HSBC lions

Various headquarters and branch buildings of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (and later the HSBC Group) feature a pair of lion sculptures. The HSBC lions have become distinctive landmarks in their own right in Hong Kong and Shanghai, with a further pair to be found in London.
Shanghai (1923).
The first set of lion sculptures were commissioned for the rebuilt HSBC Building on the Bund in Shanghai, opened in 1923. Chief Manager Alexander Stephen wrote, in 1921, that the inspiration for his decision to order their sculpting came from the imposing lions outside the Venetian Arsenal.
Cast by J W Singer & Sons in the English town of Frome, to a design by Henry Poole RA, these lions had quickly become part of the Shanghai scene, and passers-by would affectionately stroke the lions in the belief that power and money would rub off on them. They became known as Stephen and Stitt. Stephen was named for Alexander Gordon Stephen, formerly Manager Shanghai, and in 1923 the Chief Manager of HSBC, and Gordon Holmes Stitt, the then Manager Shanghai. Stephen is depicted roaring, Stitt quiescent; insiders said that this represented the characters of the two famous bankers.
Hong Kong (1935).
When HSBC decided to build its third Headquarters at 1 Queen's Road Central in Hong Kong, opened in 1935, it commissioned two bronze lions from Shanghai-based British sculptor WW Wagstaff. This commission was inspired by the earlier lions commissioned for the Shanghai office, and the Hong Kong lions were modelled on, but are not identical to, the Shanghai lions.
Wagstaff worked with "Shanghai Arts and Crafts" foreman Chou Yin Hsiang who in an interview with John Loch of HSBC's house magazine "Group News" in June 1977 recalled that when he first joined Arts and Crafts he worked with Wagstaff for two years to make the lions, without having to learn a word of English: Wagstaff spoke perfect Shanghai dialect. Hunch-backed, Wagstaff was nicknamed "Lao Doo Pei", meaning "Old Hunchback". His son, inevitably, was called "Sau Doo Pei" – "Young Hunchback." Wagstaff had two sons – Don, killed in Naval service in the war, and Alex, killed while interned in Shanghai by the Japanese. Chou Yin Hsiang himself came to Hong Kong in 1935, and by 1977 was the proprietor of Jeh Hsing Metal Works – and still casting bronze for HSBC.
Like the Shanghai lions, the Hong Kong lions became objects of veneration, and foci of the Bank's perceived excellent feng shui. Young couples still bring their toddlers to stroke the paws and noses of the statues hoping for luck and prosperity.
When the 1935 building closed its doors for the last time on 26 June 1981, the lions had been moved to the annexe on 19 June 1981. Demolition, by China Swiss Engineers, started on 6 July 1981. The lions were temporarily moved on 4 June 1982 to Statue Square, opposite the main entrance. As a mark of the respect in which the lions were held, the move to Statue Square, and the move back in 1985, were accompanied by the chairman Sir Michael Sandberg and senior management of the Bank and the placement of the lions both temporarily and in their current locations was made only after extensive consultations with feng shui practitioners.
Their 4-year sojourn in the annexe and Statue Square aside, the lions have only left their positions as guardians of the Des Voeux Road entrance of the Bank once: they were confiscated by the Japanese and sent to Japan to be melted down. Luckily the war ended before this could happen, and the lions were recognised by an American sailor in a dockyard in Osaka in 1945. They were returned a few months later and restored to their original positions in October 1946.
The Hong Kong lions are also called Stephen and Stitt. Holes observed in the bronze are most likely the result of shrapnel damage from shelling during the 1941 Battle of Hong Kong.
The lion situated at the right-hand side of the entrance to the HSBC headquarters was set ablaze during huge democracy protests on 1 January 2020, the bank being targeted for its closure of a protest funding bank account the previous month on the grounds of moneylaundering.
London (2002).
After the re-organisation of the HSBC business into the present-day HSBC Group, the Group's headquarters were relocated to London. The new headquarters building, located at 8 Canada Square, in the Canary Wharf development of the Isle of Dogs in London, opened in 2002. A pair of lions were again commissioned for the new headquarters. This pair was a close replica of the Hong Kong lions, even including the signatures of W.W. Wagstaff on the sculpture. The casting was completed at Bronze Age Foundry in nearby Limehouse, directed by Zambian-born New Zealand sculptor Mark Kennedy. However, Kennedy was asked not to reproduce the "war wounds" of the Hong Kong lions in the copies: they had to earn their own battle scars.
Shanghai (2010).
In 2010, a further pair of lions, again copies of the originals, were commissioned for the Group's new China headquarters, located in the Shanghai IFC building, in Shanghai's newly developed Lujiazui area, across the river from the old Shanghai headquarters.
List of HSBC lion statue re-casts.
The following is a list of bronze copies and re-casts of the HSBC lions:
Various other HSBC buildings around the world feature guardian lions – often reduced-size copies of the Shanghai or Hong Kong lions with varying degrees of faithfulness, though others use entirely unrelated figures, such as Chinese guardian lions.
Rainbow lions.
In 2016, HSBC installed two rainbow-painted replicas of the lions at its Hong Kong headquarters in Queen's Road Central, in recognition of LGBT rights. The artwork was designed by Michael Lam. They were removed after an online petition started by Roger Wong Wai-ming and other concerned shareholders. Stephen was painted in stripes while Stitt was painted in circles. The lions were eventually accepted by the Philippine Global Service Center and are housed at Commonwealth, Quezon City.
Influence.
The Hong Kong lions are depicted on banknotes of the Hong Kong dollar issued by HSBC. They are seen as one of the key symbols of HSBC, so much so that HSBC is locally known in Hong Kong as "the Lion Bank". The HSBC lions are also shown on all HSBC credit and debit cards in their 2017 card design.
The influence of the HSBC lions are such, that in some parts of China guardian lions more or less based on the Shanghai or Hong Kong lions have become a distinct genre of mass-produced architectural sculptures, offered by local producers (without authorisation from HSBC) under the name of "HSBC lions" (in Chinese, "汇丰狮"), usually marketed to banks and other financial institutions.


Balayogini

Balayogini (English: "Girl Saint") is a 1937 Indian film made in Tamil and Telugu languages. It was directed by K. Subramanyam. It is one of the earliest Tamil films to be set in a contemporary social setting and to advocate reformist social policies. This film is considered to be first children's talkie film of South India.
Production.
Subramanyam, was influenced by the reformist ideals of his father C.V. Krishnaswamy Iyer. He was moved by the social conditions around him to make reform oriented films. "Balayogini" (lit. Child Saint) was made to expose the plight and suffering of widows in middle class Brahmin communities in Tamil Nadu. Subramanyam produced this film under his "Madras United Artists Corporation" banner to express his criticism of the existing social norms and his disapproval of priesthood. He wrote the story, screenplay & dialogues and directed it himself. He cast his niece Saroja as the titular character. The film was started in 1936 and released in 1937. The completed film was 19,000 feet (210 minutes runtime) in length.
Plot.
Sarasa's (K. R. Chellam) father is arrested by Police for being a debtor. She goes to the sub collector's (K. B. Vatsal) house to ask for help. The collector's widowed sister Janaki and her niece (Baby Saroja) take pity on her. They are driven out of the house by the angry collector. They take refuge in the house of their low-caste servant Munuswamy. Munuswamy dies and Janaki cares for his children as her own. This causes outrage in the conservative society and Munuswamy's house is burned down by a mob. The child Saroja changes everyone's mind with her arguments.
Soundtrack.
The music was by Moti Babu and the lyrics were Papanasam Sivan. ‘Kanney papa, kanimuthu paapa’, rendered by Baby Saroja as a lullaby to her doll, became popular.
Reception.
The film was released on 5 February 1937 to critical and public acclaim. "Baby" Saroja was hailed as "Shirley Temple of India". Many girls were named "Saroja" after her. The film's success inspired a number of socially themed films in South India.
Reviewing the film in the magazine "Jaganmohini" in February 1937, reviewer "Vatsakumari" wrote:
A similar review was written in "Manikodi" magazine in its February 1937 issue:
Film historian Theodore Baskaran has called it the most significant Tamil film of its period.


Baptism of Christ (Annibale Carracci)

The Baptism of Christ is a painting by Annibale Carracci.
History of the painting.
The work was commissioned in 1583 by Giacomo Canobbi, professor of law at the University of Bologna, for his chapel in the Santi Gregorio e Siro. He was licensed in 1585, the date that appears on the canvas.
This is the second public commission obtained by Annibale after the "Crucifixion" of 1583, now in the Santa Maria della Carità, Bologna.The Baptism is the only altarpiece made by the most famous of the Carracci before his move to Rome to have remained in its original location.
Description.
The Baptism is the first important manifestation of the rediscovery of Correggio who, between 1584 and 1587, occupied the artistic interests of Annibale Carracci.
The influence of Correggio is particularly evident in the upper part of the altarpiece, occupied by a choir of angel musicians, supported by material clouds, in the centre of which the Eternal Father appears. This part of the composition derives from Correggio's frescoes painted for the dome of Parma Cathedral.
The lower part of the painting, where the main event takes place, instead, seems to be still linked to the late Mannerist style then dominant among Bolognese painters. This can be seen above all from the artificiality of the poses of some of the characters depicted and especially from that of the catechumen on the left - which shows the Lord taking off his shirt to be baptized in turn - whose twisting is strongly unnatural.
In general, there is a fracture between the two parts of the canvas (also highlighted by the different luministic setting of the two sections) which is probably an indication of the uncertainties and the results of the young Annibale's research still in progress.
In the composition, in addition to the depiction of Baptism, there is a reference to the mystery of the Trinity: the Father, the dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus, the Son, are aligned on the middle axis of the painting. The Trinitarian allusion is echoed by the gesture of the onlooker's hand on the left (in a red coat) indicating the number three. The Canobbi chapel, in fact, was dedicated to both the Baptist and the Trinity.
Already in this first important example of Carracci's attention to the art of Allegri we can see Hannibal's effort to update the style: the angelic choir at the top, though derived from Correggio, is characterized by its domestic spirit, "almost a concertino staged [...] like a family celebration".
According to Malvasia, for this second public rehearsal, Annibale would have availed himself of the help of his more experienced cousin Ludovico.


Cramond Lioness

The Cramond lioness is a Roman-era sculpture recovered in 1997 from the mouth of the River Almond at Cramond in Edinburgh, Scotland. The sculpture, which turned out to be one of the most important Roman finds in Scotland for decades, was discovered by ferryman Robert Graham.
It depicts a bound male prisoner being killed by a lioness. The upper torso and head of the prisoner are shown, with the giant lioness behind him, sinking her teeth into his skull.
The work is interpreted as a Roman sculpture imported to Scotland to serve as part of the tomb of a Roman military commander or dignitary, and connected to the nearby Cramond Roman Fort. The location of such a tomb, and how the sculpture reached its location in the river are unknown.
The sculpture is housed at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. In 2003, plans were unveiled for the lioness to be housed in a new archaeological centre at the Roman Fort in Cramond, although this proposal was still at the initial planning stage in 2008.


The Dark Side of the Sun (film)

The Dark Side of the Sun is a 1988 American-Yugoslavian drama film directed by Božidar Nikolić and stars Brad Pitt in his first leading role, as a young man in search of a cure for a rare and deadly skin disease.
Director Božidar Nikolić picked Brad Pitt out of 400 candidates for the main role. Brad Pitt was very happy for the pick and was only paid $1,523 for seven weeks of filming in 1988. The movie was released directly-to-video in 1997.
Plot.
Rick is a young American who suffers from a rare skin disease that prevents him from exposing himself to any kind of light, especially sunlight, and is mostly seen as an expert motorcyclist, entirely clad in leather. After having tried several cures without success, his father takes him to a village in Yugoslavia where they meet a healer, who is supposed to save him. But the treatment does not work and when a young American actress falls for him Rick decides to forget about his illness and enjoy life, feeling the sun on his skin for the first time. The disease takes its course but his father understands the choice he made.
Home media.
A Region 4 PAL DVD was released in Australia by the budget label Payless Entertainment under licence from Screen Media.


Henry Voordecker

Henri, Hendrik, or Henry Voordecker (15 August 1779, Brussels – 3 December 1861, Brussels) was a Belgian painter of genre scenes, especially of birds such as pigeons – his most notable works include "Hunter's Home". By late in his career he was regarded as perhaps the most distinguished painter in Brussels, and was also successful in Britain.
He specialized in genre scenes from the beginning of his career, landscapes and animal scenes; in the latter genre predominately pigeons and poultry. Voordecker painted in the romantic style, at once charming and commercial. As Voordecker's art was in sympathy with the spirit of the age, his success with an audience of wealthy citizens was assured. King William I bought a panel by him in 1820.
Collections with his works include the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, and the Belgian as well as the British Royal Collection. A scene with eight pigeons was given by Queen Victoria to her husband Albert, Prince Consort on his birthday in 1841.
Career.
Voordecker studied with Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, who was a Brussels counterpart of the Antwerp animal painter Balthasar Paul Ommeganck, and knew Jacques-Louis David, who lived in exile in Brussel after 1816. According to Philippe Bordes, Voordecker may have collaborated with David to paint the figure of Agamemnon in the 1819 version of the painting "The Rage of Achilles", now in the Kimbell Art Museum, at Fort Worth in Texas). Some of their correspondence survives, and is a useful source for David's later life.
Family.
The son of Pierre Decker and Agnes Rega, Henri Voordecker married Marie Jeanne Guldentops. They had a son, François, and a daughter, Louise; both became artists. Louise was art teacher at the court of King Leopold I and painted mostly fruit and flowers. François Decker was a genre painter and portraitist.


Napoleone Parisani

Napoleone Parisani (11 April 1854, Camerino - 20 September 1932, Rome) was an Italian landscape and occasional portrait painter.
Biography.
He was born to Count Giuseppe Parisani (1823-1887), the first mayor of Camerino after unification, and Princess Emilia Gabrielli di Prossedi (1830-1911). His grandmother was Charlotte Bonaparte Gabrielli, the eldest daughter of Lucien Bonaparte.
Following his parents' wishes, he studied agriculture and economics, graduating from the technical institute in Camerino in 1875, then moving to Milan to look after his family's holdings there. Despite his father's disapproval, he was determined to be an artist and, in 1881, moved to Rome where he obtained the support of his uncle, Prince , who was married to Augusta Bonaparte (1836-1900). He then enrolled at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma and studied with Filippo Prosperi.
After graduating, he became an habitué of the Antico Caffè Greco, where he met Giovanni Costa and, through his influence, decided to become a landscape painter. In 1885, he made the acquaintance of Ernest Hébert, then serving as Director of the French Academy at the Villa Medici, who also had a major influence on him. Hébert allowed him to use his studio, and that is where Parisani met the model, Adelaide Lucaferri, who became his wife. Another one of his friends was George Howard, 9th Earl of Carlisle, a noted art collector and artist, who facilitated exhibitions for Parisani at the New Gallery in London.
In 1895, he became interested in religious art, beginning with the creation of a Madonna at a religious asylum in his mother's hometown of Prossedi. He befriended Adolfo De Carolis there and they took "pilgrimages" together to study the Old Masters in Umbria, Marche and Tuscany. De Carolis also produced several religious mosaics based on drawings by Parisani.
During the 1900s through the 1920s, he participated several times in the exhibitions of the Venice Biennial and spent some time at Hébert's studio in Paris, where he presented works at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He also returned to landscape painting, helped found a group known as the "XXV della campagna romana" and exhibited at the Rome Biennial. After his death, a major retrospective was held at the Doria Pamphilj Gallery.


Sarah Hall (glass artist)

Sarah Hall is a stained glass artist from Canada. Sarah Hall is internationally recognized for her large-scale art glass installations and solar projects. Over the past decade Hall has pioneered a new direction in architectural glass in North America: merging artistic glass design with technical innovations related to green building and bird friendly glass.
In 2017, the glass studio under Koen Vanderstukken at Sheridan College founded the Sarah Hall Glass Library. A collection of over 300 glass samples were donated to the Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design (Glass) program. This resource is available to the students of glass blowing at Sheridan College and to the public by appointment.
Early life and education.
Early life.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1951, Sarah Hall was the eldest of three children of Clifton Leonard Howard Hall and Laura Eveline (Walsh) Hall. In the first year of life she moved with her parents to Dundas, Ontario where they built a house on the ravine overlooking Warren Park. Hall was inspired by the natural surroundings of her childhood home in Dundas. The Niagara Escarpment which encircles the Dundas Valley including Webster's Falls and Tews Falls were important influences in the development of her work. Her father was Chairman of the Building Committee for St. Marks United Church in Dundas. During the design phase of St. Marks, when Hall was 9 years of age, she accompanied her father and his committee to many churches. It was in this time she made the decision to make stained glass windows her life’s work. As no classes in stained glass were offered in Canada during the 1960s and early 1970s, Hall lived and worked in Alberta photographing ghost towns for the Provincial Archives of Alberta supported by an OFY federal grant.
Glass Studies.
In 1974, Hall enrolled in the Creative Arts Department at Sheridan College where stained glass was offered as one of the classes. In a decision to study stained glass full-time she enrolled in the Architectural Glass Department at Swansea College of Art, Wales, UK. Following her Diploma in Architectural Glass from The City & Guilds of London Institute, Hall assisted Lawrence Lee ARCA, Master of the Glass Department at the Royal College of Art in London. Hall's studies were completed with a year in Jerusalem researching Middle Eastern techniques in glass. One of the techniques she learned in Jerusalem was gold leafing on glass.
European artistic influences include the stained glass work of Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Georg Meistermann, Georges Rouault, Fernand Léger and Johannes Schreiter. Sites where these works were viewed were visited with her mentor art historian Peter Larisey, SJ (Society of Jesus) who taught at Regis College, University of Toronto. Artistic influences from Canada include glass artists Yvonne Williams and Rosemary Kilbourn and painter Emily Carr. Hall spent a summer on Haida Gwaii to photograph what remained of the villages and totem Carr had painted.
Personal life.
In 1982, Hall married Jeffrey John Kraegel, a builder of musical instruments and piano technician for The Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall. They have two sons, Jordan Benjamin Hall Kraegel and Jonathan Ezra Hall Kraegel. Both sons have shown strong ability in craftsmanship and design - Jordan in wood and Jonathan in metal. Hall's brother Brad Hall is an accomplished sculptor and blacksmith living in Nova Scotia.
Techniques.
First Studios - Leaded Glass Technique.
In 1980, Hall established her own stained glass studio in Toronto. For the first four years, the studio was located in an old storefront at 94 Tecumseth Street. Hall then moved to 30 Portland Street with fellow glass artists Robert Jekyll, Steven Brathwaite, Karl Schantz, Andrew Kuntz and photographers Robert Burley and Andre Beneteau sharing the large 4th floor warehouse. An early supporter of Hall's work in glass was June Callwood who commissioned her work for Jessie’s Centre designed by architect Jack Diamond. Numerous projects were accomplished in this studio (1984 -1990) created in the traditional stained glass technique with glass painting and silver stain. In these projects, Hall did the design work and all of the technical work on the glass herself.
Dupont Street Studio - Expanded Techniques (1990 – 2005).
In 1990, having a large number of commissions forced another move to an exceptional space in the old General Electric warehouse at 1440 Dupont Street. Painted entirely white, this 3000 square foot studio had 30 foot high ceilings, massive skylights and windows. Several craftsmen assisted Hall in her work including John Wilcox, Rosiland Sokolosky, Hap Straker and William Lindsay. Glass techniques were expanded considerably in this time to include large murals based on gold leaf techniques (Scotia Plaza), reverse painted glass, sandblasting and glass etching with hydrofluoric acid. Towards the end of this period, Hall worked with craftsmen at Sattler Stained Glass Studio in Nova Scotia to facilitate larger projects. Her contribution to the built environment was honoured in 1997 by the Ontario Association of Architects "Allied Arts Award." She was elected in 2002 into membership of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. Sarah Hall is listed annually in Canadian Who’s Who. Projects created in this period are included in the list below.
German Studio and Introduction to Solar (2004 – present).
In 2004, Hall received a Chalmers Arts Fellowship from the Ontario Arts Council to research and include photovoltaic technology in her art glass installations. This initiated a collaboration with Glasmalerei Peters GmbH in Paderborn, Germany. The first demonstration of PV technology was the "Northern Light" project co-ordinated by Concordia University at the Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC in 2005. In 2008, Hall and architect Clive Grout received an award from the American Institute of Architects for "Lux Nova", their photovoltaic art glass installation at Regent College, UBC. Canadian violinist Oliver Schroer composed music for "Lux Nova" and several concerts of his music were held at the studio. Mentorship for her work in solar power has come from physicist Ursula Franklin. A project called the "Wisdom Windows" honouring Rose Wolfe and the women of Massey College was commissioned by Master of the College John Fraser as a result of this mentorship. In 2008, Hall created BIPV for Grass Valley School in Camus, WA. This was followed by "Leaves of Light", Life Sciences Building at York University and "Waterglass" solar art facades at Harbourfront Centre. Hall’s most extensive solar project has been the monumental south windows entitled "Lux Gloria" at The Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, one of the sunniest city in Canada with over 2268 hours of sunlight per year. Although the focus was on solar integration in this period many projects were created in other techniques including glass mosaic, appliqué, screen-printing and fused glass.
Another new innovation has been solar glass retrofitting for existing buildings which provides a brand new building envelope that collects energy.
In her most recent work, Hall continues to explore innovative approaches to pressing environmental issues. In addition to bringing third generation photovoltaics (organic solar cells) into architecture, she is looking for ways to mitigate the worldwide problem of bird strike. This man-made plague causes some 100 million bird fatalities per year caused by bird-skyscraper collisions. Hall is working with researchers at the American Bird Conservancy to integrate new patterns and surfaces in architectural glass that will warn birds away and collect energy from sunlight at the same time.
Throughout her career Hall has sought to improve human environments through the medium of architectural glass. Over the years she has discovered creative ways to tackle global problems while maintaining the aesthetic integrity of her works - finding ways to develop greater energy autonomy and to live in harmony with the natural world.
Awards.
Hall's work has received several International First Place Awards for outstanding Liturgical art from both the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, and Ministry and Liturgy.
In 2004, Hall was awarded a Chalmers Arts Fellowship (Ontario Arts Council): to research and integrate photovoltaic technology (solar energy collection cells) into her art glass installations. This unique fusion is the first of its kind in North America, and first premiered at the Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC.
Books.
Hall has released four publications.


Naram Garam

Naram Garam is a 1981 Bollywood comedy-drama film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The film was produced by Subhash Gupta and Uday Narayan Singh and had music by R. D. Burman. It reprises many actors and actresses from the 1979 hit "Gol Maal" with the same names. It was also directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and starred Amol Palekar in the lead. Plot elements of this movie have been used in the 1985 Malayalam comedy "Aram + Aram = Kinnaram".
Plot.
"Naram Garam" is the story of Kusum (Swaroop Sampat) and her father (A.K. Hangal), who are left homeless due to non-repayment of debts from the local money lender. They are helped by Ramprasad (Amol Palekar), who is in love with Kusum. Bhavani Shankar (Utpal Dutt), Ramprasad's employer, is feared by his family members and employees, but is himself terrified of his own mother-in-law (Dina Pathak). Ramprasad helps Bhavani Shankar get the possession of his ancestral home after a 53-year-long legal battle with a squatter and is therefore assigned the responsibility of getting the house back in shape so that it can be re-occupied. In the meanwhile, Kusum and her father come to the shelter of Ramprasad and start staying in the house. Ramprasad doesn't have a house of his own, hence decides to let them stay illegally until he can find an alternative.
When this comes to the knowledge of the estate manager, Gajanan Babu (Suresh Chatwal), he arrives furious and determined to oust the squatters. However, he succumbs to the charms of Kusum and instead of ousting the old man and his daughter, presents a proposal of marriage. Horrified, Kusum and Ramprasad turn to Kali Shankar, a.k.a. Babua (Shatrughan Sinha), Bhavani Shankar's younger brother, for help. Babua is a garage mechanic and a ruffian with a kind heart for women in distress. He successfully dissuades Gajanan Babu from carrying through with his proposal, but is also determined to oust Kusum and her father. However, he too is captivated by Kusum's beauty and presses his suit. Then Ramprasad finally turns to Bhavani Shankar, who dissuades Babua using his younger brother's fear of him.
Bhavani Prasad comes to his home to oust the illegal residents, but is captivated by Kusum's voice and beauty. Being a very superstitious man and a faithful believer of astrologers, Bhavani Prasad believes that Kusum is the reincarnation of his dead wife Ahilya
. He decides to marry Kusum. Ramprasad finds the situation becoming very sticky, but decides to play along.
Bhavani Shankar takes all the precautions to make sure the marriage would take place secretly, only with Ramprasad's knowledge. However, Ramprasad invites Bhavani Shankar's mother-in-law and daughter to come to the house at exact date and time of the marriage, without telling them of the marriage itself. Bhavani Shankar now finds himself in a flux, not having the courage to get married in their presence. He secretly convinces Ramprasad to marry Kusum instead. Ramprasad negotiates his salary and the house in return of the deal. Thus, Ramprasad and Kusum finally get married and the reality behind the whole affair remains undiscovered.


The Being

The Being is a 1983 American horror film written and directed by Jackie Kong in her directorial debut, starring Martin Landau, José Ferrer, Dorothy Malone, comedian Ruth Buzzi, Marianne Gordon, and exploitation film producer Bill Osco, who is billed as "Rexx Coltrane" in the opening credits and "Johnny Commander" in the closing credits.
It focuses on a detective who is trying to solve a string of grisly murders and disappearances. Kong, a recent college graduate, was given a $4.5 million budget from her then-husband Bill Osco to write and direct a film. Principal photography began in 1980 under the title "Easter Sunday".
Plot.
In the town of Pottsville, Idaho, citizens begin disappearing. Young Michael Smith, son of Marge Smith (Dorothy Malone) is the first to vanish. A young man is decapitated while fleeing from an unseen assailant, and patrons at a drive-in theater are brutally murdered. At each scene, green slime is found. Wanting to get to the bottom of the disappearances but afraid that the publicity might damage the town's potato business, Mayor Gordon Lane (José Ferrer) hires chemical safety engineer Garcon Jones (Martin Landau) to investigate. Also investigating the disappearances is Detective Mortimer Lutz (Bill Osco), who senses that something terrible has befallen the town.
Meanwhile, more and more people disappear, with a puddle of green slime found at each site. With this new string of disappearances Lutz begins to suspect that Jones knows more than he is willing to tell. His suspicions grow when he is attacked by something monstrous while at home, with Lutz barely managing to escape from his attacker. Lutz confronts Jones about the incident but is told that there is nothing wrong in the area.
The following night while Lutz takes his waitress girlfriend Laurie (Marianne Gordon) home, they are suddenly attacked by a hideous creature. After holing themselves inside a diner they manage to lock it inside a freezer. The couple then contacts Mayor Lane, however when he arrives they discover that the creature has vanished, leaving behind a puddle of green slime. In light of this recent attack, Lutz confronts Jones again who then admits that a highly radioactive creature is responsible. It's revealed that the town is home to one of 2,000 nuclear dump sites in the U.S. and the creature (who is implied to be young Michael Smith) is the resulting mutation due to repeated exposure to the site's radioactive materials. The mutant, while intelligent, is completely psychotic and sensitive to light and is inactive during the day.
Arming themselves with shotguns, Jones and Lutz eventually manage to track the creature down to an abandoned warehouse where they are stalked by the hungry mutant. Jones is soon attacked and disemboweled by the creature, leaving Lutz alone to fend off the creature. Donning a gas mask, Lutz attempts to kill the creature with poison gas but it seems unfazed by the poisonous fumes and tosses Lutz around like a ragdoll. As the creature advances Lutz manages to toss a beaker of acid into the creature's face momentarily stunning it. Taking advantage of the creature's distraction, Lutz grabs a nearby axe and hacks the creature to death, ending the creature's reign of terror.
A new mutation is seen bursting from the ground.
Cast.
Cast notes:
Production.
Kong, a recent college graduate, was given a $4.5 million dollar budget from then-husband Bill Osco to write and direct a film, despite the fact that she had no professional film-making experience. She stated that she impressed Osco with storyboards and shot breakdowns. Kong wooed Martin Landau by pretending to be an actor interested in his theater workshop, and using the opportunity to give him her script. Impressed with her straightforwardness, he accepted the role. It would mark producer and occasional actor Osco's departure from his previous sexually explicit films such as the 1974 sexploitation film "Flesh Gordon". Principal photography began in 1980 under the title "Easter Sunday".
Release.
Theatrical release.
During the film's production it was intended that the film would be released on Easter in 1981. However, the film could not find a distributor for three years, and was finally released on November 18, 1983 under its new title. "The Being" was a commercial failure, performing poorly at the box office.
Home media.
"The Being" was released on DVD on September 13, 2005 by Shriek Studio in widescreen format with no special features. Shriek Studio released it again on July 31, 2007 as a part its "Mutant Monsters Triple Feature" which combined it with "The Dark" and "Creatures from the Abyss". It was last released by Code Red as a double feature alongside "Cop Killers".
Critical response.
Critical response for "The Being" has been mostly negative, with many criticizing the film's acting, script, editing, and poor lighting.
Scott Weinberg from DVD Talk was among the film's detractors calling the film "Grungy, muddy-looking" he also called it a "blatant Alien ripoff". J. Read from "Monstersatplay.com" called it "cheap, rushed, and an incongruous mess" stating it as a perfect example of all the bad movies that came out in the 1980s. Allmovie called the film "abysmal", with "clumsy, ham-fisted" direction,"lack of focus", "goofy" effects, and a "leaden, noncharismatic" performance from lead actor and producer Bill Osco. Nevertheless, the reviewer calls it "worthy of note for cinematic trash-fiends", because of its cast, flashes of humor and "oddball qualities".
TV Guide gave the film a negative review awarding it a score of 1 1/2 out of 4, stating, "The biggest mystery about this mystery-horror film is how the producer ever managed to persuade two Oscar winners (Dorothy Malone and Jose Ferrer) to appear in such cinematic Valium".
Robert Firsching from "New York Times" panned the film, calling it, "abysmal". Leonard Maltin awarded the film 1 stars out of 4 stating that humor was the film's only saving grace, stating that "it wasn't enough to overcome its Z-grade script and production". Jack Sommersby from eFilmCritic.com gave the film a negative review, writing, " it's not the worst of its type but not quite good enough to warrant a recommendation". Brett Gallman from "Oh, the Horror!" wrote, ""The Being" manages an odd, offbeat quality despite its familiarity. It’s a film that features an amorphous killer alien but also takes the time to consider Pottsville’s other plights, such as the impending arrival of a massage parlor that has the moral majority in a tizzy. Osco’s voiceover narration and interior monologues abruptly stop midway through the film, and even the Easter setting is entirely incidental".
Legacy.
In spite of the film's critical and commercial failure, "The Being" would gain a small cult following over the years since its release. Kong would go on to direct "Night Patrol" (1984) and the 1987 cult horror film "Blood Diner".
References.
Notes


Trudell

Trudell is a 2005 documentary film about American Indian activist and poet John Trudell. The film traces Trudell's life from his childhood in Omaha, Nebraska, through his role as a leader of the American Indian Movement. It also covers his rebirth as a musician and spoken word poet after his wife died in a house fire suspected as arson.
Heather Rae produced and directed the film, which took her more than a decade to complete. "Trudell" aired nationally in the U.S. on April 11, 2006 as part of the "Independent Lens" series on PBS.
Reception.
The film received generally mixed reviews from the critics.


Last Words of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius

Last Words of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius is an 1844 painting by the French artist Eugène Delacroix, now in the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. A preliminary sketch of the painting that was given to Delacroix's student Louis de Planet is also kept in the museum.
Description and analysis.
This large painting depicts the last hours of the life of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, as Delacroix admired the Stoics and particularly Marcus Aurelius. The character is represented in the center of the painting as an old, sick man who grabs the arm of a young man dressed in red, namely his son Commodus (Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus). Commodus seems not to pay attention to what his father wants him to say and has a haughty look. Around them, Marcus Aurelius' philosopher friends who are present around the bed are portrayed as sad men dressed in black.
Thus, the painting represents the end of the Roman Empire. Delacroix, who was fascinated by the red color after his travel to North Africa in 1832, draws the viewer's attention to Commodus by garbing him in bright red. It appears that the painting has no moral aspect, as the message that Delacroix wanted to convey in this work remains unknown.
Reception.
The first text which speaks of the painting is the catalog of the Salon of 1845 where it was exposed, which reads: "The figure of Marcus Aurelius, indeed sick and almost dying, seems to us in a too early decomposing state; the shades of green and yellow which hammer his face give him a quite cadaverous appearance", "some draperies may be too crumpled" and "some attitudes show a lack of nobility". The work received mostly negative reviews, but the writer Charles Baudelaire appreciated it and said: "A beautiful, huge, sublime, misunderstood picture [...]. The color [...], far from losing its cruel originality in this new and more complete scene, is still bloody and terrible".


Charles Jacque

Charles-Émile Jacque (23 May 1813 – 7 May 1894) was a French painter of animals (animalier) and engraver who was, with Jean-François Millet, part of the Barbizon School. He first learned to engrave maps when he spent seven years in the French Army.
Biography.
Fleeing the Cholera epidemics that besieged Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, Charles Jacque relocated to Barbizon in 1849 with Millet. There, he painted rustic or pastoral subject matter: shepherds, flocks of sheep, pigs, and scenes of farm life. In addition to painting, Jacque was also famous for his etchings and engravings. He, along with Félix Bracquemond and Felix Buhot, is credited with the nineteenth-century revival of seventeenth-century techniques. He began his career as an engraver around 1841 by publishing a series of etchings with Louis Marvy. He followed this work with a series of engravings based on the works of Adriaen van Ostade, after which he began to create original engravings / artworks. Charles Baudelaire said of him, "Mr. Jacque’s new reputation will continue to grow always, we hope. His etchings are very bold and his subject matter is well conceived. All that Mr. Jacque does on copper is filled with a freedom and a frankness which reminds one of the Old Masters."
Henri Béraldi distinguished two periods in Jacque's career. The first saw his creation of more spontaneous, Dutch inspired vignettes. In the second, for which he is more famous, he produced larger plates which, according to Fanica, were "marked by the Dutch character of his work."
Jacque also provided the illustrations for numerous books, in particular the "Vicar of Wakefield" by Oliver Goldsmith; "The Indian Cottage", a novella published with "Paul et Virginie"; "Picturesque Greece" by Christopher Wordsworth; the "Works" of Shakespeare; and "Ancient and Modern Versailles" by Alexandre de Laborde.
Family.
His sons Émile Jacque (1848–1912) and Frédéric Jacque (1859–1931) were both painters and engravers especially of rural subjects. Another son, Lucien, was executed as a Communard during the French State's bloody repression of the Paris Commune.


Arbre Serpents

Arbre Serpents is a sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle.
It showed at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
It is part of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, New York Avenue Sculpture Project.


The Vale of Rest

The Vale of Rest (1858–1859) is a painting by John Everett Millais.
The painting is of a graveyard, as night is coming on. Beyond the graveyard wall there is a low chapel with a bell. In the foreground of the scene, there are two nuns – the heads of the two nuns are level and symmetrical. There is no evidence that they are Roman Catholic nuns. Many of the pre Raphaelite brotherhood would have known of the growing Anglican sisterhoods, some of whose sisters joined Catholic Sisters with Florence Nightingale on her mission to the Crimea. One of the nuns holds a rosary, and one of the nuns is digging a grave. Her forearm and body strain under the weight of a shovelful of earth. The other, overseeing the work, turns with a look of apprehension and anguish.
Art critic Tom Lubbock said of the painting:"Graves. Dusk. A walled enclosure. The spooky, looming trees. Nuns. Catholics (in England then, still an object of suspicion). Sexual segregation. Religiosity. Mistress and servant, a power relationship, maybe some deeper emotional bondage. Female labour. Something being buried or exhumed. Twin wreaths. The deep dark earth. Corpses, secrets, conspiracy, fear. It's a picture that pulls out all the stops."
The painting is one of those satirised in Florence Claxton's watercolour "The Choice of Paris – an idyll" (1860). Claxton criticized "the perceived ugliness of early pre-Raphaelite paintings by exaggerating details from many of their works, including "The Vale of Rest", "Claudio and Isabella", and, lying in the grass, Alice Gray from "Spring""


Varsham (2004 film)

Varsham ( Rain) is a 2004 Indian Telugu-language romantic action film produced by M.S. Raju on his Sumanth Art Productions banner and directed by Sobhan, the film stars Prabhas, Trisha, and Gopichand and the music was composed by Devi Sri Prasad. It was third highest grossing Telugu film of 2004 and was successful at the box office.
The film was remade in Tamil as "Mazhai", Odia as "Barsa My Darling", Hindi as "Baaghi".
Plot.
Venkat, an unemployed youngster, meets Shailaja, a middle-class beauty, on a train journey, and they are immediately attracted to each other after dancing in a rain shower. At the same time, Shailaja catches the eye of Bhadranna, a dangerous, ruthless landlord who also fell in love with her. Venkat keeps bumping into Shailaja every time it rains, and they fall in love. Ranga Rao, Shailaja's father, is a typical black sheep with many bad habits. Bhadranna approaches him with the marriage proposal, and Ranga Rao jumps on that and agrees. Later, a film producer Seenaiah approaches Ranga Rao with an offer for Shailaja to act in a movie. Ranga Rao thinks that acting in films would be more lucrative than marrying her off to Bhadranna. He first successfully creates clashes between lovers, convinces Shailaja to act in a movie, and leaves with her to the city. Venkat also leaves for Vizag to his uncle's place. In Vizag, Shailaja becomes a leading lady in the movies, and Venkat works with his uncle in a quarry as a demolition expert. Months later, Bhadranna is cheated some money by Ranga Rao, and he finds out where Shailaja now lives, kidnaps her, and tries to change her mind about marrying him. Seenaiah gets tensed as shooting was paused, and Ranga Rao advises him to approach Venkat, as he believes that Venkat still loves Shailaja. Venkat agrees and fights with Bhadranna for Shailaja. Gradually, Shailaja comes to know that she misunderstood Venkat and apologizes. They reconcile happily, and both start loving again. That night, Bhadranna kills his brother Kaasi (Shafi) for not bringing Shailaja. Bhadranna is coming back from Hyderabad to destroy Venkat and marry Shailaja. During the festival, Bhadranna stabs Venkat but is stopped by his uncle Sivaiah. After the fight, Venkat defeats Bhadranna and embraces Shailaja and Venkat's friends. Suddenly, Bhadranna regains conscious but dies when a statue covered in fire collapses on him. The movie ends with Venkat and Shailaja reuniting.
Soundtrack.
Music was composed by Devi Sri Prasad and all lyrics were penned by Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry. Music was released on Aditya Music.
References.
http://www.aptalks.com/varsham-film-director-late-shobhans-son-debuts-as-hero/


Jingle All the Way 2

Jingle All the Way 2 is a 2014 American direct-to-video Christmas comedy film, and a sequel to the 1996 film "Jingle All the Way" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Directed by Alex Zamm, "Jingle All the Way 2" stars Larry the Cable Guy and Santino Marella. The film is produced by 20th Century Fox and WWE Studios, the motion picture division of WWE, and was released straight-to-video by Fox on December 2, 2014. On-air promotion from WWE occurred on its weekly episodic events.
Plot.
Truck driver Larry Phillips competes with the current husband of his ex-wife, the wealthy businessman Victor, for daughter Noel's affection. Larry tries to find out what Noel wants most by surreptitiously opening Noel's letter to Santa Claus (which appears to be phonetically written) by offering to mail it for her.
He then tries to buy what he believes is her heart's desire; a Harrison The Talking Bear toy, which also happens to be the toy of the season. However, new stepfather Victor sends his spy, a man he employs named Welling to follow Larry and find out what it is Noel wants, so he can be the one to fulfill her dreams. Victor is determined to make it impossible for Larry to get his hands on a Harrison Bear by having Welling buy every one he can find and thwarting Larry each time he tries to get his hands on one.
Victor stockpiles all of the bears he acquires in a room in his box company. Larry tricks Victor into giving away the location of the bears and follows him into the room where they are kept but accidentally locks them both in.
At the tree lighting ceremony in town, a savvy female reporter has investigated who bought all the bears (Welling) and outs him to all the parents at the ceremony who have tried to buy one for their child. She declares Victor as the true villain which causes the crowd to focus their anger against Victor and his box company instead of him.
Meanwhile, inside the box company, Larry and Victor have discovered what is going on and finally come together to save the situation. They decide to have Christmas together and give Noel the prized toy from both of them, only to find out Noel never wanted the toy at all. They question her not wanting the toy and point out it was in her letter to Santa Claus. Noel accuses Larry of betraying her trust regarding the letter, which Larry makes an excuse for finding and reading the letter which he then produces; which, to his dismay, when correctly interpreted says something completely different from what he had thought.
Production.
Filming.
"Jingle All the Way 2" was filmed in Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada.
Reception.
Critical response.
Dave Schilling of "Vice" wrote, "What's actually insidious about the whole endeavor is that it's so good at being so bad."


Melvin Goes to Dinner

Melvin Goes to Dinner is a 2003 American film adaptation of Michael Blieden's stage play "Phyro-Giants!", directed by Bob Odenkirk. Blieden wrote the screenplay from his stage play, and he also stars in the film (as he did in the Los Angeles stage production), along with Stephanie Courtney, Matt Price and Annabelle Gurwitch. The film premiered at the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival.
Plot.
Former medical student Melvin has dropped out and now works (after a fashion) in a planning office of an unnamed city. The office supervisor is his big sister, who "mothers" him instead of making him perform well. Melvin accidentally makes telephone contact with an old friend, and they decide to meet for dinner that evening. The friend arrives early for drinks with a lady friend; by the appointed time, four people are involved, each connected somehow to at least one of the others. The evening passes in a leisurely dinner with much conversation, sometimes intimate; the connections among the parties are revealed throughout the evening. The movie includes several flashbacks, which are not immediately explained but become understandable by the end.
Cast.
Several notable people appeared as extras in the film, including Kristen Wiig, Bill Odenkirk, Daisy Gardner, Allan Havey, Nathan Odenkirk (son of Bob and Naomi Odenkirk), Scott Adsit, Wendy Rae Fowler, Tucker Smallwood, B. J. Porter, James Gunn, and Marc Evan Jackson.
Production.
Michael Penn wrote the music for the film. The film won the Audience Award at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, and the Best Picture and Best Ensemble Awards at the Phoenix Film Festival.
The movie uses many actors who are mainliners in other television productions, such as Odenkirk's former Mr. Show co-star David Cross as a self-help seminar leader. However, the main characters are all played by the stage actors who performed in the Los Angeles stage production on which the screenplay is based.
Odenkirk also directed a short film that was included on the "Melvin Goes to Dinner" DVD release, "The Frank International Film Festival". It portrayed the screening of "Melvin Goes to Dinner" at a (fictional) film festival organized by a cinephile named Frank (Fred Armisen) who hosts the festival at the home he shares with his mother.


Wieniawa coat of arms

Wieniawa is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several szlachta families in the times of medieval Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
History.
The Wieniawa coat of arms originated from Moravia in the 11th century. First record is from 1382 (a seal).
Blazon.
English blazon: "Or, an ox head sable with a nose ring of the first in chief."
Notable bearers.
Notable bearers of this coat of arms include:
Gallery.
Variations
Cities and Villages
Other


The Dance of Life (painting)

The Dance of Life or Life's Dance is an 1899–1900 expressionist painting by Edvard Munch, now in the National Museum of Art in Norway. The arch of life spans from white young virgin in white over the pair with red wife to an old widow in black.
The painting was an important work in Munch's project "The Frieze of Life". In creating the painting, Munch was allegedly inspired by the Helge Rode play "Dansen gaar," of which Munch kept a copy in his personal library. This painting clearly reflects Munch's ambivalence towards the women in his life.
Olaf Schou purchased the painting in Oslo in 1910, immediately presenting it to the National Gallery.


Coronation of the Virgin (Filippo Lippi)

The Coronation of the Virgin (in Italian "Incoronazione Maringhi") is a painting of the Coronation of the Virgin by the Italian Renaissance master Filippo Lippi, in the Uffizi, Florence.
History.
Francesco Maringhi, "procuratore" of the church of Sant'Ambrogio, left money after his death in 1441 for a new painting at the high altar of the church. Bills of the payments for the work until 1447 have been preserved.
In the late 1430s, brother Filippo Lippi had left the convent of the Carmine convent to open an artist workshop of his own; however, having no money enough to pay assistants and apprentices, he worked alone with two usual collaborators, Fra Carnevale and Fra Diamante, along with an unknown "Piero di Lorenzo dipintore". For the "Coronation of the Virgin", however, Lippi had to call in a total of six external painters, who were responsible also for the gilded frame, now lost. Originally the work had a predella, also lost, with the exception of a small panel with a "Miracle of St Ambrose", now in the Berlin State Museums.
The work was immediately admired and was copied by numerous painters. It remained in Sant'Ambrogio until 1810, when it was stolen. Later it was sold to the Galleria dell'Accademia, from which it was transferred to the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence.
Description.
The work is composed of a single panel, divided into three sectors by the arches. At the sides of the central arch are two "tondos", depicting the Angel of Annunciation and the Virgin.
The main scene features a crowd of biblical figures, angels and saints,
portrayed in informal positions; most of them are probably portraits of existing people. As usual, the scene is set in Heaven, but Lippi decided to avoid the outdated gilded background, replacing it with a striped sky which alludes to the seven sectors of the Paradise. In the middle, in a commanding position, are Christ and the kneeling Madonna who is going to be crowned, within a majestic marble throne in perspective. The latter includes the shell-shaped niche, featured in other paintings by Lippi.
Four angels hold a gilded ribbon, while in the lower level is a series of kneeling saints; on the left and right are other two groups of saints and angels, inspired to the crowded choirs of older works, such as the "Incoronation of the Virgin" by Lorenzo Monaco. The elevated pavement of the side groups creates a perspective triangle whose apex is the Virgin's head.
Amongst the figures in the middle can be recognized Mary Magdalene and St. Eustace (titular of one of the most important altars in the church) with his sons and his wife. These figures are shorter than normal, as the painter imagined them to be correctly seen from below, in perspective, by the nuns of the Sant'Ambrogio convent from their separated choirs.
Kneeling at the side are the work's commissioner, facing a cartouche with the write "ISTE PERFECIT OPUS" ("this one finished the work"), while on the left is a self-portrait of Filippo Lippi in the robes of a Carmelite monk (as he was). Standing on the sides are the two titular saints of the church: St. Ambrose (left) and St. John the Baptist (right), whose austere representation reveal the influence of Masaccio.
This painting is described at length in lines 344-389 of Robert Browning's poem 'Fra Lippo Lippi', published in 1855 in his collection "Men and Women".


Victor Willing

Victor Arthur James Willing (15 January 1928 – 1 June 1988) was a British painter, noted for his original nude studies. He was a friend and colleague of many notable artists, including Elisabeth Frink, Michael Andrews and Francis Bacon. For his talent and enthusiasm, Willing was dubbed the 'spokesman for his generation'. He was married to Portuguese feminist artist Paula Rego.
Life and work.
Victor Willing was born in Alexandria, Egypt, the only son of George Willing, professional soldier, and his wife Irene Cynthia Tomkins. The first four years of his life were spent there and, briefly, in Malta. On returning to the UK his father was posted to various parts of southern England, including the Isle of Wight and Bordon, Hampshire. Willing's education was, in consequence, disrupted until the family moved permanently to Guildford, Surrey, where he was able to attend The Royal Grammar School from 1940 to 1945. A year was then spent at Guildford School of Art while he awaited call-up to National Service, which he performed from 1946 to 1948.
He secured a commission as second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, serving in Northern Ireland and at Dover. After this he was accepted by the Slade School of Fine Art, University of London, but only to start in 1949, so he returned for a year to Guildford Art School studying sculpture under Willi Soukop. A fellow student and friend there at the time was Elisabeth Frink. He produced two accomplished stone carvings during this year, a female torso and a head (private collections).
Willing's start at the Slade coincided with William Coldstream's arrival there as Director and Professor. Fellow entrants that year included Michael Andrews, Henry Inlander and James Burr, while Euan Uglow, Craigie Aitchison, Paula Rego and Myles Murphy also overlapped subsequently. Other close friends, Keith Sutton and Peter Snow, had started the previous year.
Willing was admired by his fellow students for his adventurous talent and intellectual zest, and was denoted 'spokesman for his generation' by the critic David Sylvester. He was deeply fascinated by one of Francis Bacon's first exhibitions, in 1949, and he invited him to talk at the Slade. They subsequently became friends and saw a good deal of each other especially after Willing left the Slade in 1953. Another artist who became a long-standing friend was Rodrigo Moynihan and each painted the other's portrait. Willing's portrait of Moynihan is with the Royal College of Art, but Moynihan's of Willing was stolen and was, it is thought, destroyed by the thief.
Willing took his diploma in 1952 and then stayed on for a further year. Of work produced during these student years rather little survives. Four paintings, "Head of a Man (John Mills)", "Boy on a Tricycle" (both private collection), "Head of a Girl (Paula Rego)" (Dumfriesshire Educational Trust) and "Standing Nude" (Tate Gallery) are still extant, however, and possibly two other 'summer compositions', "Europa and the Bull" and "Musicians". His diploma painting "Act of Violence" is still with University Art Collections, University College.
In 1951 Willing had married his long-time Guildford girlfriend, Hazel Whittington; they lived first at Shalford near Guildford, and from 1954 in a large maisonette at Lancaster Gate in Bayswater, London. He was able to paint both there and in a small studio that he had in Chelsea.
In 1955, Erica Brausen of the Hanover Gallery gave him a show which was a considerable critical success. Paintings were bought by the Arts Council of Great Britain and also by Sir Colin Anderson, a notable supporter of young artists. A star piece of the show, "Reclining Nude", went to a Belgian purchaser and has disappeared from view. Unfortunately there was no catalogue nor, it seems, were the exhibits photographed.
Paintings from around this time, which may have been in the exhibition, are "Runners" and "Man Explaining" (private collection) and "Winter Machine" (Arts Council Collection). "Man with a Kitten" no longer exists but was published in monochrome. An impressive "Man Watching" (a sentry standing in front of red railings), which was shown at the ICA in 1953, is believed lost. There were also a few portraits: "Andrew Forge", "Natasha Spender" and "Lawrence Alloway" (the last two, whereabouts unknown).
By 1956, Willing's marriage was failing and at the end of that year he left home and the country, eventually to join Paula Rego in Portugal. Rego's parents were supportive, and the two were able to live quietly at the family "quinta" in Ericeira where they both continued to paint. They were married in 1959 following Willing's divorce from Hazel Whittington. From 1962 they also had a base in London, a house in Albert Street, Camden Town, which Rego's father, José Figueiroa Rego, had given them.
Although many paintings were produced during this period most were destroyed or painted over. Survivals include "Self Portrait" and "Standing Figure and Nude" (1957; two parts of an unfinished triptych). Willing was discouraged when the more adventurous "Lech", "Precarious Drag" and "Untitled", which relate more closely to his late work, were viewed unfavourably by a critic friend, and he reverted to painting (as he put it) 'stodgy nudes'.
The year 1966 brought major upsets to his career as an artist. Both his father and his father-in-law died and he saw no option but to take on the management of the latter's business interests in Lisbon. At the same time he was diagnosed as suffering from the early stages of multiple sclerosis. Art took on a lesser role for the next eight years until the Portuguese revolution of 1974 led to the failure of the business and the eventual return of the family – which now included Caroline, Victoria and Nick Willing – to live permanently in London.
Willing decided that he had to return to his true "métier"; he rented a room in a disused school in Stepney, east London, and began to paint. Alone for long periods, and standing only with difficulty, he often just sat and looked at the wall. During these periods of 'reverie' pictures would appear to him of an intense and visionary quality which he was then able to draw. Many of these drawings were subsequently enlarged into oil paintings, and both drawings and paintings were exhibited in 1978 at the AIR (Artist Information Registry) Gallery, then in Shaftesbury Avenue, central London. This exhibition was a critical success and during the next ten years was followed by several others most notably at the Serpentine Gallery (1982) and the Whitechapel Art Gallery (1986), the latter a major retrospective.
In 1982 he was Artist in Residence, Corpus Christi College and Kettle's Yard art gallery, Cambridge. His paintings entered important collections including the Tate Gallery, the Arts Council and the Saatchi Collection. His many drawings were also widely exhibited and collected. Particularly striking was the series of "Masks" which were shown at the Hayward Gallery Annual (sponsored by the Arts Council) in 1985.
With his increasing disability the large paintings of the earlier eighties gave place to smaller, his last exhibition being of a series of Heads at the Karsten Schubert Gallery in 1987. Also towards the end of his life he designed and had made some small sculptures, painted and gilded, resembling some of the standing figures in his drawings. Another idea, surviving in small models, was the creation of the 'aedicola' or 'shelter', a place of refuge or retreat, which had featured in his drawings and paintings.
Willing died at home in Hampstead, north London, on 1 June 1988. In subsequent years several important publications and exhibitions have taken place. In 1993 Karsten Schubert published a selection of his writings and two conversations with John McEwen, while in 2000 appeared the August Media multi-authored study of his work. Five works were included in the 'New Displays' at the Tate Gallery in 1999, and in 2000 there was a solo exhibition of his work at Marlborough Fine Art, London.
In late 2008 the Pallant House Gallery, Chichester exhibited its holdings of his paintings, bequeathed to them by the architect Colin St John Wilson, alongside some loans of early work. An extensive retrospective exhibition, curated by Helmut Wohl, opened at the Casa das Historias Paula Rego, Cascais, Portugal, on 9 September 2010, and closed on 2 January 2011.


Valley of the Yosemite

Valley of the Yosemite (or Valley of the Yo-Semite) is a painting by Albert Bierstadt that was completed in 1864. Initially associated with the Hudson River School, Bierstadt rose to prominence for his paintings of the Rocky Mountains, which established him as one of the best painters of the western American landscape. His later paintings of Yosemite were also received with critical acclaim and public praise.
Painting.
For his second trip West, in the summer of 1863, Bierstadt went with writer Fitz Hugh Ludlow to the West Coast of the United States. During the trip, Bierstadt spent several weeks doing en plein air studies in Yosemite Valley. Those studies were used as references for his future paintings, including this 1864 "Valley of the Yosemite", which was painted in his New York studio. Since this painting was on a smaller scale than his other larger panoramic scenes and it was done on paperboard, it is often thought that it is a sketch for his significantly larger, "Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California," which was painted a year later in 1865. Many versions of "Valley of the Yosemite" were painted by Bierstadt.
Upon viewing Yosemite, Albert Bierstadt immediately wrote to his friend, John Hay, in August 1863, saying he discovered the Garden of Eden in America: Yosemite. With such thoughts of Paradise on his mind, Bierstadt painted an idealistic scene of the American wilderness, which he portrayed as completely untouched by man. Overall, the panoramic scene is idyllic, as a cluster of deer linger peacefully in the center foreground. A painter of the Hudson River School, Bierstadt's style also had aspects of luminism. As seen in this depiction of Yosemite, the setting sun casts a yellow-orange glow over the entire landscape.
Perhaps Bierstadt hoped to preserve this paradise through paintings like these, as a few years later, the First Transcontinental Railroad was built, which introduced tourism to the American west.
Bierstadt's paintings, specifically ones with the Yosemite Valley as subject matter, resonated with many Americans as an untouched paradise during a time of unrest, as the American Civil War occurred. Furthermore, upon seeing these Yosemite-themed paintings, it spurred Americans to protect America's natural landscape. With public support, in 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill protecting Yosemite's natural beauty, preserving it as a park for the public to enjoy.
Provenance.
Shortly after its completion, in April 1864, the painting was exhibited at the "Metropolitan Fair, in aid of the United States Sanitary Commission." It sold for $1600, which was the highest price paid for any painting in the sale. James Lenox bought it for his personal art collection. When construction for his Lenox Library (New York) ended, Lenox had the painting displayed in the art galleries. Years after Lenox's death, the Lenox Foundation decided to merge the Lenox Library's collection with the Tilden Trust and Astor Library to create the New York Public Library.
In 1895, the painting belonged to the New York Public Library. However, in April 1943, the New York Public Library auctioned off the painting through Coleman Auction Galleries, and it was bought by Newhouse Galleries. Soon after, A. F. Mondschein (also known as Frederick Mont or Adolf Fritz Mondschein or Frederick Mondschein) of New York acquired the painting. Mondschein was an art dealer and collector. He primarily dealt with Old Masters paintings, which makes his involvement with Bierstadt's "Valley of the Yosemite" painting unusual.
Mondschein then sold it later that year to Maxim Karolik. Karolik's wife, another prominent collector of American art, gifted the painting to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on June 12, 1947.


Yellow Peppers

Yellow Peppers (Hebrew: פלפלים צהובים; Pilpelim Tzehubim) is an Israeli drama television program about a family that raises an autistic child in a rural village lacking any therapeutic resources. The programme was well received by critics. It was also presented as a part to the World Autism Awareness Day at the United Nations.
Plot.
Ayellet (Alma Zack) makes good money as the village tailor, and when her father, Meir (Yehuda Barkan), turns to agricultural politics, her husband, Yaniv, turns the family farm into a profitable business exporting yellow peppers. Both men help her raise Natty, her teenage daughter from a former marriage, and Omri, her toddler son from her present one. The few indications she has of Omri's developmental problem do not bother her because the village physician says everything is okay.
When Ayellet's brother, Avshy, returns to the village, it seems like a new opportunity: Avshy will replace Yaniv in the greenhouses, and Yaniv will build their new biker restaurant. However, Avshy's wife, Yaely, a physician, wants to give her marriage a second chance and comes with her husband to live on the farm. Yaely is concerned about Omri's symptoms. Meir drives the child to the closest town, where he is diagnosed as autistic.
Ayellet removes Omri from kindergarten, and the family organizes an intensive therapeutic homeschooling plan. Ayellet stops spending time with her daughter and stops working. No money is left for completing the restaurant. Ayellet fires her brother from managing the greenhouses, and he becomes depressed and leaves his wife. Yaniv stops participating the homeschooling.
Yaniv wants Ayellet to get pregnant again, but she refuses.
Yaniv fights with Ayellet about taking Omri to community events. Yaniv wants to take him to a party at the preschool, but Omri disappears. Yaniv forces Ayellet to tell the police and the village, who are searching for Omri, that he is autistic. The family explains to everyone that calling Omri by his name will not make him answer. When night falls, Omri is found in the preschool.
British version.
A British version, "The A Word", began screening on the BBC in March/April 2016. As of 2020, there have been three series.
Greek version.
A Greek version, "The Word You Don’t Say" (Η λέξη που δεν λες) was produced in Greece in 2016.
Dutch version.
A Dutch version, "Het A-woord", began screening by the Evangelische Omroep in September 2020.
American version.
An American version, "The A Word" was in development at NBC and will be a co-production between Keshet Studios and Universal Television with Arika Lisanne Mittman as writer.


Matsumura Keibun

 (1779, Kyōto - 25 May 1843, Kyōto) was a Japanese painter.
Life and work.
His father died when he was two years old. He was younger half-brother to Matsumura Goshun, founder of the Shijō school, and received his first art lessons from him. He exhibited his works as early as 1796, under the auspices of , a showing which included calligraphy. Keibun inherited Goshun's studio when he died in 1811. By 1813, he was listed in a directory of Kyōto's most notable citizens.
In 1818, for the seventh anniversary of his half-brother's death, he staged an exhibition of his works. In 1829, he painted a group of birds on the ceiling inside of the "Naginata-Hoko" (長刀鉾; roughly, Long Sword Halberd), one of the floats for the Gion Matsuri (festival), which is still in use today.
In 1830, he published an illustrated book; "" (呉景文画譜, Keibun's Art of Painting), which was a significant contribution to establishing Goshun's style. He also served as Chief Priest at the , a Tendai temple in Kyōto which was usually assigned to an Imperial prince. After his death, he was initially interred at the , an Ōtani-ha temple, but was later moved to the Konpuku-ji, a more prestigious Zen temple.
His style is similar to Goshun's, but somewhat lighter and what, in Western art, would be called manneristic. His best known works are a set of fusumas (sliding doors) in Myōhō–ji, a Nichiren temple, which are called "Shiki kōsaku-zu" (四季耕作図; roughly, "Cultivation in the Four Seasons"). He also specialized in paintings of birds and flowers.
His work is kept in several museums, including the British Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Portland Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the Honolulu Museum of Art.


Shirlene Pearson

Shirlene King Pearson (born January 5, 1972) known by her nickname(s) Ms. Juicy Baby, Ms.Juicy, or just simply Juicy is an American reality television personality (Born in Texas). She is known for being self-proclaimed "The Queen of Atlanta" or “The Queen of the A.T.L.” She is also known for her signature catchphrase “I’m The Queen of Atlanta Boo”
She is a cast member on the Lifetime reality television show "". Pearson has stated she hopes "Little Women: Atlanta" "teaches and informs people about who little people are."
Several images and GIFs of Pearson have become popular memes on sites such as Twitter and Tumblr.


Morning in a Pine Forest

The Morning in a Pine Forest () is a painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. The bears were painted by Savitsky, but the art collector Pavel Tretyakov effaced his signature, stating that "from idea until performance, everything discloses the painting manner and creative method peculiar just to Shishkin", so the painting is now credited solely to Shishkin.
The "Morning in a Pine Forest" became very popular, being reproduced on various items, including the "Clumsy Bear" chocolates by Krasny Oktyabr. According to one poll, the painting is the second most popular in Russia behind "Bogatyrs" by Viktor Vasnetsov. Shishkin's similar paintings are the "Forest in Spring" (1884) and "The Sestroretsk Forest" (1896).
It is believed that Shishkin painted the pine trees near Narva-Jõesuu in Estonia, where he often enjoyed spending his summers.


Veera Madakari

Veera Madakari (English: "Brave Madakari") (also known as "Ee Shatamanada Veera Madakari") is a 2009 Indian Kannada-language action film directed by Sudeep. The film features Sudeep in a double role alongside debutant Ragini Dwivedi in the lead roles. The film features background score and soundtrack composed by M. M. Keeravani and produced by Dinesh Gandhi. The film released on 20 March 2009. This film is remake of Telugu blockbuster "Vikramarkudu". The film was later dubbed in Hindi under the title "Veer Madakari Iss Sadi Ka" with Sudeep's voice dubbed by Ganesh Divekar. The film was also dubbed in Telugu as "Rowdy Inspector" in 2012.
Plot.
The story of Veera Madakari revolves around Muttati Sathyaraju (Sudeep), a small-time conman, who is in love with Neeraja (Ragini Dwivedi). Madakari (also played by Sudeep), an honest police officer who is murdered by the villain, Babjee (Gopinath Bhat), his brother Titla (voice dubbed by Sudeep himself for this character) and his son Munna (Arun Sagar). After Madakari's death, Sathyaraju takes on Madakari's identity and takes revenge on the villains in the small village of Devgarh terrorised by Babjee.
Production.
Actor-director Sudeep is well known for making successful remakes, especially from Telugu language box-office hits. Sudeep in the film casts himself in two different roles and has also given his voice to some songs. The film, as a remake of Vikramarkudu, successfully maintains the original script of its Telugu counterpart.
Soundtrack.
The film has 6 songs.
Review.
The reviews of the film are favorable regarding the rendition of songs, choreography and the dual role of the protagonist but the film suffers because of its long duration and its sluggish pace in the first half of the movie. Sudeep excels more as an actor rather than a film director. Ragini as a debutante is imposing. Sudeep does justice to his dual role, so does Tennis Krishna. Dharma is impressive in the sentimental role. Camera work and the action scenes of the movie are worth commenting.
chitraloka
Response.
Veera Madakari completed 100 days and it was blockbuster movie of 2009.
Awards.
2nd Suvarna Film Awards :-
Zee Kannada Innovative Film Awards :-


The Bridge in Curve

The Bridge in Curve is a painting completed in 1930 by Australian artist Grace Cossington Smith, depicting the Sydney Harbour Bridge during its construction. The work is now considered one of Australia's best modernist paintings, but was rejected from exhibition in 1930.
Since 1967 the painting has been part of the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
Background.
According to the National Gallery of Australia, Smith painted "The Bridge in Curve", which is based on drawings made at Milsons Point on the North Shore, during an important phase of her career as an artist, when the importance of colour and the application of paint in small strokes gave her paintings a "brilliant vitality". Smith had become interested in colour theory and used this painting as an opportunity to demonstrate it with the blue and white of the sky contrasting with the more earthy colours of the buildings and vegetation.
Construction of the bridge.
Sydney Harbour Bridge was built to better connect the North Shore suburbs with Sydney and reduce water traffic. A Royal Commission reported on the potential for a link in 1909, and ground was finally broken on the 28 July 1923. September 1926 saw the completion of the piers that would support the spans approaching the arch. Construction of the arch started on each shore in 1928, and they met for the first time on 19 August 1930. The bridge opened to the public in 1932.
Reception.
Upon completion the painting was rejected from the Society of Artists exhibition of 1930. The painting was only purchased for the National Gallery of Victoria in 1967, which has been criticised as indicative of the neglect of Cossetting Smith's work.
"The Bridge in Curve" has since been identified as "one of Australia's most significant modernist paintings". It was described as a masterpiece of bridge painting by Ursula Prinster, curator of a 1982 Art Gallery of New South Wales exhibition on paintings of the Harbour bridge. Others have provided fuller descriptions of the painting'
The contrast between the bridge and its surroundings is highlighted by art historians. The differentiation between the distant, obscure shore, and the blocks of colour in the foreground, with the detailed and delicate depiction of the bridge's struts and girders has been noted, the bridge seeming to rise above the chaos below.


Pete Eckert

Pete Eckert is a blind light-painting photographer who creates images using sound, touch, and memory. Eckert was trained in sculpture and industrial design. He was diagnosed with Retinitis pigmentosa.
Eckert has done photographic work for Swarovski and Playboy. He worked on the latter photo shoot with fellow blind photographer Bruce Hall; they are the only blind photographers to shoot for Playboy. In 2013, Eckert's "Electroman" image was made into a US postage stamp. Additionally, Eckert took the pictures for Volkswagen’s Arteon model.
Eckert's work has been featured at SOMArts Cultural Center and the California Museum of Photography.


Waiting for the Barbarians (painting)

Waiting for the Barbarians () is a 2007 painting by the German artist Neo Rauch. To the right in the picture is a carnival where a minotaur is cheered on a stage, while to the left another minotaur is about to be burned at the stake. The picture also includes several other people and creatures. The title is taken from the poem "Waiting for the Barbarians" by Constantine P. Cavafy.
It was one of fourteen paintings in Rauch's exhibition "Para", which was made for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and exhibited there in 2007. It is kept at The Broad in Los Angeles.
Description.
To the left, under a clear blue sky, is a barrack, and in front of it a minotaur is strapped to a stake prepared with firewood. In the middle of the picture, a woman lies on her back with a ball in her hand, while a creature with a long red beak touches her breast with a rod. Behind her is another woman who looks out to the left, and behind her a black panther is turned to the right. In the right part of the picture is a carnival with a shooting gallery and a stage where a minotaur is presented to a cheering audience.
The painting was made using oil on canvas and has the dimensions 150 x 400 centimeter.
Reception.
Reviewing the "Para" exhibition for "The New York Times", Roberta Smith wrote that "only two paintings have color that really sings and draws you toward them", of which one was "Waiting for the Barbarians" and the other was "The Next Move". Smith described the painting's "intense blue sky and flailing figures in red, yellow and blue", and compared the reclining woman in the picture to "a version of Eve or the Madonna who has toppled out of Renaissance painting without dropping her main prop." Largely unimpressed by the exhibition as a whole, Smith wrote that "the painting that makes the most sense is "Waiting for the Barbarians", in which a Minotaur, or a man dressed as one, is taken to a small stage, like Christ before the people, while another burns at the stake." According to Smith, this distinguished the painting from the rest of the exhibition, which she described as "unassembled and formulaic".
Mario Naves of the "New York Observer" compared "Waiting for the Barbarians" to Balthus' 1936 painting "The Mountain", and wrote:
The canvases bear an uncanny resemblance to each other, but Mr. Rauch’s enigmatic panorama is too unsettled and stern to succumb to the French master’s brittle nostalgia. However despondent the scenario or antiquated the imagery, a painting by Mr. Rauch points forward—albeit in ways that are hard to pin down. What they have to say about culture or, for that matter, the future is no small cause for concern. In the meantime, Mr. Rauch’s elusive lessons are here to puzzle over.