Have you ever wondered about the origin of the phrase the naked truth? Ever since I began writing historical fiction, I have had this almost obsessive desire to know the etymology of words, slang expressions, and clichés. In my novel A Moon Garden, when I put words in the mouth of an 18th-century gentleman living … Continue reading The Naked Truth
History
The Brothers in the Tower
In August of 1792, Louis XVI of France was arrested. A month later, the monarchy was abolished. Stripped of his Royal inheritance, the deposed king was now known as Citizen Louis Capet. He was tried and convicted of treason and executed in January in 1793. Louis XVI bids farewell to his family the day before … Continue reading The Brothers in the Tower
Sex, Scandals, and Caricatures
An embarrassment of riches was bequeathed to us from the paintbrushes of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), a founder and the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Sir Joshua Reynolds, Self-portrait c 1780© Royal Academy of Arts / Photographer: John Hammond His portraits depict every luminary who lived, loved, fought, performed, wrote, … Continue reading Sex, Scandals, and Caricatures
Decorum, Degeneracy, Democracy: A Meandering Trail
American artist George Peter Alexander Healy (1813-1894) left behind a vast body of work that is a historian’s dream. George Peter Alexander Healy, Self-portrait 1851 He painted portraits of innumerable people of note, including William Tecumseh Sherman, Pope Pius IX, Daniel Webster, John Audubon, and Louis Philippe I, the Citizen King. The Corcoran Gallery in … Continue reading Decorum, Degeneracy, Democracy: A Meandering Trail
A Portal to the Past: Edward Matthew Ward
One of the elements that makes classical art so compelling is that it serves as a portal to the past. You can evaluate a painting from a purely aesthetic perspective, or you can scratch beneath the surface and discover an untold story. Edward Matthew Ward (1816-1879) was an artist who consciously put his masterful skills … Continue reading A Portal to the Past: Edward Matthew Ward
Art*Connections 