The Harmony of Art and Beauty: Long Tradition of European Gazebos
Enjoying the small things is often priceless. There is no greater luxury but to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature, throw a rock across the lake and watch in delight how it ripples while you breath in the fresh spring breeze. It seems that the European architects of the 18th and 19th century really appreciated these things, so they created spaces pleasant for all the senses. Building pavilions hidden in the greenery and gazebos- relaxation sanctuaries were a must. Today, these little architectural gems are true decorations to European parks, woods and coasts. The story about them takes the reader down a real history avenue…
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Spy Artist Against the System: George Tomaziu’s Life in Communist Romania
George (Gheorghe) Tomaziu was a Romanian painter, illustrator, memoirist and poet. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bucharest. During World War II, he operated as an MI6 agent. As an agent of the British Intelligence Service, he organized a secret group of collaborators that included Alexandru Balaci, Romanian italianist, literary critic and historian. During 1944, Tomaziu was arrested, beaten and placed under investigation under suspicion of espionage. The same year he was released from Malmaison prison in Bucharest.
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‘Anti-Machiavel’: 18th Century Government – Absolute Power in the Citizens’ Service
“Anti-Machiavel” is an 18th century political essay, one of the most famous works of enlightened absolutism.
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Trojan War from Biblioteca Ambrosiana: The Secret of the ‘Bleeding Iliad’
The Ambrosian Iliad. This mysterious, illuminated manuscript circa 500 AD is an object of interest to many scholars, but also to art history lovers. Held today in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy, the Ambrosian Iliad is a real treasure, not only for historians and art historians, but also for every true art lover who appreciates the rare and the beautiful.
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Did Gothic Romanticism Criticize the Early 19th Century World?
Although escapism was in fashion, there was one interesting subgenre of Romanticism where the development was a source of inspiration for the story usually set in the past. That subgenre is Dark or Gothic romanticism.
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