Art History: Two Paintings Survey Canaletto’s Venice

Christie’s (November 23, 2023) – Immerse yourself in a dreamlike vision of Canaletto’s Venice where the floating city of the 1700s appears strikingly unchanged centuries later. Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto (1697-1768), was born and died in Venice.

Did Canaletto paint these paired views of Venice for the Countess of Essex?

Home for most of his life, the city was also the artistic subject that dominated his career. Canaletto helped establish the veduta — or topographical view — as one of the chief genres of Venetian painting in the 18th century, as well as a prime export. A pair of vedute by Canaletto, unknown to scholars until now, will lead the Old Masters Part I sale at Christie’s in London on 7 December 2023, as part of Classic Week.

Coming from a private collection, these masterpieces were painted around 1734, when Canaletto was at the peak of his powers, almost certainly for an English patron.

Find out more: https://www.christies.com/en/stories/…

Book Of The Year: “James Gillray – A Revolution in Satire” By Tim Clayton

Apollo Magazine (November 23, 2023) Political satire is by its nature ephemeral: it reacts to events and personalities and moves quickly on. Yet James Gillray’s (1756–1815) excoriating attacks on William Pitt, Charles James Fox, George III, the Prince Regent and a whole cavalcade of Georgian public figures retain their sting more than two centuries after he dreamed them up. In his sumptuously illustrated study of Gillray, Tim Clayton explains why.

Gillray was, shows Clayton, as much an artist as a caricaturist – his fertile wit and invention were equalled by his facility with an etching needle. His images reveal a man of learning, liberal with allusions in his prints to Shakespeare, Milton and the classics, who developed a style that combined the literary and the visual. His seven years at the Royal Academy, meanwhile, helped shape him into one of the most accomplished draughtsmen of the early 19th century.

Although Clayton takes Gillray from his early training as a letter engraver through his time as a travelling player and into his pomp and then the madness that blighted his later years, this is not a biography in the traditional sense. There are few documentary sources relating directly to Gillray, so Clayton skilfully reveals his man through examining the ‘business of satire’. He looks at Gillray’s often overlapping professional and personal relationships, at the intricacies of Georgian print culture, and the ebbs and flows of politics.

Television: An Insider Tour Of ‘Hotel Portofino’ (PBS)

PBS Films (November 22, 2023) – Follow Cecil (Mark Umbers) as he provides a behind-the-scenes look at some of the iconic rooms, terraces, and views from Hotel Portofino.

Along the tour, he reveals insight as to what it’s like filming in the Mediterranean and even hints at what to expect in the show’s second season. This video was recorded prior to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.

Read more

Special Report: ‘Carbon Dioxide Removal’ (NOV ’23)

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The Economist SPECIAL REPORTS – CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL (NOVEMBER 25, 2023): The new economy net zero needs – It is vital to climate stabilization, remarkably challenging and systematically ignored.

Carbon-dioxide removal needs more attention

It is vital to climate stabilisation, remarkably challenging and systematically ignored

St Augustine’s climate policy

The temptations of deferred removals

Carbon dioxide removals must start at scale sooner than people think

On the other hand…

The many prices of carbon dioxide

Not all tonnes are created equal

News: Israel-Hamas War Hostage Release, India Hosts Virtual G20 Summit

The Globalist Podcast (November 23, 2023) – Israel and Hamas are due to exchange hostages this morning but will it actually happen and what comes next?

We also discuss the virtual G20 summit, hear why Poland’s plans to create a major aviation hub have hit turbulence and assess what the calls for an Olympic Truce at the Paris games is all about. Plus: we meet iconic sculptor Antony Gormley.

The New York Times — Thursday, Nov 23, 2023

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Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire May Start Friday, Followed by Hostage and Prisoner Release

Photographs of hostages in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Wednesday.

Both sides announced a four-day pause in the war between Israel and Hamas, but details were still being worked out.

Five Days of Chaos: How Sam Altman Returned to OpenAI

Sam Altman wears a tan sweater while posing in front of a brick wall.

On Friday, Mr. Altman was pushed out of the hot A.I. start-up he ran. But an intense pressure campaign and negotiations brought him back.

Extra Fees Drive Assisted-Living Profits

The add-ons pile up: $93 for medications, $50 for cable TV. Prices soar as the industry leaves no service unbilled. The housing option is out of reach for many families.

For Election Workers, Fentanyl-Laced Letters Signal a Challenging Year

As overheated rhetoric and threats rise, people are leaving election jobs in record numbers.

Travel: 50 Best Places To Visit In The United States

touropia Films (November 22, 2023) – A video tour of the 50 best places to visit in the United States. The top 15 include:

  1. The Grand Canyon – Arizona
  2. New York City
  3. Hawaii
  4. Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming
  5. Florida Keys
  6. San Francisco – California
  7. Zion National Park – Utah
  8. Las Vegas – Nevada
  9. Los Angeles – California
  10. Glacier National Park – Montana
  11. Washington D.C.
  12. Miami – Florida
  13. Seattle – Washington
  14. Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado
  15. New Orleans – Louisiana

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Nov 23, 2023

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Volume 623 Issue 7988

Nature Magazine – November 23, 2023: The latest issue cover features how cryo-electron microscopy can reveal the structure of motor protein myosin filaments, which power the heart via muscle contraction.

Earth just had its hottest year on record — climate change is to blame

Around 7.3 billion people faced temperatures strongly influenced by global warming over the past year.

UK first to approve CRISPR treatment for diseases: what you need to know

The landmark decision could transform the treatment of sickle-cell disease and β-thalassaemia — but the technology is expensive.

How AI is expanding art history

From identifying disputed artworks to reconstructing lost masterpieces, artificial intelligence is enriching how we interpret our cultural heritage.

Paris Tours: ‘Artcurial – Old Master Art’ Exhibition

ART VISION TV / C&B JOURNAL (November 22, 2023) – Artcurial’s Old Master & 19th Century Art department will be holding its prestige sale on 22nd November, featuring The Sacrifice to the Minotaur, a masterpiece by the 18th century painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

Australian Design Tour: Macmasters Beach House

The Local Project (November 22, 2023) – Inside a magical home complemented by the ever-changing backdrop of the ocean, it is evident that Macmasters Beach House is a family residence that allows its owners to live peacefully alongside nature.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Magical Home 00:45 – The Beautiful Coastal Site and Its Core Principles 01:25 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:59 – Focusing on Indoor-Outdoor Connection 03:25 – Perfecting the Build and its Finishings 04:14 – Protecting the Surrounding Bushland 04:45 – Proud Moments

Nestled into the headland, there is a certain wild, Australian characteristic that is hinted at throughout the home’s design. Embracing the idea of barefoot luxury inside a magical home, Polly Harbison Design has imbued the coastal dwelling with principles of simplicity while offering the owners a home where they can experience unparalleled views. Featuring off-form and broad-form concrete as well as exposed eaves, the design and architecture of the beachside house allows the materials to speak for themselves.

Moreover, the remnant pocket of bush that surrounds the home is enhanced and carefully considered by keeping the footprint of the home as small as possible while still providing plenty of space for the family within. Polly Harbison Design has also retained much of the landscape to encourage the existing vegetation on site to regenerate. Once inside a magical home, the house tour reveals a deep connection between the natural and built elements.

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious