Saturday, June 7, 2014

Undated sepia-toned illustration of the mythical Hanging Gardens...





Undated sepia-toned illustration of the mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon by Maerten van Heemskerck (1498-1574), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.




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"To him, man was a being with myriad lives and myriad sensations, a complex multiform creature that..."


To him, man was a being with myriad lives and myriad sensations, a complex multiform creature that bore within itself strange legacies of thought and passion, and whose very flesh was tainted with the monstrous maladies of the dead.






- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

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Hendrick van Cleve (circa 1525–1589) Construction of the Tower...





Hendrick van Cleve (circa 1525–1589)

Construction of the Tower of Babel

16th century




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Friday, June 6, 2014

An illuminated manuscript miniature,c.1430-40, of Edward III of...





An illuminated manuscript miniature,c.1430-40, of Edward III of England (1327-1377). The king is wearing a blue mantle, decorated with the Order of the Garter, over his plate armour. From the 1430 Bruges Garter Book made by William Bruges (1375–1450), first Garter King of Arms, British Library, Stowe 594 ff. 7v




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"Human life- that appeared to him the one thing worth investigating. Compared to it there was nothing..."


Human life- that appeared to him the one thing worth investigating. Compared to it there was nothing else of any value.


It was true that as one watched life in its curious crucible of pain and pleasure, one could not wear over one’s face a mask of glass, nor keep the sulfurous fumes from troubling the brain and making the imagination turbid with monstrous fancies and misshapen dreams. There were maladies so strange that one had to pass through them if one sought to understand their nature.


And, yet, what a great reward one received!






- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

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A map of Ferrara, c.1600.





A map of Ferrara, c.1600.




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Thursday, June 5, 2014

"It is a serious mistake to fear that others will know our misdeeds."


It is a serious mistake to fear that others will know our misdeeds.






- Liaofan’s Four Lessons, a Buddhist commentary.

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Abel Grimmer (1565–1630) Construction of the Tower of Babel 1604





Abel Grimmer (1565–1630)

Construction of the Tower of Babel

1604




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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

"For the past, we can think of how to advocate the virtues of our ancestors. For the present, we can..."


For the past, we can think of how to advocate the virtues of our ancestors.


For the present, we can think of how to conceal the faults of our parents.


For the country, we can think of how we can repay its kindness to us.


And for the family, we can think of how to bring about its good fortune.






- Liaofan’s Four Lessons

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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

François de Nomé Les Enfers 1622





François de Nomé

Les Enfers

1622




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"Shame is the most important word in a person’s life."


Shame is the most important word in a person’s life.






- Mencius

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Monday, June 2, 2014

Saint-Louis (Louis IX of France), Sainte Chapelle, Paris





Saint-Louis (Louis IX of France), Sainte Chapelle, Paris




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"One may run away from the retribution of heaven, but one can never escape the retribution for one’s..."


One may run away from the retribution of heaven, but one can never escape the retribution for one’s misdeeds.






- Tai Jia Chapter, Book of History

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Sunday, June 1, 2014