Friday, October 18, 2013

Diego Rivera... The Popol Vuh... illustrations 1930-33




In 1930, while in San Francisco, Mexican artist Diego Rivera began a series of illustration for 
a translation of the Popol Vuh by North American writer John Weatherwax. Both men shared
 a fascination with the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica. The Popol Vuh, or council book, 
recounts the ideas and traditions, origins and dynastic chronology up to the year 1550 of 
the ancient Quiché Maya inhabitants of the highlands of present-day Guatemala.
Beginning as oral tradition, the Popol Vuh was set down in hieroglyphic form, then into what 
Popol Vuh scholar Dennis Tedlock has called an “alphabetic substitute,” before being 
transcribed and translated into Spanish by the Dominican friar Francisco Ximénez in the eighteenth century.


 photo diegoriverapopolvuh193031_zpsc9a6f975.jpg

The Creation
Illustration for Popol Vuh, 1930–1933.
Watercolor and gouache on paper. 48 × 64 cm. (19 × 25¼ in.)


 photo diegoriverapopolvuh1930312_zps9014208e.jpg

The Trials of Hero Twins 
Illustration for Popol Vuh, 1930–1933.
Watercolor and gouache on paper. 
31 × 48 cm. (12¼ × 18¾ in.)



 photo diegoriverapopolvuh19303123_zps7d087eac.jpg

Human Sacrifice Before Tohil 
Illustration for Popol Vuh, 1930–1933.
Gouache on paper. 
31 × 48 cm. (12¼ × 18¾ in.)



Monday, October 7, 2013

Leon Kelly (1901-1982)...painting and drawings...




 photo LEPOEgraveTEZOOLOGISTE1946_zpsd166e061.jpg

LE POÈTE ZOOLOGISTE, 1946


 photo THESIENESEREPTILE1946lk_zps13a7f16a.jpg

THE SIENESE REPTILE, 1946


 photo THEPOETOFTHEMOUNTAIN1946lk_zpsb928656d.jpg

THE POET OF THE MOUNTAIN, 1946

 photo lk_zpsef8111fc.jpg

CATALONIAN FABLE SALTAMONTÉS Y RANA, 1946


 photo LeonKellyEmbryonicPortraits_zpsf6d8fb73.jpg



EMBRYONIC PORTRAITS, 1946


 photo lk2_zps07b5aa76.jpg

COCOONS, 1946


 photo CAVEOFTHELIMPIDPOOL1944leonkelly_zps48f5d1fb.jpg


CAVE OF THE LIMPID POOL, 1944





Saturday, October 5, 2013

Edward Topsell ...The History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents ... woodcuts 1658




Published in 1658, The History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents depicts both real and fantastical creatures in detailed woodcuts. A wide swath of the animal kingdom is represented, including mammals, reptiles,amphibians, insects, and marine life, as well as an array of mythical beasts. 


 photo 0_zps08fcf360.jpg



 photo badger_zps80bd6368.jpg



 photo monster_zpse60632d2.jpg



MORE woodcuts HERE


Stultifera navis (Ship of Fools) ... Sebastian Brant... woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer... 1498




Woodcuts attributed to  Albrecht Durer. Illustrations from the book
Stulifera navis (Ship of fools) by Sebastian Brant, published by
Johann Bergmann in Basel in 1498



 photo FivefoolishVirginsSebastianBrantTheshipoffools1494_zps2f4c369a.jpg


Five Foolish Virgins

 photo JehanDrouynLanefdesfollesTheShipofSight1500_zps914dc14f.jpg
The Ship of Sight


 photo FoolsFarNearandForeverad_zps0ae2dcb2.jpg

Fools far, near and Forever

 photo HeWhoJudgesOthersad_zps75ae23db.jpg

He Who Judges Others


 photo OfGodsPlaguesandPunishmentsad_zpse4c46d97.jpg

Of Gods Plagues and Punishments


 photo JehanDrouynlanefdesfollestheshipoftouch1500_zps3525fc61.jpg
The Ship of Touch



 photo OfDancingad_zps2d2f97d6.jpg

Of Dancing


 photo OfLuckad_zpse74b37c0.jpg

Of Luck


 photo scornedjoyad_zps3862cbcf.jpg

Of Scorned Joy


 photo ofwooing_zps0770696f.jpg

Of Wooing




Friday, October 4, 2013

Teaching Dhamma by Pictures...Siamese Traditional Buddhist Manuscript ...Ven. Buddhadasa Bhikkhu



from the book “Teaching Dhamma by Pictures”
Explanation of a Siamese Traditional Buddhist Manuscript
by Ven. Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

Published by 
Sathirakoses-Nagaparadi Foundation & Ministry of Education, Thailand
On the occassion of the Centenary Celebration of the Bith of the Ven. Buddhadasa Bhikku


The illustrated manuscript reproduced here was, in the original, a traditional Thai 
manuscript called Samut Khoi which is a long roll of paper folded concertina-wise into 
leaves and then written on both sides. In this form, the illustration was presented first, 
followed by a few lines of explanation on a particular aspect of Dhamma such as 
Meditation and so forth. Cambodian script was used in those days for all religious work 
thought the language is Siamese. 
The pigments used were produced locally, most of them derived from native trees. 
 photo 32_Muccitukamyatanana_zps8c8777a8.jpg



 photo 26_Contemplation_on_corpses_IX-X_zps5eb5ba63.jpg



 photo 24_Contemplation_on_corpses_V-VI_zps975a9d38.jpg




 photo 16_Ocean_close_to_the_eye-unseen_zps3557c594.jpg




 photo 15_The_Wheel_of_wandering-on_zps79ee9056.jpg



 photo 14_Understanding_and_attachment_zps0a620d97.jpg



 photo 07_Dependent_Origination_zps844c8b76.jpg



 photo 05_Wisdom_Sprung_out_of_the_mud_zps1f21b46d.jpg




 photo 03_Mind_control_zps383642b6.jpg



John Bingley Garland...Victorian Blood Book... Sept 1854



Assembled from several hundred engravings, many taken from books of etchings by William Blake, as well as other illustrations from early nineteenth-century books. The principal motifs are natural (birds, animals, and especially snakes) and Christian (images of the crucifixion, scenes from the Bible, and crusaders). Drops of red india ink and extensive religious commentary have been added to many of the images.

inscribed "To Amy Lester Garland--A legacy left in his lifetime for her future examination by her affectionate father" September 1st 1854



 photo victoriana_zps70a23043.jpg




 photo cb225eb0-ec51-44ca-b59d-21b2e2c8dda8_zpsa3e7ab4a.jpg



 photo d22d0f55-387f-4781-a02f-cc201299372b_zpsb1407f4b.jpg




 photo vic4_zps9ec6e1d4.jpg



 photo victoriana2_zps8c2facc5.jpg