Posted in: Arts, Featured by Miruna Sfia | February 16th 2011 | no comments
The mistery concerning the change of shading in some of Van Gogh’s paintings has been revealed. Apparently, the deterioration of the pieces is due to a chemical reaction having to do with the UV and sunlight.
Some of the Dutch master Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings curiously changed their colors, as bright yellow turned to brown. In order to be able to stop the transformation, scientists had to [...]
By Tudor Daniel | October 7th 2011 | no comments
The Nobel prize for literature has been given to psychologist and writer Tomas Transtromer this year as the 80 year old becomes the first Swedish poet to receive the big prize since 1974.
Although the selection aroused some controversial talks, Tomas Transtromer has been [...]
By Miruna Sfia | January 20th 2011 | no comments
Starting January 28, a lost and rediscovered Rembrandt painting will be exposed at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, a century and a half after the artist’s death.
The painting, portraying Dutch artist Rembrandt Hrmensz himself, will be loaned to the museum and be available for visitors in Gallery 24. The work of art shows the artist in an unusual posture, laughing, and has been [...]
By Miruna Sfia | December 20th 2010 | no comments
Actress Judi Dench was mentioned in a newspaper poll as the greatest actor of all time.
Judi Dench, now 76, declared for The Stage that she’s “at a loss of words” and said that “it’s one hell of a thing to live up to”.
The second actress in the top was Maggie Smith, while Mark Rylance came in third, as the youngest actor on the list. The fourth place was taken up by [...]
By Miruna Sfia | December 17th 2010 | no comments
Hollywood film director and screenplay writer Blake Edwards passed away on Wednesday, at the age of 88.
The creator of the Pink Panther died of pneumonia complications, after spending two weeks at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica for treatment, according to his publicist. At the time of his death, his wife Julie Andrews, 75, and other relatives were by his side.
Edwards [...]
By Miruna Sfia | December 15th 2010 | no comments
Jenifer Ringer, the New York City Ballet dancer who was harshly criticized in a New York Times review, reacted to the author’s column, stating that there is no need for an apology.
The ballerina, 37, was striclty reviewed for her performance in The Nutcracker, being called plump by critic Alastair Macaulay. In the controversial article, he had stated that Ringer looked “as if [...]
By Miruna Sfia | December 15th 2010 | no comments
The movie that describes the origins of Facebook, The Social Network, has achieved the title of Best Picture of 2010, by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The movie was described by The New York Times as “a brilliant, once-in-a-generation movie”.
The Social Network, produced and released in 2010, starred Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg and Justin Timberlake - in the [...]
By Miruna Sfia | December 14th 2010 | no comments
Jamie Oliver’s latest cooking book, 30-Minute Meals, has been declared the fastest selling non-fiction book of all time.
According to BBC News UK, Oliver’s book has sold 735,000 copies in 10 weeks, managing to top The Sound Of Laughter by comedian Peter Kay, the memoir that made the previous record.
Jamie’s 30-Minute Meal encloses recipes for 50 three-course dinners and was [...]
By Miruna Sfia | December 2nd 2010 | one comment
Mario Monicelli, also known as the father of Italian comedy, committed suicide on Monday night. The director, 95, jumped out of a hospital window in Rome, where he was being treated for cancer.
Mario Monicelli, four times nominated for the Academy Award, is considered one of the great names in post-war Italian cinematography and he is mostly famous for directing movies like Amici [...]
By Miruna Sfia | December 2nd 2010 | one comment
The wig John Wayne worn in the 1967 movie El Dorado is going to be auctioned in the United States, according to Bonhams auction house.
The hairpiece is very distinctive and, according to Margaret Barrett from Bonhams and Butterfields, fans will be able to tell who it belonged to, immediately. The wig is brown with grey highlights and it’s estimated value goes up to $1,000. The [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 30th 2010 | no comments
Johnny Depp is known among most fans for his appreciated performance as Jack Sparrow, in Pirates Of The Caribbean - for which he almost won an Oscar. What we didn’t know is that Disney bosses were initially not so impressed with Depp’s acting skills.
Although the portrayal of the memorable Captain Jack Sparrow almost got him an Academy Award, Johnny Depp revealed that his Disney [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 26th 2010 | one comment
Dave Stewart, Eurythmics musician and songwriter, is writing a musical about the story of Soho Cafe, one of London’s first coffee shops, opened in 1949.
The artist is one of Soho Cafe’s most faithful customers and thinks that, although the coffee shop is quite small, “what goes on in there is as big as the world”. The musical stage that he’s been working on is called Bar [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 26th 2010 | no comments
A debut novelist has won one of the oldest UK prizes for literature for her new book “The Still Point”, at a London ceremony.
The novelist, Amy Sackville, is 29 years old and collected her John Llewellyn Prize for her book. The award also came with a cheque for £5,000. The Chairman of Judges described her as an ambitious, emerging writer who created a well constructed [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 25th 2010 | no comments
It’s been 175 years since the birth of the renown businessman Andrew Carnegie (November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919).
He was a Scottish American indurstrialist, businessman,philathropist and entrepreneur. Born in Dundermline, Scotland, Carnegie migrated to the United States and tried on a few jobs, before he created his own company. He started off as a telegrapher, but made his [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 24th 2010 | 2 comments
John Lennon’s fans should not miss the entertainment memorabilia auction that will take place at Bonhams, in London, December 15, thirty years after the artist’s death. Among the items auctioned there are Lennon’s handwritten lyrics of The Beatles hit “I’m only sleeping”, an acoustic guitar that the Beatles used during the recording session of the album Walls and Bridges and [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 24th 2010 | no comments
The controversed Malinaltepec Mask has been verified and declared original, after a decade of uncertainty regarding its authenticity. The investigation was conducted by the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City.
The Prehispanic piece, aged aproximately 1,800 years old, has been subject of 7 studies performed recently by 20 researchers, after which it has been [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 24th 2010 | no comments
Hong Kong celebrated its second “Gold Gravel Auction” at Bonhams yesterday (November 23), when Part II of the finest collection of the most important Chinese snuff bottles in the world were all sold at world record prices.
The valuable objects were part of the Mary and George Bloch Collection and were all 155 pieces sold for twice to four times the value estimated from the [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 24th 2010 | no comments
A painting stolen in 1979 from a London home has been returned to its owners. According to Britain’s Art Loss Register’s statement made on Monday, the painting had previously been part of late Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace’s art collection.
The painting, entitled The Portrait of Major George Maule (acting chief engineer of Madras) is a creation of German artist Johann [...]
By Miruna Sfia | November 23rd 2010 | no comments
Canadian singer and songwriter Rufus Wainwright will be performing his tribute show to Judy Garland at London’s Royal Opera House, in July next year.
His residency will last five days and will be including performances of Rufus Does Judy!, which Wainwright first performed four years ago, at the Carnegie Hall in New York. His tribute show is a recreation of Judy Garland’s amazing [...]
