Entries by Gart the Gnome

Gala Nude – Salvador Dalí

Hi Folks! Salvador was a master of illusion and a psychic. With his psychic abilities he was able to bend time and see the future. The painting titled Gala Nude Looking at the Sea Which at 18 Metres Appears the President Lincoln (1975) is a proof of his abilities. The painting depicts Gala’s nude behind. […]

Lyon – France

Hi Folks! The landmark of Lyon, Metallic tower of Fourvière, is a knockoff of the Eiffel Tower and not the other way around. Metallic tower of Fourvière was built a couple years after the Eiffel Tower was finished. It’s actually an exact copy of the third tier of the Eiffel Tower. So sad. I truly thought […]

Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci

Hi Folks! The Mona Lisa is definitely the most known and possibly the most photographed work of art in the world. About 6 million people admire the painting at the Louvre each year. So, I would guess that each visitor takes four photos of the painting on an average. Every fourth photo is probably a […]

The Eiffel Tower – Paris

Hi Folks! It’s hard to beat a picnic underneath the Eiffel Tower (or almost anywhere in Paris to tell the truth). The tower is an iconic tourist spot and quite astonishing. Washington Monument held the title of tallest structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower was erected and thereafter the Eiffel Tower held the […]

The Water Lilies: Morning – Claude Monet

Hi Folks! Monet created some 250 paintings related by the same subject: water lilies. I admire his dedication. One would think that inspiration stemming from water lilies would have it’s limits. But the same subject kept Monet occupied for three decades until his death in 1926. This piece is a part of the Nymphéas cycle at the […]

Hungarian Parliament Building – Budapest

Hi Folks! Nothing new in Hungary. The Danube river flows through Budapest, the Parliament Building serves as a popular tourist attraction and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán leads the (allegedly authoritarian) government. The Danube does not usually suffer major floods but it is said that once it overflows the water cleans the riverbanks of all the […]

North Cape – Norway

Hi Folks! Midwinter (or winter solstice) marks the day with the shortest period of daylight. It’s certainly the low point of the annual cycle but who wouldn’t feel a bit festive as the amount of daylight begins gradually increasing. No wonder that back in the days the midwinter festival of “Yule” lasted for 12 days. […]

Grand Canal – Venice

Hi Folks! Venice is a remarkable place. Astonishing even. Some 30 million tourists visit there annually. As only some 50.000 residents live in Venice’s historic center. The situation with the tourists has gotten a little bit out of hand. It’s so bad that even Donna Leon decided to abandon Venice. She lived over 30 years […]

Eros Bendato – Igor Mitoraj

Hi Folks! When the Swiss order a sculpture on love from a Polish artist the outcome is, to put it mildly, cynical. Eros Bendato (Eros Bound) is Igor Mitoraj’s understanding of love and affection. Mitoraj’s sculpture is blindfolded suggesting that love is blind. Not that original though. We’ve heard the same from Fergie, Jack White, Alicia […]

Verona – Italy

Hi Folks! The panoramic view from Castel San Pietro over Verona gives only a hint of the beauty of this marvelous city. The bridge in the photo was built by Romans and is called the Ponte Pietra. The tall construction is the bell tower of Verona Cathedral. I could go on and on about the […]