Gibbous Mercury

Thanks to Sky and Telescope.

New planets on the way

Thanks to NASA and the Spitzer Space Telescope for this infrared composite of the supernova Cassiopeia A. Read more about the space dust here.

Some accumulation

We had our first winter storm up here in New England, although it effected many states before it reaches us. I took a few quick photos to show the accumulation on my back porch.

Taken around 1pm on Thursday, when it had been snowing for almost an hour:



Taken around 2:30pm, still going strong: (notice how ridiculously dark it is)



Taken around 7pm, with constant snow since noon. By the time it stopped snowing a few hours later, about 10-12 inches had accumulated.


Roads were treacherous, but all in all, not a bad storm.

A Quest

...and just as the quest made itself known, it was almost over.

Just a few weeks ago I realized that I must travel and see first-hand the three self-portraits painted by Albrecht Dürer between 1493 and 1500. Dürer is probably best known for being the visionary painter who first chose himself as the subject, thus painting a self-portrait. Painters had depicted themselves in paintings before, but as a secondary or background element, not as the primary and only subject of a portrait.

Dürer is also known for his work with flora and fauna, where he showed an incredible eye for natural detail. He sketched and painted his animals and plants with an almost scientific appreciation.


I was first introduced to his work in an art history class in college, back in California. Once I saw a slide of his self-portrait from 1500, I was hooked. This painting spoke to me- and apparently I listened because just 2 years later I would be standing in front of it, seeing it with my own eyes.

I took a trip to Germany to visit a very close friend who had recently moved back there from the States. We toured around southern Germany and made a special stop in Nürnberg to see the Albrecht-Dürer-Haus, or the Albrecht Dürer House Museum.

We also went to the cemetery in Nürnberg where he is buried.

When we arrived in München, we visited the Alte Pinakothek to see the portrait from 1500, painted at age 28.

I was transfixed by this painting. I had to just sit down (luckily there were benches) and try to take it all in. The paining is not overly large or surprising small, its just about the size you would expect. It is a dark painting, but somehow it exudes light. His eyes are so genuine, so engaging. The man in this painting is vital, commanding, and sure. He looks out directly, spanning 500 years, to connect with the viewer. His fur lined robe and combed hair tell us he is comfortable and affluent.

I think I sat in front of this painting, with crowds of people filtering by in a blur, for at least a half hour. My friend was patient and did come back to get me eventually. This was one of those experiences that really sticks with you and changes you, ever so subtly.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I visited Paris and the inimitable Louvre. Upon browsing the museum's floor plan, it saw "Portrait of the Artist Holding a Thistle" listed among the German painters collection. I honestly did not know it was at the Louvre. It had never occurred to me to find out where the other two portraits hung. Here, amidst much grander and more renowned works of art, tucked up in a less-frequented wing on a top floor, is Dürer's first self-portrait, the first self-portrait by anyone. Dürer painted it when he was only 22, and it is thought to be a sort of engagement present to his fiancée. It is a smaller painting, framed by a simple dark gilt treatment.

The painter was less certain then. The work shows a more tentative relationship with himself and his role as a painter than the 1500 portrait. The clothes lie more wrinkled and the expression on the face is less sure, almost a questioning glance in the viewer's direction. He seems young and novice.

I was only able to view this painting for about 5 minutes. The room where it hangs is not very large and it is located in the room near a corner and a doorway, leading people to inadvertently congregate in front of it. There were no benches nearby and it was then that I realized my quest. I knew I had to find out where the middle portrait hung and see it too.

Although I have yet to see it for myself, I know it depicts him at the age of 26. He is a more mature man, but not quite as self-possessed as the man in the 3rd portrait. He is more sure of himself and his posture and dress reflect this feeling. I can't wait to see this final painting. It hangs in the Prado, in Madrid, so it looks lie I will be heading that way very soon.

I have seen other paintings by Dürer, both at the Alte Pinakothek and at the Dürer-Haus, but the self-portraits still hold a certain allure over the rest. For an artist to express his life so directly through his work was unheard of during Dürer's life, so to see three such palatable examples of it is just amazing. He did it with such finesse and eloquence that I can't help but be awed by the outcome. Each painting in the set is a touchstone to Dürer's life.

Es ist schön.

Feeding the mind, enriching the soul

I have become addicted to RSS feeds, and through that serpentine surfing link to link through the blogosphere, I stumbled upon Exploring Western Massachusetts, a truly great blog. It is well-written and always interesting, in its diverse topics featuring Western and Central Massachusetts. Give it a read, if you are at all interested in the history and natural beauty of this region. I am also adding it to the links here, so you can find it again. Enjoy!

Interesting debate

Are products that are promoted as "natural" really any better? Burt's Bees was just bought by Clorox, as reported over at Treehugger. Does it really make a difference? Or is buying Burt's Bees already just a greenwashed stand-in for chapstick and all the rest.....Comments? Anyone?

For the love of chocolate

News from the archaeological site Puerto Escondido in Honduras has pushed the date of the earliest use of cacao back by about 500 years, to between 1400 and 1100 BCE. I guess everyone really does love hot chocolate!

The article goes on to say that the sweet fermented pulp of the fruit, and not the cacao bean, was used first. Throughout history, archaeological work has shown that the earliest technological advances have often gone hand-in-hand with the development of alcoholic beverages!

Iapetus, a study in contrasts

Last week, NASA's Cassini spacecraft took this shot of the Voyager Mountains on Iapetus, one of Saturn's moons. You can read more here. Don't forget that it was Cassini who, in October 1671, first discovered this moon. His namesake is bringing us intriguing new glimpses of its stark beauty 336 years later.