Seven Things I Love (12-6-2021)

1.) This Piece of Art by Kehinde Wiley – Most of you are probably familiar with Wiley’s portrait of President Barack Obama. Kehinde Wiley is the first Black (and gay) artist to paint an official portrait of a U.S. President. Up until recently, that was his only painting I was familiar with but I had the opportunity to browse through a book of his paintings (at my dentist’s office!) and they are all dazzling. This painting is from earlier in Wiley’s career, when he reimagined the works of the Old Masters with Black protagonists. Spectacular!

Kehinde Wiley: Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps | Brooklyn Museum

[Found at my dentist’s office – she’s so awesome]

2. This Miniature Mid-century Sideboard with Teeny Potted Plants – I’ve always been a big fan of Mid-century Modern though I could never live in a house decorated completely with that style of furniture (too uncomfortable.) Still, it’s gorgeous and when miniaturized well, it’s just too damned cute! (This IG has loads of cute things, most everything is darling when Lilliputian.)

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A post shared by The Daily Miniature 🔍 (@dailymini)

[Found on Instagram]

3. This Toaster! – Those who know me know that I have a thing about all things toast. A toaster with a Blue Willow design is a marriage made in heaven.

TOASTRITE BLUE WILLOW PORCELAIN TOASTER: Ca. 1928. The elusive Blue Willow china electric toaster.

4. This Video of the NYPL’s Treasures Exhibition – this is one exhibit I really would love to see in person. It’s ongoing so maybe visiting New York in 2022 or 2023 will be a real possibility. Fingers crossed.

Get a sneak peek at #NYPLTreasures from The New York Public Library on Vimeo.

5. This Photo of JFK with His Brothers & Sisters – (right to left): Joe (killed at age 29 from an accident on a Navy test mission), John (assassinated at age 46), Rosemary (given a lobotomy at age 23; her mother was not told until after it was done . She had to re-learn to walk, never was able to speak clearly again, and her arm was permanently palsied), Kick (died in a plane crash at age 28), Eunice (founded the Special Olympics, died at the age of 88), Pat (was married to actor Peter Lawford from 1954 to 1966 and they had four children but then she divorced him and never remarried; she died in 2006 at the age of 82), Bobby (assassinated in 1968 at age 42) and baby Jean (died in 2020 at the age of 92, she helped restore peace to Ireland). Taken in 1929 (Ted wasn’t born yet.) An inordinate amount of tragedy was suffered by one family that appeared to have everything.

[Found via MessyNessyChic]

6. This Video of Genesis Playing ‘Misunderstanding’ For the First Time Since 1984 – There aren’t many concerts that I feel the need to go to but this is one that I wish I could have been at (my cousin was there!) It’s unfortunate that the really drunk person is so close to whoever is (illegally?) recording the concert. Or is the drunk person singing the person who is recording? Regardless, it makes it feel like you’re at the concert – spill some beer on yourself for a real-life experience.

7. This Bookcover – A copy of ‘Paradise Lost’, an epic poem by John Milton originally published in 1667, exquisitely bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, a London bookbinding firm that was established in 1901. Sangorski & Sutcliffe is the “Rolls Royce of bookbinding.” They used quality leathers decorated with gilding, jewels, ivory, and/or sumptuous fabrics for their bindings. Birds, particularly peacocks, were a common design.