During the Early Renaissance, bankers were little more than traders that set up booths at the edges of markets who traded currency through weighing by scales (usually tipped in the bankers’ favor).
However, the invention of the cheque system and the bank account by the Medici family raised banking to a whole new hierarchy.
The painting, The Banker and His Wife by Marinus Van Reymerswale, has been featured as the cover of The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson. The book also gives insightful information on the history of bankers during the Renaissance.
Filed under History art book painting renaissance
In the Victorian Era, society was very keen on manners (usually based off the behavior of the much-respected Queen Victoria) and one single mis-step could get you shunned in society.
There were even certain outfits that could not be worn outside the house or during certain times of the day. For example, gentlemen could never wear a tie to a dance; ties are allowed during outdoor events only.
For this reason, plenty of etiquette books that claim to have the most up-to-date versions of remaining civil were published. Much like the dieting books nowadays. However, the days of strict rules are long gone and most of the etiquette books have been destroyed or lost.
Filed under victorian era etiquette book
I posted about van Gogh before in my previous posts, but this is one of his most famous paintings that I neglected. They are called Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. It is composed of various warm colors, in shades of mainly yellow.
The Cloud Atlas finale is a beautiful piece of music that has been nominated already for a Golden Globe award. It was written by three composers for the movie Cloud Atlas and I strongly advise you to buy the CD.
The song starts off quiet, with string instruments that have a sense of tranquility yet a sense of authority at the same time. The music then crescendos and the main chorus is sung by a chorus of females, which then echoes across the song, symbolizing the theme of actions having a repercussion throughout lifetimes. In the end, the strings come back with a lively yet powerful melody that drowns out the choral singers which then cuts out to a gentle version of the chorus. This explains the delicacy of life yet the importance of it is emphasized as well.
Filed under music classic soundtrack
Everything is connected. Past, present and future. These words appeared as a slogan for the movie poster of the epic movie Cloud Atlas. It has been nominated for many awards already and is heralded by some as ‘the most beautiful movie [they’ve] seen in the past 10 years’.
Although the connection of life throughout time has been explored before in movies such as The Fountain, they weren’t very successful. However, I can safely say that this movie beautifully conveyed the theme of redemption and punishment of our actions well.
This flow chart shows actors and actresses playing several people in different lives and times. The film is reminiscent of a piece of artwork; if the viewer tends to focus on a specific portion or use deductive reasoning, it will not make sense. The viewer should focus on the big picture and try to let the movie flow…just like when they listen to a piece of classical music.
Filed under movie actor Actress Oscars art future
Seattle Premium Outlets features brands at very low prices including Polo Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Lids and much more. Located on the Tulalip Indian Reserve, it is right beside a casino which features a wonderful buffet at 12 dollars per person (do NOT go to the outlet food court; your choices will be limited).
The mall is located on exit 202 of the freeway from Canada.
Filed under USA shopping center
The Bellevue Collection, one of the only privately-owned shopping centers left in America, is located in Washington thirty minutes away from Seattle in a suburb called Bellevue. Shoppers are estimated to spend more than the national average in this shopping mall, a feat due to the recent economic collapse of 2008.
This shopping mall boasts 3 separate buildings with 4 different department stores, and a sky bridge. Brands such as The Cheesecake Factory, Macy’s, Lids, and Starbucks may all be found in this shopping mall. It is located minutes away from a Barnes and Nobles and is a quick walk away from the Bellevue Arts Museum.
A theater at the top floor boasts several screening rooms.
Filed under USA shopping center vacation
I’ll be in the US tomorrow and the day after, so prepare to see a lot of Washington state themed posts in the near future!
As my readers will know, I have recently started a fashion history tag on my blog and artsyian.tumblr.com has been posting these for quite a while now. Today, I’m going to continue on my Ancient Egyptian theme and talk about the traditional dress material of the Ancient Egyptians.
The color to wear in Egypt for commoners was always white: it absorbed most of the sun’s rays and thus protected the skin from burning or heating up too fast. Also, it emphasized cleanliness, which was a big thing in Egyptian society. Recall one the reasons why people in the old days wore clothes was to show off status. The cleaner someone’s clothes were, the more powerful they were since the lower ranked citizens would be outside toiling in the dust and mud while the rich got to relax in their villas.
In the beginning, a material similar to flax was being used but it was quickly switched to linen. Tailors were revered in those days since making even handmaking a small dress for nobility and commoners alike required lots of effort. Unlike the Mesopotamian cultures I blogged about last time, many Egyptian clothing survived decay because of the arid climate of some parts of Egypt.
Filed under Egypt fashion ancient
Egyptian mummies have held the fascination of media for a long time, as evidenced by this sketch of a mummy being unwrapped in a Cairo museum during the 1880s. Mummies have appeared in movies, novels and video games most commonly as supernatural villains. This is primarily because of a mummy’s curse that has the ability to kill or to make events awry. A famous example is the sinking of the Titanic, which was rumored to be carrying the mummy of a famous Egyptian pharaoh; more than half of the passengers died that night.
Mummies are a way of preserving bodies of rich members of the royalty or nobility in Ancient Egypt. Organs are removed and put into vinegar-containing jars set beside a tomb while the body is wrapped in bandages and laid to rest in a heavily decorated casket, usually in the likeliness of the person in their life. Servants and pets are sometimes killed and buried with the body along with packets of food to ensure enough provisions in the journey to the Afterlife, as outlined in the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
After a pyramid is sealed, no one can enter for fear of Anubis, the guardian of dead bodies which would kill anyone who interferes with the resting place (the main cause of the mummy’s curse).
Filed under Egypt dead mythology Curse book movie victorian era
![Everything is connected. Past, present and future. These words appeared as a slogan for the movie poster of the epic movie Cloud Atlas. It has been nominated for many awards already and is heralded by some as ‘the most beautiful movie [they’ve] seen in the past 10 years’.
Although the connection of life throughout time has been explored before in movies such as The Fountain, they weren’t very successful. However, I can safely say that this movie beautifully conveyed the theme of redemption and punishment of our actions well.
This flow chart shows actors and actresses playing several people in different lives and times. The film is reminiscent of a piece of artwork; if the viewer tends to focus on a specific portion or use deductive reasoning, it will not make sense. The viewer should focus on the big picture and try to let the movie flow…just like when they listen to a piece of classical music.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/79b816a050253a80a6f5ce4e6e7058d1/tumblr_mgedfwWs7M1r7eagco1_500.jpg)
