Como todas las mananas, el marques de Torrebianca salio tarde de su dormitorio, mostrando cierta inquietud ante la bandeja de plata con cartas y periodicos que el ayuda de camara habia dejado sobre la mesa de su biblioteca. Cuando los sellos de los sobres eran extranjeros, parecia contento, como si acabase de librarse de un peligro. Si las cartas eran de Paris, fruncia el ceno, preparandose a una lectura abundante en sinsabores y humillaciones. Ademas, el membrete impreso en muchas de ellas le anunciaba de antemano la personalidad de tenaces acreedores, haciendole adivinar su contenido. Su esposa, llamada ?la bella Elena?, por una hermosura indiscutible, que sus amigas empezaban a considerar historica a causa de su exagerada duracion, recibia con mas serenidad estas cartas, como si toda su existencia la hubiese pasado entre deudas y reclamaciones. El tenia una concepcion mas anticuada del honor, creyendo que es preferible no contraer deudas, y cuando se contraen, hay que pagarlas. ? AUTOR: Vicente Blasco Ibanez nacio el 29 de enero de 1867 en Valencia (Espana). Era hijo de Ramona Ibanez y del comerciante Gaspar Blanco. Estudio Derecho en la Universidad de Valencia. Participo en la politica uniendose al Partido Republicano". En 1894 fundo el periodico El pueblo. En el ano 1896, fue detenido y condenado a varios meses de prision. En 1889 contrajo matrimonio con Maria Blasco del Cacho, hija del magistrado Rafael Blasco y Moreno. Cuando subio al poder Canovas del Castillo, el escritor se exilio brevemente en la ciudad de Paris. Fue un autor vinculado en muchos aspectos al naturalismo frances. Por otra parte, la explicita intencion politicosocial de algunas de las novelas de Blasco Ibanez, aunada al escaso bagaje intelectual del autor, lo mantuvo alejado de los representantes de la Generacion del 98. Murio el 28 de enero de 1928 en Menton (Francia)a los 60 anos. Entre sus titulos destacan: "Arroz y Tartana" (1894), "La Barraca" (1898), "Entre Naranjos (1900), "Canas y Barro" (1902), "La Horda" (1905), "Sangre y Arena" (1908) o "Los Cuatro Jinetes Del Apocalipsis" (1916).

Volumul Sublimul tr?d?rii reprezint? o incursiune ?n lumea ?multidimensional?“ a crea?iei teatrale. Convins de existen?a unor straturi rarefiate ale spiritului, ?n care reprezenta?ia a fost h?r?zit? s? existe, autorul se ?ndep?rteaz? de orice interpretare ?vulgar?“, la prima m?n?, a artei scenice. F?c?ndu-se apel la teorii ale esteticii teatrale, dar ?i ale filosofiei, psihanalizei, exegezei ?i criticii literare, ne este relevat un univers artistic complicat, complex, predispus unei analize profunde. Astfel, locul care ?i este destinat spectatorului nu mai este acela de privitor pasiv, ci de partener al actorilor.?Oper?nd alegerea de sine“, spectatorul iese din plasa esteticului nu pentru a-i desfide rostul, ci pentru a se proiecta ?n centrul ac?iunii scenice, ?ntr-un loc ?n care ??i poate afirma prezen?a. Actul ?lecturii“ teatrului implic? ?ndatoriri egale cu cele din spa?iul public, for??ndu-l pe insul aflat ?n sala de spectacol s? faca o eschiva printre imperativele vie?ii, consider?nd interpretarea ca circumscriere concret? ?n ?legea universal?“ a eticului. Doar ?n acest fel, spectatorul poate accepta responsabilit??i legate de ceea ce i se ?nt?mpl?, atent la (?i preocupat de) via?a sa superioar?, spiritual?.“

i corbul, croncnind, a rguit, Vestind c sorii fost au aruncai! Venii! Venii! Voi, duhuri, ce vegheai Pe gndurile morii, crunta zee! i m nvai s nu mai fiu femeie! M umplei, de la cretet pn’ la tlpi Cu o rutate nenduplecat! The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top full Of direst cruelty!

Comandorul Sablin are ca subiect principal activitatea fostului ofi?er al Marinei Ruse Imperiale reflectat? ?n dosarele Siguran?ei ?i ale Securit??ii. Documentele publicate sub egida Institutului de Istorie ?George Bari?iu“ al Academiei Rom?ne acoper? perioada interbelic? ?i cea postbelic?. Nikolai Vasilievici Sablin a activat pe vasul ?arului Nikolai al II-lea al Rusiei, ??tandart“, iar dup? 1918 – ca ?ef al Cifrului Statului Major al Flotei Militare din Marea Baltic?. ?n Rom?nia a fost reprezentant al Marelui Duce Kiril Vladimirovici, pre?edinte al filialei Uniunii Militare Navale Ruse, vicepre?edinte al Societ??ii de Ajutor a Fo?tilor Combatan?i Ru?i de pe Frontul Rom?n, director al ziarului Golos Buharesta, a participat la r?zboiul antisovietic.Din nota agentului Securit??ii ?Alexandru Popescu“, casa ?Paula“, 19 octombrie 1956:?Urmare notelor anterioare referitoare la emigrantul rus, fost reprezentant pentru Rom?nia al organiza?iei emigran?ilor ru?i Mi?carea Monarhist? Rus?, ?inut ?n observa?ie, comunic:Despre leg?tura lui Sablin N. cu organele informative militare rom?ne ?nainte de 23 august 1944 am auzit din timpul vechiului meu serviciu, ?ns? nu am avut preciziuni. ?n prezent semnalez urm?toarele:Dup? cum s-a comunicat prin nota din 10 octombrie a.c., ?n ziua de 4 octombrie a.c., Sablin Nikolai a f?cut o vizit? lui Baikov Andrei (str. Sl?ve?ti 3), c?nd s-a discutat cu acesta chestiunea cu pensia lui Sablin N., sistat?.?n timpul convorbirii (am asistat ?n camer? ?i eu) Sablin N. a povestit c? el s-a ?nt?lnit cu un fost colonel rom?n (numele n-am putut re?ine) pe care Sablin N. l-a cunoscut ?nainte de 23 august 1944 ?i cu care a avut ni?te leg?turi.Sablin N. a spus c? el sper? c? la cererea lui acest colonel va ajuta lui ?n chestia pensiei sale, deoarece el ?n trecut a colaborat cu acesta ?n domeniul informativ, privitor la URSS. Sablin Nikolai a specificat c? acest material el c?p?ta de la fratele s?u Sablin Eugen, din Londra (Sablin Eugen ?n ultimul an al regimului ?arist a fost ministrul Rusiei ?n Anglia, iar apoi a fost conduc?torul emigra?iei ruse din Londra ?i unul din activi?tii principali din Mi?carea Monarhist? Rus?).“

Pour bien comprendre la portée de l'intervention et de l'influence de l'?uvre de Delacroix dans l'école fran?aise, il est nécessaire de se rappeler la situation exacte de la peinture au moment où il parut.??La Révolution avait brutalement traité les ma?tres du XVIIIème siècle finissant. ?prise d'un sévère idéal gréco-romain, dont déjà Vien avait donné des exemples et que David allait porter à son apogée, la génération jacobine avait considéré les peintres légers et délicieux du règne de Louis XVI comme les bénéficiaires de la corruption luxueuse des nobles et des fermiers généraux, et elle les avait rejetés dans le même mouvement d'injuste fureur. Fragonard mourait oublié, chassé de son logis des galeries du Louvre. Hubert Robert échappait gr?ce à une erreur à l'échafaud. Greuze mourait dans la misère noire. On ne parlait plus de Chardin. Un Latour se vendait quelques francs. ??L'?Embarquement pour Cythère?, peint par Watteau pour son entrée à l'Académie, y était criblé de boulettes de papier m?ché par les élèves de David, neveu de Boucher dont ils parlaient en de tels termes, qu'il était obligé, par pudeur, d'excuser à leurs yeux son oncle. Les gravures de Cochin, de Lépicié, de Choffard, de Lavreince, des Saint-Aubin, de Debucourt, de Gravelot, d'Eisen, allaient s'ensevelir dans les soupentes de quelques brocanteurs, et on attendrait quatrevingts ans avant de les rechercher pour les couvrir d'or. Un siècle s'effondrait. Son go?t exquis, sa morale profondément naturelle et humaine, son libéralisme sceptique, tout lui était imputé à vice et à crime. On rêvait d'un art moralisateur, que Greuze avait préparé aux applaudissements de Diderot par ses scènes familiales et son ingénuité bourgeoise, mêlée de libertinage hypocrite. ??On voulait un art héro?que, sévère, propre à élever les consciences. David apparut l'homme d'une telle ?uvre, et créa d'un seul effort la réaction d'une esthétique néo-romaine, d'une peinture con?ue d'après la statuaire antique, et toute consacrée à des expressions de sentiments cornéliens. La discipline de cette école fut plus dure encore que celle imposée, centvingtcinq années auparavant, par Louis XIV, Le Brun et l'école de Rome. Plus de recherches de la nature, plus de gr?ce, plus de vérité, plus de coloris, mais simplement un art allégorique, pompeux, aride, éloigné de la vie et tout entier construit sur des théories, un art aussi opposé que possible au tempérament fran?ais.

Ni prevodi najzna?ajnijih drama Oskara Vajlda: Salome, Sveta kurtizana i Va?no je?da si?Ernest

IN preparing a first book of American history, it is necessary to keep in mind the two purposed such a work is required to serve. There are children whose school life is brief; these must get all the instruction they are to receive in their country's history from a book of the grade of this.To another class of pupils the first book of American history is a preparation for the intelligent study of a textbook more advanced. It is a manifest waste of time and energy to require these to learn in a lower class the facts that must be re-studied in a higher grade. Moreover, primary histories which follow the order of larger books are likely to prove dry and unsatisfactory condensations. But a beginner's book ought before all things else to be interesting. A fact received with the attention raised to its highest power remains fixed in the memory; that which is learned listlessly is lost easily, and a lifelong aversion to history is often the main result produced by the use of an unsuitable textbook at the outset.The main peculiarity of the present book is that it aims to teach children the history of the country by making them acquainted with some of the most illustrious actors in it. A child is interested, above all, in persons. Biography is for him the natural door into history. The order of events in a nation's life is somewhat above the reach of younger pupils, but the course of human life and the personal achievements of an individual are intelligible and delightful. In teaching younger pupils by means of biography, which is the very alphabet of history, we are following a sound principle often forgotten, that primary education should be pursued along the line of the least resistance. Moreover, nothing is more important to the young American than an acquaintance with the careers of the great men of his country.

It is fair to characterise the three suites of original water-colour drawings, as executed by our artist, as unique examples of the great George Cruikshank's special individual proficiency as an exponent of this branch of technical dexterity. More-over, it may be regarded as a fortunate circumstance that the three works, here reproduced with amazing fidelity in facsimile, represent happily the very chefs d'oeuvre of his wonderful productions; in their respective categories, preserving the best examples of his remarkable genius as an imaginative creator of vivid pictures, alike stirring and animated, and representing at one glance his vast dramatic powers, his mastery of the humorous side of life, and the intensity he was consistently able to infuse into terrible and tragic scenes. It is noteworthy that the inimitable artist George Cruikshank but rarely pro-duced finished water-colour drawings; the bulk of his prolific and familiarly rec-ognised designs for book illustrations were mostly dainty pencil sketches, occa-sionally finished in pen and ink. It is a problem difficult to solve satisfactorily whether, beyond the three memorable instances of the works here reproduced in facsimile, there are in existence any other complete suites of original illustrations by George Cruikshank—that is to say, fully executed by his master hand as finished water-colour drawings. Tinted sketches may be found in the prized possessions of Cruikshank collectors, and spirited studies for many of his favourite and most successful subjects have been cleverly touched in with watercolours; for instance, such as certain of his original drawings as designed for the illustrations of Harri-son Ainsworth's Tower of London, and the clever historical and picturesque series of Windsor Castle designs; these are, however, to be regarded as exceptional cases, for the bulk of these most successful and popular designs were carefully executed in pencil, or occasionally outlined with the pen, and highly finished with washes of warm sepia. It is worthy of recollection that Cruikshank was a most dexterous artist in this monochrome branch, his earlier artistic experiences having been al-most exclusively in the walk of aqua-tinted etchings; all his early book illustrations, his caricatures, and satirical plates—social or political—were uniformly etched by his hand in the most spirited fashion, after his ready sketches and rough studies, and when the outline etching was bitten in, Cruikshank elaborately worked out his colour suggestions, for light and shade, with a brush over the first-etched outline, in tones of sepia or Indian ink, for the guidance of the professional 'aquatinters'—the school of artists to whose trained skill was entrusted the task of completing these plates to produce the effect of highly finished washed drawings in mono-chrome. By this, his youthful practice, George Cruikshank had acquired remarka-ble dexterity, his original pen-and-ink designs, and the outline etchings, after his earlier book illustrations, being worked up in monochrome to the dainty finish of delicate miniatures, in which art both his father Isaac and his brother Isaac Robert were first-class proficients, as he himself has recorded with pride in describing the special gifts and qualifications which distinguished the Cruikshank family. ? ABOUT THE AUTHOR; George Cruikshank (1792 – 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reached an international audience. Cruikshank was born in London. His father, Isaac Cruikshank, was one of the leading caricaturists of the late 1790s and Cruikshank started his career as his father's apprentice and assistant. His older brother, Isaac Robert, also followed in the family business as a caricaturist and illustrator. Cruikshank's early work was caricature; but in 1823, at the age of 31, he started to focus on book illustration. He illustrated the first, 1823 English translation (by Edgar Taylor and David Jardine) of Grimms' Fairy Tales, published in two volumes as German Popular Stories. On 16 October 1827, he married Mary Ann Walker (1807–1849). Two years after her death, on 7 March 1851, he married Eliza Widdison. The two lived at 263 Hampstead Road, North London.Upon his death, it was discovered that Cruikshank had fathered 11 illegitimate children with a mistress named Adelaide Attree, his former servant, who lived close to where he lived with his wife. Adelaide was ostensibly married and had taken the married surname 'Archibold'.

Despre Europa s-a vorbit mult, ?n special din perspectiva social? ?i economic?, ?ns? tema nu a fost dezb?tut?, a?a cum s-ar fi cuvenit, de pe pozi?ia culturii. Cartea Mituri ?i legende ale antichit??ii propune studii eseistice referitoare la baza culturii europene. Eseurile ne invit? s? g?ndim ?mpreun? Europa din perspectiva singurului factor care une?te – cultura.

Drag? cititorule,Dac? te-ai uitat ieri mai mult de dou? ore la televizor ?i nu po?i f?r? asta, las? cartea asta jos.Dac? vrei s? fii de acord cu cineva, cu oricine, nu e?ti omul meu.Dac? m? ?tii din tinere?e ?i crezi c? sunt b?iatul care se b?lb?ia la prompter, dai banii degeaba.Dac? vrei s? dai cadou cartea asta unui prieten, nu mai bine ?i iei o sticl? de vin? Eu nu ?tiu s? ame?esc a?a bine.?n general, recomand cartea doar c?torva oameni.Cei care vor s? afle cum am ajuns s? tr?im, iubim, alegem ?n social media.Dar mai ales celor care cred c? a scrie poate schimba ceva.P.S. Poate.Doar c? trebuie s? scriem cu to?ii ?n acela?i timp.Despre asta e Share! Despre for?a social media, cel mai bun amplificator de idei pe care ?l ?tiu.?ntr-un fel, dac? stai s? te g?nde?ti, ?i tu ai scris-o.

When his cartoons began to reach America toward the end of 1916 this country was neutral. It is with peculiar satisfaction, therefore, that I base this brief foreword upon press extracts published prior to America’s participation in the war. If it were possible to discover today an individual who was entirely ignorant as to the causes and conduct of the war, he would, after an inspection of a hundred or more of these cartoons, probably utter his conviction somewhat as follows: ?“I do not believe that these drawings have the slightest relation to the truth; I do not believe that it is possible for such things to happen in the twenti-eth century.” ??He would be quite justified, in his ignorance of what has happened in Europe, in expressing such an opinion, just as any of us, with the possible exception of the disciples of Bernhardi himself, would have been justified in expressing a similar view in July, 1914.??What is the view of all informed people today? “To Raemaekers the war is not a topic, or a subject for charity. It is a vivid heartrending reality,” says the New York “Evening Post,” “and you come away from the rooms where his cartoons now hang so aware of what war is that mental neutrality is for you a horror. If you have slackened in your determination to find out, these cartoons are a slap in the face. ??Raemaekers drives home a universal point that concerns not merely Germans, but every country where royal decrees have supreme power. Shall one man ever be given the power to seek his ends, using the people as his pawns? We cannot look at the cartoons and remain in ignorance of exactly what is the basis of truth on which they are built.”?The “Philadelphia American” likens Raemaekers to a sensitized plate upon which the spirit which brought on the war has imprinted itself forever, and adds: ?“What he gives out on that subject is as pitilessly true as a photograph. They look down upon us in their naked truth, those pictures which are to be, before the judgment-seat of history, the last indictment of the German nation. Of all impressions, there is one which will hold you in its inexorable grip: it is that Louis Raemaekers has told you the truth.”

Ilie Badescu, sociologul care a redeschis dezbaterea privind puterea si importanta pe care o are spiritul si desavarsirea fiintei si societatii, in lucrarea de fata ne vorbeste despre forta invataturilor precum si despre devierile prin care sunt propagate in lume falsele invataturi.

Are you the world's biggest Paris Hilton fan? Or do you want to know everything there is to know about the socialite, model, singer, actress and DJ?If so, then this is the book for you! Contained within are 101 amazing facts about everything, from her privileged upbringing to her extensive charity work, from her films to her music and so much more. The book is easily organised into sections so you can find the information you want fast and is perfect for all ages!

Are you the world's biggest Zac Efron fan? Or do you want to know everything there is to know about one of Hollywood's hottest properties?If so, then this is the book for you! Contained within are 101 amazing facts about the heartthrob, from how he got started in the movie business to his love life, awards he has won plus much more. The book is easily organised into sections so you can find the information you want fast and is perfect for all ages!

Avangardismul rom?nesc r?m?ne a fi unul dintre curentele literare cele mai controversate ?i, ?n ultima instanta – ne demonstreaza aceasta monografie – cele mai putin cunoscute. Monografia abunda ?n informa?ii, aspecte, ?nt?mpl?ri, evenimente, mai pu?in sau deloc cunoscute. Cartea se adreseaz? elevilor, studen?ilor, precum ?i publicului larg de cititori.

Exila?i este singura pies? scris? de Joyce, unde ??i face manifest?, prin regulile speciei, predilec?ia pentru m??tile puse fiec?rui personaj. Citit? ca o trecere ?n ordine cronologic? de la Portret al artistului ?n tinere?e la Ulise, piesa con?ine m?rci clare ale obsesiilor scriitorului ?i urme vizibile ale experien?ei omului James Joyce. Rela?iile de dragoste, parentale sau de prietenie sunt cele care dezechilibreaz? personajele, exilul temporar ?n Italia fiind doar o alt? form? a ?nstr?in?rii din Irlanda natal?.

Un periplu documentat prin lumea artelor plastice contemporane, un model de analiz? a fenomenului plastic actual, extrem de viu ?i incitant, ba chiar provoc?tor, ?n ciuda multiplelor probleme ridicate de tranzi?ia autohton?.

Cea dinti monografie care ofer o imagine cuprinztoare asupra receptrii literaturii romne n Cehia, cartea de fa este o incursiune n diversele etape ale totalitarismului comunist: stalinismul integral, perioada dezgheului, anii aizeci (cu transformrile din jurul Primverii de la Praga), urmai de perioada de normalizare care se ntinde pn la momentul Revoluiei de Catifea. Ineditul acestei lucrri este dat i de explorarea manifestrii unor opere i a unor personaliti literare romneti (precum Mircea Eliade, Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu sau Petru Dumitriu) n zona literar ceh prohibit din anii supui studiului, mai precis n publicaiile din exil i n revistele de tip samizdat. Cititorului i este oferit un tablou amplu asupra autorilor romni receptai cu predilecie de ctre cehi sub comunism i asupra tendinelor manifestate de romnitii cehi (coloana vertebral a procesului receptrii), de criticii literari i de recenzeni. Cartea definete o epoc n istoria raporturilor culturale dintre romni i cehi, dou popoare legate de un trecut adeseori comun i de o prietenie sincer.“ – Profesor dr. Mihai Mitu

Vera Maria Rosenberg a fost, probabil, cea mai important? femeie spion din al Doilea R?zboi Mondial. N?scut? ?n 1908 la Gala?i, a emigrat ?n Marea Britanie ?n 1933, fiind recrutat? ?n tinere?e de serviciile de informa?ii britanice. Ulterior ?i-a schimbat numele, pentru a-?i ascunde originea evreiasc?, iar dup? stabilirea ?n Marea Britanie a participat la nenum?rate misiuni secrete, ajung?nd ?n fruntea SOE, serviciul de opera?iuni speciale creat de Winston Churchill. Agen?ii ei au participat la nenum?rate opera?iuni vitale, inclusiv la preg?tirea debarc?rii ?n Normandia. ?n 1987, Fran?ois Mitterand i-a acordat Legiunea de Onoare, pentru aportul ei la eliberarea Fran?ei. Dup? r?zboi, Vera Atkins s-a retras ?ntr-un sat din Anglia, unde a r?mas p?n? la moarte, ?n 2000. Via?a i-a fost ?nconjurat? de mister, ?i pu?ini au ?tiut cine este cu adev?rat. Biografia lui Sarah Helm dezv?luie secretele celei despre care Ian Fleming, creatorul celebrului James Bond, spunea ??n adev?rata lume a spionilor, Vera Atkins a fost ?eful.“

The excellence of the following Treatise is so well known to all in any tolerable degree conversant with the Art of Painting, that it would be almost superfluous to say any thing respecting it, were it not that it here appears under the form of a new translation, of which fome account may be expected. Of the original Work, which is in reality a selection from the voluminous manuscript collections of the Author, both in Solio and Quarto, of all such passages as related to Painting, no edition appeared in print till 1651. Though its Author died so long before as the year 1519; and it is owing to the circumstance of a manuscript copy of these extracts in the original Italian, having fallen into the hands of “Raphael” that in the former of these years it was published at Paris in a thin folio volume in that language, accompanied with a set of cuts from the drawings of Niccolo Pouissin, and Alberti, the former having designed and defined the human figures, the latter the geometrical and other representations.. The first translation of this Treatise into English, appeared in the year 1721. It does not declare by whom it was made; but though it prosesses to have been done from the original Italian, it is evident, upon a comparison, that more use was made of the revised edition of the French translation. Indifferent, however, as it is, it had become fo scarce, and risen to a price fo extravagant, that, to supply the demand, it was found necessary, in the year 1796, to reprint it as it stood, with all its errors on its head, no opportunity then offering of procuring a french translation. This last impression, however, being now alfo disposed of, and a new one again called for, the present Translator was induced to step forward, and undertake the office of frenh translating it, on finding, by comparing the former versions both in French and English with the original, many passages which he thought might at once be more concisely and more faithfully rendered. ABOUT AUTHOR: Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest polymaths of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. His genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance Man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination". Marco Rosci states that while there is much speculation about Leonardo, his vision of the world is essentially logical rather than mysterious, and that the empirical methods he employed were unusual for his time. Born out of wedlock to a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman, Caterina, in Vinci in the region of Florence, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter Verrocchio. Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan. He later worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice, and he spent his last years in France at the home awarded him by Francis I. Leonardo was, and is, renowned as one of the greatest painters of all time. Among his works, the Mona Lisa is the most famous and most parodied portrait and The Last Supper the most reproduced religious painting of all time, with their fame approached only by Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. Leonardo's drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also regarded as a cultural icon, being reproduced on items as varied as the euro coin, textbooks, and T-shirts. Perhaps fifteen of his paintings have survived, the small number because of his constant, and frequently disastrous, experimentation with new techniques, and his chronic procrastination. Nevertheless, these few works, together with his notebooks, which contain drawings, scientific diagrams, and his thoughts on the nature of painting, compose a contribution to later generations of artists rivalled only by that of his contemporary, Michelangelo. Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualised flying machines, an armoured vehicle, concentrated solar power, an adding machine, and the double hull, also outlining a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics.

IT is much easier to understand and remember a thing when a reason is given for it, than when we are merely shown how to do it without being told why it is so done; for in the latter case, instead of being assisted by reason, our real help in all study, we have to rely upon memory or our power of imitation, and to do simply as we are told without thinking about it. The consequence is that at the very first difficulty we are left to flounder about in the dark, or to remain inactive till the master comes to our assistance.? Now in this book it is proposed to enlist the reasoning faculty from the very first: to let one problem grow out of another and to be dependent on the foregoing, as in geometry, and so to explain each thing we do that there shall be no doubt in the mind as to the correctness of the proceeding. The student will thus gain the power of finding out any new problem for himself, and will therefore acquire a true knowledge of perspective.?? George Adolphus Storey??Book First?The Necessity of the Study of Perspective to Painters, Sculptors, and Architects?LEONARDO DA VINCI tells us in his celebrated Treatise on Painting that the young artist should first of all learn perspective, that is to say, he should first of all learn that he has to depict on a flat surface objects which are in relief or distant one from the other; for this is the simple art of painting. Objects appear smaller at a distance than near to us, so by drawing them thus we give depth to our canvas. The outline of a ball is a mere flat circle, but with proper shading we make it appear round, and this is the perspective of light and shade.? ‘The next thing to be considered is the effect of the atmosphere and light. If two figures are in the same coloured dress, and are standing one behind the other, then they should be of slightly different tone, so as to separate them. And in like manner, according to the distance of the mountains in a landscape and the greater or less density of the air, so do we depict space between them, not only making them smaller in outline, but less distinct.’?Sir Edwin Landseer used to say that in looking at a figure in a picture he liked to feel that he could walk round it, and this exactly expresses the impression that the true art of painting should make upon the spectator.??There is another observation of Leonardo’s that it is well I should here transcribe; he says: ‘Many are desirous of learning to draw, and are very fond of it, who are notwithstanding void of a proper disposition for it. This may be known by their want of perseverance; like boys who draw everything in a hurry, never finishing or shadowing.’ This shows they do not care for their work, and all instruction is thrown away upon them. At the present time there is too much of this ‘everything in a hurry’, and beginning in this way leads only to failure and disappointment. These observations apply equally to perspective as to drawing and painting.? Unfortunately, this study is too often neglected by our painters, some of them even complacently confessing their ignorance of it; while the ordinary student either turns from it with distaste, or only endures going through it with a view to passing an examination, little thinking of what value it will be to him in working out his pictures. Whether the manner of teaching perspective is the cause of this dislike for it, I cannot say; but certainly most of our English books on the subject are anything but attractive.??All the great masters of painting have also been masters of perspective, for they knew that without it, it would be impossible to carry out their grand compositions. In many cases they were even inspired by it in choosing their subjects. When one looks at those sunny interiors, those corridors and courtyards by De Hooghe, with their figures far off and near, one feels that their charm consists greatly in their perspective, as well as in their light and tone and colour... ?