Ugly + Baby

How many times have you walked around a museum and thought to yourself "Ugh, all of the renaissance babies are so ugly,"? 

Well, good news, there's a blog for that. 

Ugly Renaissance Babies.

Now you can relive those emotions without even needing to enter the Louvre. 

I included the commentary from the website for these ones. The other ones you'll have to look up yourself due to profanity, but I'd recommend it cause they're pretty hilarious. 

Jan Gossart, The Three Children of Christian II of Denmark, 1526

Oh… Oh God. Those dark, soulless eyes. Kill them. Kill them with fire.

Sebastiano Mainardi, Virgin Adoring the Child with Two Angels

Braaaaaaaaainssssssss

Jan Gossaert. Madonna and Child. Oil on panel. 1527

Madonna and Child of the C-Cups

Luca Signorelli, Coronation of the Virgin

Baby Boots — they’re stylish, yet practical!

Petrus Christus, The Nativity

Oops! Dropped him!

Byzantine fresco, “Dark” Church, Göreme Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey

Salt Lick Christ

Virgin & Child with Bunch of Grapes, Lucas Cranach c. 1510

My preciousssssss

Hey, I found an egg!

Angelos Akotantos, Icon of the Virgin Kardiotissa

Pez Dispenser Jesus!

Renaissance Babies in various stages of choking and passing out from noxious fumes: A Study.

Luca Signorelli - Blessed Virgin of the Receding Hairline

Spotted by Richard and Melanie.

The + Eames

"Take your pleasure seriously."

A week ago I went to a showing of "Eames: The Architect and the Painter", a documentary on Charles and Ray Eames narrated by James Franco. I thought it was a wonderful insight into not only the design and creative process of the Eames team, but a thoughtful reflection on the (mostly) loving relationship between Charles and Ray. If you have a lazy Sunday and are craving a bit of culture and art history, I would highly recommend it. 

The Eames quote above was one of the best lines from the documentary.

Now there's some advice I can put into practice. 

Out + Dated

I was exploring Black Milk's website to its inner depths and found their list of "Gone But Not Forgotten." So sadly these ones are no longer available, but I still wanted to share their awesomeness. I love the ones that reference art history.

Gamer

 Amerika

Bat Skeleton

Dollar

Amerika Catsuit. so fierce.

Fringed One-piece

The Kiss

Koi vs. Samurai

The Anatomist Negative

The Uncle Sam

The Birth of Venus. Love it.

Richard + Hamilton

Richard Hamilton, considered the "Father of Pop Art" died today at age 89.  The British painter and printmaker focused largely on consumer culture and parodies of political leaders. You might recognize his piece, "Just What Is It That Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing" (1956). It is said to be the first example of Pop Art. 

You will definitely, however, recognize Hamilton as the designer of The Beatles "White Album" cover (1968).

R.I.P Richard Hamilton.

Midnight + Paris

At the recommendation of my friend Louis, I went and saw Midnight in Paris. Now typically I might not have seen it because I find Owen Wilson incredibly disingenuous and completely lacking in sex appeal. However, this latest Woody Allen film (whom I also strongly dislike. I mean, c'mon, he basically married his own daughter) coincidentally coincided nicely with my finishing Ernest Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises.

If you have not seen Midnight in Paris yet, I highly recommend it. While in Paris,Owen Wilson's character Gil finds himself transported to the roaring 20's every night at midnight. The movie is loaded with famous artists, writers, musicians and socialites of the early 20th century. I found myself in such a state of glee every time a new character was casually introduced. So if you can suspend disbelief for 2 hours and have even the tiniest francophilic bone in your body, it's a wonderful film.

However, I would recommend brushing up on your art history beforehand. There are the obviously recognizable characters such as Salvador Dali (fabulously portrayed by Adrian Brody) but they also sneak in some slightly lesser known characters such as the Spanish surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñel and French artists Henri de Toulouse Lautrec.

But back to my original point, the reason my Hemingway reading was so conveniently timed was that I picked up on small Hemingway references I might not have otherwise taken note of. The actor who played Hemingway, Corey Stoll, did an excellent job conveying Hemingway's short, stark sentences and intense passion. (His rugged good looks didn't hurt either.)

The enthusiasically troubled Hemingway with friend and legendary bullfighter Juan Belmonte.

Wilson chillin' with F. Scott Fitzgerald and his famously unstable wife Zelda.

Rachel McAdams in a BEAUTIFUL Marchesa dress with director, Woody Allen at Cannes.

The trailer's rather useless but here it is.

Female + Portraits

This video is incredible. The transitions are flawless. I love how similar all of the Renaissance figures are. But I think some of my favorite moments are with the Fauvism/ Matisse/ Picasso portraits. Impressed? I am.

Not to mention the music is beautiful.

500 Years Of Female Portraits In Western Art - Watch the top videos of the week here

via Metacafe.

Art History + Music

This song "70 Million" by Hold Your Horses got me through my Western Art History final last year. It's so simple yet so successful. I guarantee it will make you smile. And if you watch it all the way through you can catch them all speaking french at the end. They're all just so happy. Which is your favorite reference? Mine's either Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" or Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss." Two of my all-time favorite paintings and artists which I'll no doubt reference again in the near future. Enjoy.