Videos

Profiles: French Painter Francis Picabia (1879-1953)

Sotheby’s explores two Picabia masterpieces: ‘Pavonia’, a cinematic example from his ‘Transparencies’ series, and ‘Nu de Dos’, a striking and controversial female nude.

Francis Picabia, (born January 22, 1879, Paris, France—died November 30, 1953, Paris), French painter, illustrator, designer, writer, and editor, who was successively involved with the art movements CubismDada, and Surrealism.

Picabia was the son of a Cuban diplomat father and a French mother. After studying at the École des Arts Décoratifs (1895–97), he painted for nearly six years in an Impressionist mode akin to that of Alfred Sisley. In 1909 he adopted a Cubist style, and, along with Marcel Duchamp, he helped found in 1911 the Section d’Or, a group of Cubist artists. Picabia went on to combine the Cubist style with its more lyrical variation known as Orphism in such paintings as I See Again in Memory My Dear Udnie (1913–14) and Edtaonisl (1913). In these early paintings he portrayed assemblages of closely fitted, metallic-looking abstract shapes. As Picabia moved away from Cubism to Orphism, his colours and shapes became softer.

History & Science: Ancient Texts Deciphered With AI

The origins of ancient inscriptions are often shrouded in mystery. Writing carved into stone millennia ago can be hard to read and is often missing entire sections of the text. Now a neural network, trained on thousands of existing inscriptions, could help historians figure out when and where a piece of writing comes from – as well as fill in missing words and characters.

Read the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s4158…

Africa Views: Ivory Coast Agriculture Goes Digital

Climate change, land degradation and deforestation have severely damaged Côte d’Ivoire’s natural surroundings. Many farmers are worried about their future. But Digitalization is bringing new hope.

Côte d’Ivoire is a West African country with beach resorts, rainforests and a French-colonial legacy. Abidjan, on the Atlantic coast, is the country’s major urban center. Its modern landmarks include zigguratlike, concrete La Pyramide and St. Paul’s Cathedral, a swooping structure tethered to a massive cross. North of the central business district, Banco National Park is a rainforest preserve with hiking trails. 

Hikes: Black Canyon Of The Yellowstone (4K)

The Black Canyon of the Yellowstone covers an extensive stretch of the Yellowstone River near the northern border of Yellowstone National Park. This is a hiking and backpacking canyon, not a canyoneering destination. It’s characterized by spectacular scenery along the Yellowstone River, with interesting geology at the upstream sections.

Views: Beatrix Potter’s ‘Lake District’ In England

From dawn to dusk. Sit back, relax, and be transported to the Lake District with a specially commissioned immersive film that celebrates the sights and sounds of a landscape that inspired Beatrix Potter.

The Lake District is a region and national park in Cumbria, North West England known for its glacial lakes and rugged fell mountains. Beatrix Potter eventually settled here after growing up in her ‘unloved birthplace’ of London, becoming an award-winning sheep farmer and respected member of the local community.

When Potter died aged 77 on 22 December 1943, she left 14 farms and more than 4,000 acres to the National Trust. Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker and photographer Terry Abraham, this film captures intimate shots of the native wildlife that Potter would have sketched and later immortalised in her storybooks, alongside epic panoramic footage of its mountains and lakes, featuring locations where Potter lived, worked and admired:

Catbells and Derwentwater Newlands Valley Watendlath Yew Tree Farm, Coniston Tarn Hows Hill Top and Near Sawrey Esthwaite Water Ullswater Great Langdale

Read an interview with Terry Abraham on our blog: https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/museum-lif…

This film was produced to accompany the V&A exhibition, Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature, until 8 January 2023.

Japan Views: Kyoto Plum Blossoms & ‘Hanato’ Lights

Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It’s famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It’s also known for formal traditions such as kaiseki dining, consisting of multiple courses of precise dishes, and geisha, female entertainers often found in the Gion district. 

Date taken: March 5-6, 2022

Video timeline: 0:00 Kitano-temmangū Shrine 北野天満宮 https://bit.ly/3vKIg2i1:39 Baien (Ume Blossom Garden)梅苑 https://bit.ly/35UCyQz6:00 Around Yasaka-no-to Pagoda 八坂の塔周辺 https://bit.ly/3ewNGnw7:57 Around Nene-no-michi Path ねねの道周辺 https://bit.ly/3Ko6VgW10:17 Around Nineizaka (Ninenzaka) Path 二寧坂周辺 https://bit.ly/3KlXnmF14:21 Around Sannenzaka Path 産寧坂周辺 https://bit.ly/3z2fx8w17:55 Kiyomizudera Shopping Street 清水寺商店街 https://bit.ly/3pHUDIi19:20 Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺 https://bit.ly/3HLuJty22:54 Maruyama Park 円山公園周辺 https://bit.ly/3pIsctM27:25 Around Yasaka-no-to Pagoda(late at night) 八坂の塔周辺 https://bit.ly/3ewNGnw

Walking Tour: Cambridge In Southeast England (4K)

Cambridge is a city on the River Cam in eastern England, home to the prestigious University of Cambridge, dating to 1209. University colleges include King’s, famed for its choir and towering Gothic chapel, as well as Trinity, founded by Henry VIII, and St John’s, with its 16th-century Great Gate. University museums have exhibits on archaeology and anthropology, polar exploration, the history of science and zoology.

Building Design: ‘Bicycle Factory Of The Future’

British bicycle manufacturer Brompton has unveiled plans to build a carbon-neutral headquarters and factory building designed by architects Hollaway Studio in Ashford, Kent. Envisioned by Brompton as a factory of the future, the facility will sit within an unused wetlands area that will be rewilded to become a nature reserve as part of the plans.