note the new link, compadres

The Athenaeum is a TERRIFIC place to browse when you're killing time on the 'net. It's got artwork AND poetry in it. I didn't read much of the poetry yet, but I intend to. April IS National Poetry Month, don't ya know (yeah, I don't think many people know, so don't feel bad. It's not very well publicized, unfortunately)

The Athenaeum has this feature called "artwork showdown" where they show you 2 different paintings with "Vote For Me!" links under them and you just click under the pic you prefer. And then it will show you the pic you voted for up against a new painting...click on which you prefer. And then your pick vs another painting, and so on and so forth etc etc ad infinitum. (You could go on voting and voting forev--well not forever, but for quite some time. I must have wiled away a good 15 min. Oh and yeah, in case you're wondering, work HAS been reeeeeally slooooow lately.. I am certainly not complaining though ) With this feature they collect data on how well liked a certain piece of art is. Not that I really give a toss about statistics/ data accrual & all that crap, but the artwork showdown kind of works like a random painting generator and it introduces you to art/ artists that you might never have known about. That part of it is rad.


For instance, today I discovered that I enjoy works by--

*Canaletto-- an 18th century Venetian Rococo painter. I didn't think I liked anything Rococo, but I was impressed with several of C's city scapes. Like--



This is the one that initially caught my eye. It's titled :"Capriccio With the Four Horses From the Cathedral of San Marco"

*James Tissot (French/b. 1836-d.1902)--

"In an English Garden"

*Arthur Hughes (English/b.1832-d.1915) ---


"Home from Sea"




I also saw that The Athenaeum has HUUUUUGE sections on some artists I already knew I dug....like Gustave Caillebotte & Mary Cassat.

So I recommend checking it out...and because I sooo recommend it, it is newly added to my links sidebar at right. After you get mind rot from reading my trivial & disjointed ravings you can counteract with a dose of culture.