John Ruskin: "All great and beautiful work has come of first gazing without shrinking into the darkness"

• "All great and beautiful work has come of first gazing without shrinking into the darkness".

• "Tutte le opere grandi e bellissime nascono dall’aver prima guardato, senza indietreggiare, nell'oscurità".

• "We blanch cotton, and strengthen steel, and refine sugar, and shape pottery; but to brighten, to strengthen, to refine, or to form a single living spirit, never enters into our estimate of advantages".

Ilham Mirzayev, 1965 | Abstract painter

Ilham Mirzayev was born in Nakhchivan, the Azerbaijan Republic.

He studied at the Azerbaijan State Art School named after Azim Azimzade (1980-1984).

He is a member of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan (1989) and the Union of Artists of Nakhchivan AR (2012).

Zhang Jing Sheng, 1940 | Plein air painter

Zhang Jing Sheng 张京生 is a Chinese painter, professor and tutor for graduate students at the Tianjin Fine Arts Academy.

He received State Allowance.

In 1967, he graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Central Fine Arts Academy.

He won the silver prize at 'The Chine Fine Arts Exhibition'.

Between 1989 and 1990 he went to America to visit scholars and hold an exhibition, at the request of the Tao Sen University.

Ildiko Neer | Dreamland

Ildiko Neer belongs to the urban photography, landscape photography, graphic photography art style.

Ildiko Neer enjoys composing impressive natural environments retouched photos all together in the series called "Dreamland".

With beautiful colors, beautiful landscapes and enigmatic paths are discovered later in the article.

Sir Derek Walcott | Amore dopo Amore / Love after Love

Steve Hanks

Tempo verrà

in cui, con esultanza,

saluterai te stesso arrivato

alla tua porta, nel tuo proprio specchio,

e ognuno sorriderà al benvenuto dell’altro,

Romona Youngquist, 1960 | Plein air painter

"My lifestyle hasn’t changed much since early childhood.

I live on a little farm with my family in the middle of Oregon wine country; I still hang out in the woods with the dogs and my own kids; and I still collect a wide range of critters.

When I’m not painting outside, I paint in my studio in order to keep an eye on my kids and pets, while listening to my favorite Bach, Handel and Mozart" - Romona Youngquist.

Pierre Bittar, 1934 | Impressionist painter

World renowned for his Impressionist oil paintings, Pierre Bittar was the son of a musician and a mother descended from the House of Savoie.

His artistic talent was apparent from a young age, and his parents encouraged his gift for drawing and coloring beginning in 1939.

From 1940-1952, he devoted all his leisure time to painting and studying the techniques of the Great Masters, such as Rembrandt and the Impressionists -particularly Monet- during long hours in museums.

Civiltà romana

Per Civiltà Romana si intendono tutti quegli aspetti della popolazione indoeuropea chiamata Romani (inizialmente stanziata a Roma, poi diffusasi su gran parte d'Europa e nell'intero bacino del Mediterraneo), da sociali a religiosi, culturali, letterari, artistici, militari.

L'origine del nome della città e quindi del popolo che lo abitava, era incerta anche in età arcaica.

Servio, grammatico a cavallo tra il IV e il V secolo d.C., riteneva che il nome potesse derivare da un'antica denominazione del fiume Tevere, Rumon, dalla radice ruo (a sua volta proveniente dal greco ρεω), scorro, così da assumere il significato di Città del Fiume.

Ma si tratta di un'ipotesi che non ha riscosso molto successo.

Henry Clive | Art Déco / Pin-up Illustrator

Henry Clive (born Clive O'Hara, 1883-1960) was a prominent Australian-born American graphic artist and illustrator, best known as a master of Art Déco and pin-up art.

He gained iconic status for his vibrant, idealized portraits of screen celebrities and "pretty girl" illustrations that defined the visual style of the Jazz Age.

Clive's paintings are prized by collectors, but are rare, as only a few are known to exist.