Maximilien Luce

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Maximilien Luce (1858–1941) was a French neo-impressionist painter who also experimented heavily with pointillism. He painted landscapes, portraits, workers, WWI soldiers, scenes of the industrial revolution, and everyday activities.

In his younger years he was an active anarchist. In 1894 he was arrested upon suspicion that he was involved in the conspiracy to assassinate the French president. However, he was acquitted and released after 42 days. Later in his life he drifted away from active participation in politics.

Maximilien Luce self-portrait

Los Ejes de mi Carreta

Get ready for a superfluous damsel weekend with El Septeto Santiaguero.

 

Fred and Betsy Warren prepare for WWIII

Fred and his wife decide to build a fallout shelter in their basement to protect their family in case WWIII breaks out. It ends up being a fairly small concrete block room in the corner. It looks awfully small for 4 people for 2 weeks, but I guess it will have to do. 

They stock it with supplies, although I didn't see any guns. Have they not watched any sci-fi TV shows about nuclear war? How do they plan on driving off their panicking neighbors when the big one drops and they try to break in?  And that's not even covering how to handle the raiders and mutants when they exit the shelter. Seems like sloppy planning to me. 

 

Aristarkh Lentulov

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Aristarkh Lentulov (1882 - 1943) was a Russian avant-garde painter. His main influence was cubism, but he also used the colorful palette of fauvism and mixed in other influences as he evolved. He painted a lot of cityscapes.

He supported the October Revolution and for a while after it he was heavily involved in the Russian art scene: he painted murals, did set design, and taught art. However, when Stalin embraced the Soviet Heroic Man style of art for propaganda Lentulov's influence waned. Although he was never caught up in the purges, he faded into relative obscurity.

Aristarkh Lentulov self-portrait

Don't Fear the Reaper

Get ready for a perennial weekend with The Barefoot Movement with Dave Eggar.

 

The first steam locomotive

Richard Trevithick (1771-1833), an English engineer, is credited with building the first functioning steam locomotive. He started as a mining engineer where low pressure steam engines were used to power pumps and elevators. After an acquaintance built a model of a steam powered car he got interested in the idea and decided to use a more dangerous high power steam engine to build a working prototype.

In 1801 he built his first steam carriage. Eventually, for use in the mines, he built a locomotive that ran on tracks for delivering heavy material to and from the mines. Although he had success selling his steam engines, he was poor businessman and ended up destitute.

The video below is of a replica of his locomotive in action.

Paintings of lakes

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Some of my regulars who are daft enough to reside in snow country ice fish on lakes during the winter. However, with March waning for the rest of us the sane season for visiting lakes for relaxation and refreshment approaches. Here are some lake views to tide you over until the weather warms.