Last Shot Boots and Dr. Pepper

Taken by my brother as he wended his way between Dallas and San Angelo in April of 2018. His occasional visits are always a delight, all the more so since it's usually several years between visits.

Odysseus and Polyphemus

Arnold Böcklin, Odysseus and Polyphemus, 1896

Since our quote of the day is about stories, here's some great art about one of the most enduring stories of all time.

Madonna of the Lilies

Madonna of the Lilies, Alphonse Mucha, 1905

I never realized that Mucha did any religious art. Via Wikipedia comes this fascinating background:

In 1902, Mucha was commissioned to decorate a church in Jerusalem dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Shown here is the final version of 'Madonna of the Lilies', one of the murals for the church. The project was cancelled later for unknown reasons, so all that remains of this commission is this painting and earlier versions of it (Sakai City collection, Japan), as well as a design for a stained-glass window,' Harmony', which is also in the Mucha Trust collection.

According to Mucha's letter to his wife Maruška, he conceived the subject as 'Virgo purissima', thus depicting the heavenly vision of Madonna, surrounded with a mass of lilies, symbol of purity. The seated young girl in Slavic folk costume carries a wreath of ivy leaves, symbol of remembrance. Her serious expression and strong physical presence contrast with the ethereal figure of the Virgin.

Portrait of Susanna de Vos by her father

Portrait of Susanna de Vos by her father Cornelis de Vos, 1617

I like the fact that this baby is at a high chair - way back in 1617. I also love those clothes!

But the expression is best. This is a father who loves his child and a baby who lights up at the sight of her daddy.

Le Chef de L’Hotel

William Orpen, Le Chef de L’Hotel Chatham, Paris, 1921

Arlene Dahl in Desert Legion

Arlene Dahl for Desert Legion
via Not Pulp Covers

I love this. The costuming should have won an award! And how about that sultry look? It is classic not only for what it is portraying but for a picture of 1953 movie making.

Beware if you explore Not Pulp Covers. It has some really great stuff but, keeping in mind how close a lot of it comes to pulp, there are a fair number of scantily clad damsels.

For Babar Lovers

Gas Masks

Gas Masks

Does anyone else notice the resemblance here to the sand people from Star Wars? I wonder if George Lucas had been looking through old photos ...

Catch of the Year

Catch of the Year, Remo Savisaar

This photo won photographer Remo Savisaar the Grand Prize at the Estonian Nature Photo Contest 2025 – along with two more awards. And no wonder, it is truly phenomenal.

Like Remo, I had no idea what I was looking at until I read his account of getting this photo. Go to the link and scroll down for the translation. I was stunned to see it is a mink catching a female mallard. Remo says he was in the right place at the right time. That is very true. However, it takes a good photographer to recognize the moment and snap the photo. He's truly a wonderful photographer.

Fajitas

 After today's quote, how can we not admire the artistry of this food and setting?

Great Gray Owl

Great Gray Owl, Remo Savisaar

 Does it blend? Goodness gracious, you can barely tell where the owl ends and the tree begins.

Playful Starlings

Playful Starlings, Remo Savisaar

All these colors are just gorgeous, especially as the starlings echo the lines and patterns of the berries and twigs.

In the Church

In the Church by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky, c. late 1800s
Via J.R.'s Art Place

These colors are so luminous. I love them.

Vase of Chrysanthemums

Armaud Guillaumin, Vase of Chrysanthemums

We don't have fall leaves yet, but Chrysanthemums are always available for gorgeous fall colors.

A Meat Stall with the Holy Family Giving Alms

A Meat Stall with the Holy Family Giving Alms, Pieter Aertsen

You've got to click on the picture so you can see it larger, but they are there and giving alms ... waaaaay in the background.

Sunset

Felix Vallotton, Coucher de Soleil, 1918

This isn't something that I would normally like, but it just grabs me anyway.

Isle of the Dead

Arnold Böcklin, Isle of the Dead: "Basel" version, 1880

This was so popular that the artist did several different versions of it. Read all about it at Wikipedia. Here's a bit.

All versions of Isle of the Dead depict a desolate and rocky islet seen across an expanse of dark water. A small rowboat is just arriving at a water gate and seawall on shore. An oarsman maneuvers the boat from the stern. In the bow, facing the gate, is a standing figure clad entirely in white. Just behind the figure is a white, festooned object commonly interpreted as a coffin. The tiny islet is dominated by a dense grove of tall, dark cypress trees—associated by long-standing tradition with cemeteries and mourning—which is closely hemmed in by precipitous cliffs. Furthering the funerary theme are what appear to be sepulchral portals and windows penetrating the rock faces.

A Lane

John Atkinson Grimshaw, A Lane

John Atkinson Grimshaw's work all seems wonderfully gloomy, which is perfect for this time of year. Who is that figure in the moonlight, dwarfed by the trees and sky? An innocent traveler out late? Someone sinister? Someone in need? We are left to wonder.

St. James Church Cemetery

St. James Church Or Goose Creek Church And Cemetery, 1872 Engraving

Deliciously spooky!

Halloween

Halloween, Grandma Moses

I love seeing the whole neighborhood in action!