It is an illusion of life ...

“Men are not punished for their sins, but by them.”

THE CARDINAL SIN by DEAD CAN DANCE 

Sail to the stars on your shining desires
Reasons there are none
Try the whisky made of grain
When all is said and done
It all amounts to just the same
There in your starry eyes lie hopes that have
been betrayed
The cause of your desire
Can also lead to your demise
When all is said and done
It will be you who pays the price
As countless fools are often loathe to testify
It's an illusion of life
The whole cause of our demise
Sail to the stars on your shining desires
Lucretia waits in vain
For the child of her dreams
Within her aching womb
There burns a funeral pyre
There in your starry eyes lie hopes that have
been betrayed
The prize that you claim
Can never be yours to take
Like castles in Spain
Hope is all that will remain
Abstain from the fools paradise
It's an illusion of life
The whole cause of our desires
Fools are often loathe to testify
It's an illusion of life
The whole cause of our demise
Contemplate the world
And its traitors to the soul
The forces of derision
And its legions manifold
Usurpers of the crown
All pretenders to the throne
Your world has lived in chains
All in one, one in all


Fools are often loathe to testify
It's an illusion of life
The whole cause of our demise
It's an illusion of life 

Emptiness ...

“Our greatest pretenses are built up not to hide the evil and the ugly in us, but our emptiness. The hardest thing to hide is something that is not there.”


Eric Hoffer  (American Writer, 1902-1983)

Goodbye ...

“True goodbyes are the ones never said or explained.”

Jose Padilla - Adios Ayer

Sick Bacchus by Caravaggio

The Young Sick Bacchus, dated between 1593-1594, is an early self-portrait by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It is also called Self-portrait as Bacchus and Bacchino Malato. According to Caravaggio's first biographer, Giovanni Baglione, it was a cabinet piece painted by using a mirror with grapes and some peaches.

The painting dates from Caravaggio's first years in Rome following his arrival from his native Milan in mid-1592. Sources for this period are confused and probably inaccurate, but they agree that at one point the artist fell extremely ill and spent six months in the hospital of Santa Maria della Consolazione. He is said to have done several paintings in thanks to the prior of the hospital for saving his life, but none survived. This work, however, unquestionably dates from the same time. 

Apart from its autobiographical content, this early painting was likely used by Caravaggio to market himself, demonstrating his virtuosity in painting genres such as still-life and portraits and hinting at the ability to paint the classical figures of antiquity. The three-quarters angle of the face was among those preferred for late renaissance portraiture, but what is striking is the grimace and tilt of the head, and the very real sense of suffering.

Some people ....

“Be kind to unkind people - they need it the most.”

Another day ...

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vince

Lady with an Ermine is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, from around 1489–1490. The subject of the portrait is identified as Cecilia Gallerani, and was probably painted at a time when she was the mistress of Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan and Leonardo was in the service of the Duke.

The painting is one of only four female portraits painted by Leonardo, the others being the Mona Lisa, the portrait of Ginevra de' Benci and La Belle Ferronière. It is displayed by the Czartoryski Museum, Kraków, Poland and is cited in the museum's guide as the first truly modern portrait. When exhibited in The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, it was described as "signal[ling] a breakthrough in the art of psychological portraiture.

Living my life ...

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

Rebuilding myself ...

“Grief is perhaps an unknown territory for you. You might feel both helpless and hopeless without a sense of a "map" for the journey. Confusion is the hallmark of a transition. To rebuild both your inner and outer world is a major project.”

 Anne Grant 

People we meet ...

“In your life, you meet people. Some you never think about again. Some, you wonder what happened to them. There are some that you wonder if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again. But you do.”

About accomplishments ...

“It is important not to forget, that a noble accomplishment demands three fundamental requirements: first, to desire; second, know how to desire; and third, to deserve, or, in another words, ACTIVE WILL, PERSISTENT WORK and JUSTIFIABLE MERIT.”

Lísias

Post suggested by ROS 

Perseus with the head of Medusa by Antonio Canova

Perseus, the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the Twelve Olympians. Perseus was the Greek hero who killed the Gorgon Medusa, and claimed Andromeda, having rescued her from a sea monster sent by Poseidon in retribution for Queen Cassiopeia declaring herself more beautiful than the sea nymphs.

Antonio Canova (1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was a Venetian sculptor who became famous for his marble sculptures that delicately rendered nudeflesh. The epitome of the neoclassical style, his work marked a return to classical refinement after the theatrical excesses of Baroque sculpture.

I took this picture in 2008 when I visited the Vatican Museum. This sculpture was  completed in 1801.  

Way to eternity ...

“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”

Enigma - Way to Eternity

My time starts tomorrow ...

“Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”

I don't care about what they think ....

“Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”