14, and he worked in the studio of Salvador Gurri ( fl 1756-1819), a late Baroque sculptor with Neo-classical tendencies. Campeny left the studio after he was attacked by Gurri, who, as a teacher at the Escuela (1785), continued to persecute him and threw him out. Campeny then worked in Lérida, Cervera and Montserrat. He produced his first major work, St Bruno (1795; destr. 1831), in carved polychromed wood. He also trained with Nicolás Traver and José Cabañeras, both late Baroque artists. Stylistically, Campeny began with a moderate and personal naturalism, later assimilating some of the Baroque influences from his Catalan teachers. Readmitted to the Escuela, in 1795 he won a scholarship to complete his studies in Rome, where he went in 1796 and had his own studio for 17 years. He was at the Accademia di S Luca, worked in the restoration department of the Museo Capitolino and also studied with Antonio Canova, who had a decisive influence on his work and became a close friend. In Italy he became such a pure Neo-classicist that he was called the ‘Spanish Canova’. Various works from this period are held at the Lonja in Barcelona, for example Paris (1808) and Campeny’s masterpiece the Dying Lucretia (plaster, 1803; marble, 1834). The collection also contains a statue of the Virgin as Ianua Coeli (1815), made using various hard coloured stones.

I must say I am totally enchanted by this statue: I want to rush to Lucretia and hold her in my arms to rescue or at least comfort her on her way to the afterlife.

What a great piece of art.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

From BBC on this Day:

The mission became popularly known as the Dambusters raid, and was immortalized in a 1954 war film. It was one of the most famous air operations of World War II. Casualties for the raid were high.

Eight of the original 19 Lancaster bombers were damaged or shot down, and of the 133 aircrew, 53 were killed and three captured. On the ground, too, almost 1,300 people were killed, including 749 Ukrainian prisoners of war based in a camp just below the Eder dam.

The Möhne and Eder reservoirs poured about 330 million tons of water into the western Ruhr valley. The flood waters spread for about 50 miles (80km) from the source. The spectacular, daring nature of the raid was a significant boost to British morale. But militarily, it was a failure. The squadron failed to breach the Sorpe dam; and the disruption to the German war production was minimal. Water supply in the Ruhr valley was back to original levels six weeks later.

The aircrew, however, became famous as war heroes, and the leader of the raid, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, was awarded the Victoria Cross. He died less than 18 months later, shot down at the age of 26 in September 1944.

Actually many air raids hardly stopped German war production and many raids hit only the prisoners, because they usually were unable to hide in shelters. But the loss of material and airmen for the Americans and British was incredible.

As a finale note - the Dambuster theme from the movie, which is part of the British war culture:

More? documentary about the development of the special bomb and Wikipedia entry

Robots won’t violently takeover the world. We will be so fat and lazy in the future, that we’ll need them to run our affairs for us. Slavery is too tempting for humanity to ignore.

Once again the somewhere a Muslim mob goes bonkers and wants to kill someone for an insult. Once again the West shakes it’s head and tries to understand all the madness about a Teddy Bear named Mohammed. Once again we secular people try to reassure ourselves that only a few radical Muslims are willing to kill poor Gillian Gibbons. Once again the secular people in the West fail to understand that Religion can’t be tolerated, because it will always breed idiocy and violence.

Highly recommended: read some of the comments on the BBC website regarding the current situation with Ms Gibbons and Sudan. Plus: learn how governments once again play the religious card to make petty politics.

I am a big fan of Frontline and it many great documentation - not only because you can watch so many great reports online. This one is important, because it shows what really happened at Abi Graib and HOW it happened. I still can’t belief that Rumsfeld is still in Office and this Gonzales guy got even a bigger job.

I hope that one day they will be brought to justice, like Osama or any other terrorist - because what Rumsfeld ‘allowed’ was political terrorism - nothing else.

Please go and watch it.

He is an adulterer! He killed his wives? He had blowjobs in the Royal Palace! He is a sinner! He even changed the law to cover his tracks!

Wife #1 - Catherine of Aragon (1509 - 1531): Marriage was annulled - even against Papal orders. Was forced to leave the court.

Wife #2 - Anne Boleyn (1533 - 1536): Beheaded. “I heardsay the executioner was very good, and I have a little neck.”

Wife #3 - Jane Seymour (1536 - 1537): Henry married her 11 days after Anne’s execution. Died from childbirth.

Wife #4 - Anne Cleves (January to July 1540): The marriage was simply annulled.

Wife #5 - Catherine Howard (1540 -1542): Beheaded.

Wife #6 - Catherine Parr (1543 -1547): She actually survived Henry.

Click image for a larger execution.

The drama, the tears, the brutality! I am actually surprised that so many old paintings are pretty bloodless. You rarely see gory scenes like in modern movies. This is especially surprising since those times were pretty bloody, so horrific scenes have been pretty normal to those people - not like us, who see violence and war only mostly on TV or made up movies.

Since religious zealots are so en vogue these days here is a reminder of a good old tradition: stoning. A cruel punishment for the eager masses to participate. Since more and more people are calling for tougher punishments for all sort of crimes and even anti-social behavior they should remember WHY we developed a more human system of imprisonment and punishment in the west.

A legal system that is not based on religious rules, nor morals based on any Gods. And the notion was to regard criminals still as fellow citizens - and not as ‘bad apples’ that had to be destroyed or locked away forever.

I think the mob should do the dirty work themselves and have the images burned into their souls - so they never forget.

First dig a whole for your victim.

Call some friends, find some stones - and let’s begin …

It should be said, that stoning is a slow process - it takes some serious battering to kill someone - and watch their agony.

Stoning is still used in some countries.

More? video of an actual modern stoning (not recommended as family entertainment)

Click image for a bigger final moment.

I personally like realistic paintings best, when they tell an impressive story in a way no photography could. This is such a painting: real, painful, scary, brutal and without merci. Every element works and transport that sense of final judgement to us.

Take a moment to study all the faces in the image. Wow!

Being defeated in public is embarrassing. A tough thing is hard to overcome. But people love the comeback kid - but only if you are brave enough to learn from your defeat, stand up and try again.

Click image for larger version.

Hypatia is one of my biggest heroes and one of the saddest stories I know (from Wikipedia):

Hypatia was the daughter of Theon, who was her teacher and the last fellow of the Musaeum of Alexandria. Hypatia did not teach in the Musaeum, but received her pupils in her own home. Hypatia became head of the Platonist school at Alexandria in about 400. There she taught on mathematics and philosophy, and counted many prominent Christians among her students. No images of her exist, but nineteenth-century writers and artists envisioned her as an Athene-like beauty.

In 391, Theophilus, the patriarch of Alexandria, ordered the destruction of some of the native Roman pagan temples in the city, which may have included the Musaeum and certainly included the Serapeum (a temple for the worship of Serapis and "daughter library" to the Great Library). In the same year Emperor Theodosius I had published an edict prohibiting various aspects of pagan worship, whereupon (although this was part of a wider phenomenon) Christians throughout the Roman Empire embarked upon a thorough campaign to destroy or christianize pagan places of worship.

Hypatia lived during a conflict between pagans and Christians, who were demanding the final destruction of paganism as an imperial institution. Hypatia, herself a pagan, was respected by many Christians, and was even exalted by a few later Christian authors as a symbol of virtue, often being portrayed by them as a virgin until her death.

Theories about the origins of the mob violence that ended Hypatia’s life range from a local, spontaneous Christian uprising tolerated by the Christian Patriarch Cyril of Alexandria over a conflict between Cyril and the city prefect Orestes; to a conspiracy by the Emperor himself; to a lawless, civilian "peasant stock" mob (soldiers are never mentioned) made up of Christians and non-Christians alike, led by a man named "Peter". Another point of view holds that Hypatia was part of a rebellion and her murder inevitable.

Basically she was murdered for religious and political reasons. She is one of the many Martyrs of Science. She died like so many before and after her, because she simply knew too much and was ahead of her times.

Some more information about the painting and the artist here.

Sometimes a forceful motivation for others to think can kill all thought process. Gentle teasing should be used at all times while dealing with humans.

The world media and it’s viewers hardly seem able to follow more then five events at a time. The war in Chechnya is still on, freedom fighters or terrorists (depending on where you stand) still try to kick Russia out of their country.

The suffering is still on, but unless the Chechnyan Rebells stage another bloody incident hardly anyone will notice.

Mr Putin stop this war!

That the US is once again the world leader in a rather dark competition is hardly news - but this BBC page has an excellent chart that compares many countries. Finland seems to be a great place to be either or criminal or a prisoner - seems to be a very liberal justice system with very nice prisons.

I think every politician should do some body bag practice before sending troops to their death.

Aztec historians report about a religious mass murder: within four days over 40.000 people were brutally sliced open to satisfy their debt to the sun god. The priests wore special masks and ripped every poor victim open to get their hearts and loads of blood. The slaughter must have been unbelievable while the citizens watched.

What a huge operation! First you have to catch 40.000 people to enslave, you need thousands of soldiers to keep them at bay and control them while they are guided to the slaughter.

BBC News: Can the World stop Genocide?

A short essay over at the BBC about the mechanics or Politics in face of Genocide and Mass Murder. Interesting and frustrating at the same time.

The UN was founded to stop and prevent wars.

Since their is no such thing as a ‘universal fairness’ clause we have to cope with pretty heavy problems from time to time in our life’s. Some people say challenges can make you grow, but some challenges simply knock you out. Not every bad situation has a ‘good’ aspect, not every problem will make you grow and help you to become a better or even happier person.

How do you introduce spirituality to kids in a free and open way? The chance of indoctrination instead of education is very big. Too often the voice of (any) god becomes the instrument of parental instructions. How can we show the wonders without destroying them?