Introduction to the Chinese Lunar Calendar
and Origin of the Zodiac Animals
Calendar
Coming Exhibition: Inventing Impressionism
“Inventing Impressionism”
Who: National Gallery (London)
When: Mar. 4, 2015 – May. 31, 2015 (View Hours Here)
Where:
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square
London, UK
How Much: (View Pricing Here)
More Information: Here
“So universally popular are the Impressionists today, it’s hard to imagine a time when they weren’t. But in the early 1870s they struggled to be accepted. Shunned by the art establishment, they were even lambasted as ‘lunatics’ by one critic.
One man, however, recognised their worth from the beginning. Paul Durand-Ruel, an entrepreneurial art dealer from Paris, discovered this group of young artists – including Monet, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro and Sisley – and gambled.
Realising the fashionable potential of their derided ‘impressions’ of urban and suburban life, Durand-Ruel dedicated the rest of his life to building an audience for their work – creating the modern art market in the process.
Such was his perseverance, Durand-Ruel nearly bankrupted himself twice, before successfully globalising his operation with outposts in London, Brussels and New York, and establishing the one-man show as the international norm for exhibitions.
The ‘Impressionists’ – a term first used derogatively by critics – was to become the household name that stands today.
‘Inventing Impressionism’ features 85 masterpieces from the movement, all but one having passed through Durand-Ruel’s hands, including three of Renoir’s famous ‘Dances’ and five from Monet’s ‘Poplars’ series.”
Was this the first calendar?
“Was this the first calendar? Mysterious 3,600 year disc that let ancient farmers track the seasons”
by Mark Priggs via “Daily Mail“
It has perplexed astronomers since being dug up in 1999.
The Nebra Sky Disc is thought to have been made during the Middle Bronze Age in around 1600 BC, and experts believe it could be the first ‘sky map’ ever created.
The bronze disc, about 32cm in diameter, has a gold inlay clearly representing the moon and/or sun and some stars.
Experts believe the Sky Disc was a calculator to help Bronze Age people predict the best times for sowing and harvesting in spring and autumn.
It recorded the fact that when the Pleiades, a very obvious group of stars in the night sky which are a familiar sight in the northern hemisphere in winter, were seen next to a new moon, that signaled the beginning of spring, when seeds should be sown, at the latitude of central Germany.
When the star cluster stood next to a full moon, it was a sign that fall had begun and it was harvest time.
The Sky Disc was discovered in Germany in 1999 as part of a hoard also containing two bronze swords, two small axes, a chisel and fragments of spiral bracelets.
A small piece in wood found in one of the swords allowed scientists to date the hoard to around 1600 BC.
The disc was also used to determine if and when a thirteenth month — the so-called intercalary month — should be added to a lunar year to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the seasons. . . .
READ MORE
Coming Exhibition: Art Basel ~ Hong Kong Art Show
I shared an article last year talking about how Art Basel has played an ever-increasingly significant role in the Hong Kong (and Asian) art markets. If you are interested in that area of the Art field, you might want to check out Art Basel’s upcoming art show! ** DB
“Art Basel ~ Hong Kong Art Show”
Who: Art Basel
When: Mar. 15, 2015 – Mar. 17, 2015 (View Hours Here)
Where:
Art | Basel
Asian Art Fairs Ltd.
6/F Luk Kwok Centre
72 Gloucester Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
How Much: (View Pricing Here)
More Information: Here
“From emerging talents to the Modern masters of both Asia and the West, Art Basel in Hong Kong traces twelve decades of art history across its six sectors: Galleries, Insights, Discoveries, Encounters, Magazines and Film. On display will be the highest quality of paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, video and editioned works from the 20th and 21st centuries, by more than 2,000 artists from Asia and around the globe.
The show will also offer extensive opportunities for intellectual discovery, through discussions and presentations, creating a platform of cross-cultural exchanges for artists, gallerists, collectors, and visitors.”
Coming Exhibition: Art Basel ~ Shanghai Art Fair
“Shanghai Art Fair”
Who: Shanghai Art Fair (Various Exhibitors)
When: Nov. 13, 2014 – Nov. 15, 2014 (View Hours Here)
Where:
ShanhaiMart
99, Xingyi Rd.
Shanghai, China
How Much: 50 Yuan
More Information: Here
Shanghai Art Fair 2014 (18th), as Aisa’s celebrated art exchange with long history and high internationalization degree, will be grandly held from Nov.13-16 at ShanghaiMART, continuing the scale as before, presenting domestic and overseas collectors a gorgeous art event in Shanghai as well.
Shanghai Art Fair, established in 1997, has been successfully held under the support of Saulterretimized art event, which not only bridged the gap between worldwide and Shanghai, public and art, but also shaped a paradigm for the domestic art fairs.
More than 20 countries and areas’ art galleries, organizations, agencies participated in this lively art exchange during the past dozen years. Many original artworks from the world-class masters, such as Picasso, Rembrandt, Chagall, Dali, Renoir, Monet, Zhu Dequn, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian, made the debut in China or Asia through the great stage established by Shanghai Art Fair. Number of spectators was around 60000 persons, turnover of 2013 exceeded one hundred and forty million yuan. Meanwhile, Shanghai art Fair creates a proud history of the transaction:
SAF 2000: The most spectacular one is Rodin”s sculpture called, The Thinker, brought by Sayegh Gallery (France), which was purchased at the price of $1,000,000 by Pudong Lianyang Land Development Company and set in Shanghai forever. This has been the biggest overseas transaction in Shanghai Art Fair.
SAF 2002: Another sculpture, called Cesar”s Thumb, was collected at the price of 2,600,000 RMB by Shanghai Zendai Group.
SAF 2003: One of Zhang Daqian”s paintings was sold at 5,500,000 RMB, which became the highlight of the fair.
SAF 2007: Saulterre’s “Series of Angel” was collected by Jing’an Sculpture Park at a high price…
Peter Denger, the famous curator of Basel Art Fair which is called Olympic in art, once gave Shanghai Art Fair a high rating “It”s a great international art fair with bright future”.
The Cultured Muse 