art – The Book of Faustus

The Little Book of Cosmic Horrors

Rammstein – Angst

Rammstein has been releasing amazing music videos lately. End of speech.

As a violinist, some of my favorite composers include Monteverdi, Lully, Handel, and Purcell–masters of harmonious and passionate string composition. Though I have played professionally in the past, I have always considered myself a mediocre musician. I would sell my soul (again) for the ability to properly play Purcell.

This fantasia by Purcell has been stuck in my head all week. Maybe if I post it here, it will get unstuck.

Head of Medusa – Benedetto Pistrucci, 1840-1850

Red jasper mounted in gold with white enamel. Inspired by the Rondanini Medusa in the Munich Glyptothek. This 5.3cm x 5.3cm masterwork features such fine details that are barely visible to the naked eye. Close inspection shows deep carved intricacies of hair, feathers, and other embellishments.

Durer: The Sea Monster and the Beast (1497)

*“And there was another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns: and on his head seven diadems.” – Apocalypse 12:3*

*“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast” – (13:8)*

“Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon” (13:11)

Selections from Clavis Artis, C. XVII/XVIII

The Arrival of Demons, Khadim Ali b. 1978

Angelic Bodies of Roberto Ferri

NeoBaroque master Roberto Ferri, graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Rome. These three examples present Baroque and Classical ideals of the male figure in exaggerated musculature which is dramatically contoured in the chiaroscuro.

Lucifer, 2013. The physical proportions and posing give the impression of La *génie du mal*

Find his virtual gallery here.

Medieval Magic: Drinking the Blood of a Saint

Lloyd de Beer, curator at The British Museum, explains the origin of the Canterbury pilgrim badges and how they relate to the swift rise of the cult of Thomas à Becket, whose followers drank the blood of the martyr for miracle cures.

Phallic Satyrs, Psykter of Cerveteri, Century V BCE

490-500 BCE: This Attic red-figure psykter (wine cooling vessel) from the necropolis of Cerveteri depicts bearded satyrs in revelry. A satyr falls backwards and balances a cantharos (drinking cup) upon his erect penis. Other satyrs around him pour wine into the cantharos. Other figure groups in the artefact depict other acrobatic satyrs in various states of drunkenness.

It boggles my mind to think that this piece of pornographic pottery is as old as Buddhism.

In red-figure, as the artist would add series of drafts and outlines, certain features like fingers, noses and penises would become long and skinny

Currently located at the British Museum.

Category: art