Thursday, August 28, 2008

£50m In 4 Months To Keep Precious Paintings Here

I woke up to the news today that two precious paintings by Titian(Diana & Acteon and Diana & Callisto) loaned to the National Galleries of Scotland by Lord Sutherland since 1945 could at best be lost as a national treasure or at worst be sold abroad. A scenario neither of which bodes well for anyone remotely interested in art.

I just came back from Scotland and one of the highlights of my stay there was my visit to the National Galleries where i saw the Tracy Emin:20 Years exhibition and among others the Bridgewater Collection featuring impressive names like Raphael, Poussin and Rembrandt and of course Titian. I must confess i found Diana & Acteon a very stunning piece. Such a brilliant painting should not be allowed to be out of public view without every reasonable effort being made to secure it.

I suppose there must be a way to keep the painting if the will is strong enough.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Hillary Clinton: Eloquence Personified

Hillary Clinton`s speech at the on going Democratic National Convention was much anticipated and awaited. Would she declare undying support for Obama ? Urge her supporters to rally round him ? And did she deliver a speech of a lifetime?

I personallly was not as impressed by the contents of her speech as much as i was with the style of it. I was captivated by her power of delivery and eloquence. There was a marked difference from most of her speeches during the battle with Obama for the nomination. She was relaxed and in her element.Old Bill was there grinning from ear to ear, applauding every phrase succintly put. I suspect Hilary`s performance might have gone a long way in thawing the ice that exists between the ex president and Obama`s camp. So we wait for his speech. These are very crucial times for Barrack Obama. A Bill Clinton genuine and heartfelt public endorsement could be priceless.