Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was a major, highly influential sculptor of the Baroque. His most famous work was involved with the Vatican as his patrons were rich and powerful members of the Roman Catholic Church. The passionate sculpture above tells the tale of Apollo and Daphne of Greek mythology. Daphne was a nymph who did not return Apollo’s… Read on
Yesterday morning, I travelled to the British Museum in the Borough of Holborn, where I attended the anthropological conference Reviewer Meets Reviewed. There was a better turnout than I had expected and the subject was on the ethnographical book entitled Uncertain Vision: Birt, Dyke and the Reinvention of the BBC by Dr. Georgina Born, who I found to… Read on
My husband and I saw this recently in Paris at the Opera Bastille, where it was performed by Tatiana Lisnic (Adina) and Charles Castronovo (Nemorino) along with an impressive, equally talented chorus. While not as grand and traditional as the Opera Garnier, the Opera Bastille has great acoustics and is very modern (for those who like that sort… Read on
Since I was a little girl, I had dreamed of visiting this opera house. The Paris Opera was founded in 1669 by the Sun King, Louis XIV, and was housed at various venues throughout the beautiful city of Paris. The structure behind me in the photo below was made in the nineteenth century and is called the Palais Garnier,… Read on
I married my best male friend twice – once in Florida and again in England. My mother made my wedding dress – she embroidered everything by hand and applied little pearls on my train. The dress was based on a mixture of Queen Victoria’s wedding dress, some 17th Century ornamentation, and was basically a bit of my favourite… Read on
Wrest Park in beautiful Bedfordshire, England, was in a state of dilapidation for many years, and connected to a research facility. Now, under the careful and capable management of English Heritage (of which I am a member), the house and its gardens are looking great: I came to visit this building during my search for a suitable venue… Read on
Thomas Bulfinch (1796–1867). Age of Fable: Vols. I & II: Stories of Gods and Heroes. 1913. XI. Cupid and Psyche A CERTAIN king and queen had three daughters. The charms of the two elder were more than common, but the beauty of the youngest was so wonderful that the poverty of language is unable to express its due praise. The fame… Read on