Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Events leading up to the birth of Jane Austen (actually everyone's birth) - Part II

1510 – What a year for the Italians. Sandro Botticelli and Giorgione die. Raphael paints Triumph of Galatea, and Titian paints The Gypsy Madonna. Da Vinci designs the horizonal water wheel and introduces the principle of the water turbine.

Portuguese acquire Goa in India, and unintentionally provide Americans a place where they can live out their lives as 1960s hippies.

1610 – Henry IV of France is assassinated. He was a Protestant, but in order to become king, he had to convert to Catholicism, and famously said, “Paris is worth a Mass.”

Shakespeare writes A Winter’s Tale. Caravaggio (my favorite Renaissance painter) dies. El Greco paints The Opening of the Fifth Seal, while Rubens is finishing the Raising of the Cross.

The Stationer’s Company begins to send a copy of every book printed in England to Bodleian Library at Oxford. Excellent!

1710 – Future Louis XV, King of France, and grandfather of the doomed Louis XVI, is born. He becomes famous for his mistresses (Madame de Pompadour and Madame DuBarry, among a hundred others) and his furniture.

Christopher Wren designs Marlborough House, Westminster, London.

On a visit to London, Handel, completes in fourteen days the score of Rinaldo, and it is performed at the Queen’s Theatre.

Porcelain factory at Meissen, Saxony, is founded, and Tiffany’s in New York has a future supplier.

Next up: 1810. Jane lives!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Mobile, Thank you for the compliment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mobile, wrote:

    Great idea! Love seeing a creative mind work and gain success!!!!!! Hope it continues to grow!

    I read the last word as ,"growl," and then reread it.

    I think ,growl, works very well.
    We all need to have a good growl.

    Talk about Meissen producing future objects to sell at Tiffanys in their New York sales rooms. Objects carry histories and collect stories through time. Just think about the mementos you have on your mantle piece at home. Whatever did happen to that vase Aunty Mabel gave you?

    The stories that collect around things!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete