Latest news with #Sappho
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
What if every artwork you've ever seen is a fake?
Many years ago, I met a man in a pub in Bloomsbury who said he worked at the British Museum. He told me that every single item on display in the museum was a replica, and that all the original artefacts were locked away in storage for preservation. I was shocked and challenged him. It surely could not be the case that millions of annual visitors to the British Museum were encountering and experiencing not tangible, concrete treasures of human history, but the shallow simulacra of replicas. I may have even used the term 'fraud'. Yet on my way home that night, I began to question my own experiences at the British Museum. I wondered what it meant if the Greek water jar I had been so moved by, depicting a woman who may have been Sappho bent over a scroll, had in fact been a worthless copy. Did that make the experience any less real? Later, Googling, I discovered that none of what the man had told me was true. The artefacts in the British Museum are original, unless otherwise explicitly stated. It was the man who claimed to work there who was a fake. So began my years-long fascination with the question of fakes, and the way we feel in their presence. If that Greek water jar had been a fake, I could never have known just by looking with an inexpert but appreciative eye. Would it devalue my overwhelming sense of connection to the past in the moment I saw it? This is one of the questions that led me to write my new novel, The Original, about fakes and the people who fall for them. Following a female art forger at the end of the 19th century, the book is about making and believing in fake art, fake stories, and fake people. I wanted to think, in the story, about the experience of being duped, because we live in a world that feels, at times, increasingly fake. Thomas Hoving, the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, has suggested that about 40% of artworks for sale are fake. Yan Walther, chief of the Fine Arts Expert Institute, puts the figure at 50%. Last month, debate over the authenticity of Rubens' Samson and Delilah, bought by the National Gallery for £2.5m in 1980, reignited. The painting, dating from 1609 or 1610, was lost for centuries, and since arriving at the National Gallery has been subject to repeated controversies surrounding its authenticity. Are the brushstrokes too rough, the colours too unusual? Is the composition too different to copies of the original that were made at the time it was painted? Speaking to the Guardian, the former National Gallery curator Christopher Brown, who oversaw its original acquisition, appeared to suggest that the gallery itself had been responsible for replacing the painting's backing board, so destroying evidence about the painting's real age and provenance (he later went back on this statement) which sparked suspicion the Gallery may have covered up a fake for decades. The National Gallery responded by saying: 'Samson and Delilah has long been accepted as a masterpiece by Peter Paul Rubens. Not one single Rubens specialist has doubted that the picture is by Rubens. A full discussion of the panel was published by Joyce Plesters and David Bomford in the Gallery's Technical Bulletin in 1983, when Christopher Brown was the Gallery's curator responsible for the picture. Their findings remain valid, including their unequivocal statement that the panel was attached to a support before the picture was acquired by the National Gallery.' This latest controversy follows a study conducted a few years earlier, during which an AI analysis of its brushstroke patterns found there was a 90% probability the painting was fake. I visited the painting after that story broke, having by then developed a slight obsession with questions of authenticity. It was the autumn of 2021 and we were all still adjusting to existing in the world beyond lockdowns. Seeing a painting in the flesh felt novel; the colours vivid: Delilah's illuminated neck, Samson's gleaming muscles, the shadowed scissors at the moment his hair is cut. The texture of those questionable brushstrokes was exhilarating. I stood in front of the painting and I wanted it to be real because I liked it so much. A 2014 study published in the journal Leonardo tested how the belief in authenticity of art shapes our perception of it. Participants were shown paintings labelled either originals or, erroneously, copies, then asked to rate their experience. Paintings that were labelled as copies were consistently rated as less moving, less well-made, less well-composed and the work of less talented artists. It's a stark example of the extent to which our experience of art is moulded by the story we are told about it: the value we place on authenticity trumps reason, perception, our own eyes. A copy is automatically worse, even when it's not really a copy. This same quirk of human impulse comes up in all sorts of other contexts. There are those expert sommeliers who are unable, under study conditions, to tell the difference between cheap and expensive wine. So-called 'dupes' of high-end fashion items are a part of the clothing industry's ecosystem; the internet is full of videos of vox pops in which people fail to identify, when faced with two near-identical outfits, which one cost tens and which thousands of pounds. Human beings are pretty inept at understanding our world without context, without story. As you wander through the Museum of Art Fakes in Vienna, an institution dedicated to showcasing the art of forgery, what strikes you most is how unconvincing it all is, how hazy and dilapidated the fakes look. The colours look wrong. The materials look cheap. The brushstrokes look lazy and the way the paint adheres to the canvases seems insubstantial. But then, how could these pieces look otherwise, housed as they are in the Museum of Art Fakes? Removed from this cheapening context, Han van Meegeren's Vermeers, once pronounced 'the finest gems of the master's oeuvre', appear lovely, almost otherworldly. To emerge from the Museum of Art Fakes and head straight into Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum to view works by Vermeer and Rubens is an upending experience: you feel so certain, looking at those paintings, that you're in the presence of originals. Then you think about how they might appear if they were displayed in the unassuming basement gallery of the Museum of Art Fakes, and that certainty begins to fade. It's striking that we have turned to AI to help us solve our authenticity questions (where humans err, artificial intelligence can distil brushstroke patterns to mere data points) when AI is simultaneously creating fakes at a rate previously unimaginable. Our online world is littered with photographs of people who don't exist, articles recommending books that have never been written, videos of imaginary places. Even as we learn to spot the tell-tale glitches of an AI-generated image (too many fingers, those terrifying misaligned teeth, an Escher-like impossible quality to the structure of buildings, furniture, bodies), AI improves and outpaces us again. It's embarrassing to admit to having felt a rush of interest or pleasure at a video of, say, a lamp-lit hillside village in the rain, only to realise it's a nonsense, empty fantasy, and worse: twee. To realise you have fallen for an AI-generated image, song or essay, untouched by a human mind, is to feel at once less human and horribly, vulnerably human: foolish and naive. Human fakes, when contrasted with the emptiness of AI, start to seem quite affecting: the mischief of them, the skill and the audacity of the endeavour. Even the art market, on occasion, agrees: the works of prolific forger Tom Keating, who produced thousands of fakes in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, are now collector's items in their own right, to the extent that fakes of Tom Keating fakes began to appear too. Perhaps it's no wonder that such forgeries can move us, designed as they are to do just that, to be paintings of paintings and at the same time, blank canvases upon which we project all the things we want to care about and experience when we look at art. When I think back to my conversation with the man in the pub years ago, it strikes me that there is something wonderful in having believed him. Perhaps there is beauty in embracing the lessons taught by fakes, that what we bring to art is our human selves: subjective, easily bamboozled, ready to be moved. The man who entertained himself one winter's night by telling a silly lie to a credulous stranger, inadvertently led me instead to something true. The Original by Nell Stevens is published by Scribner (£16.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
5 rituals to get in touch with your hidden self for this week's Full Flower Moon in Scorpio
Ahoy, star seeds! One of the most powerful full moons of the year is upon us. On Monday, May 12th at 12:56 PM EST, the Full Flower Moon will peak at 22 degrees of Scorpio. Advertisement Full moons are always about revealing and feeling, but at 22 degrees in the sign of death and regeneration, energies are amplified and shadows grow ever taller. While the moon peaks early Monday afternoon, we will feel the effects of this lunation for several days after the main event. Because this one is a damn doozy, it may be best to wait until after the peak to see where the light has fallen and our work can begin. According to astrologer Magdalena of MyMetaphysicalMaven, this moon will hit hard for all signs, and we can likewise all benefit from the following shadowwork rituals. 1. Journal what you can't say out loud 3 Like your therapist, the full moon in Scorpio wants you to journal more. creatfive – Advertisement As the Greek poet (and probable Scorpio) Sappho reminds us, 'what cannot be said will be wept.' Be it a fear, confession, or fantasy, the full moon is a high time to let it bubble up and over and onto paper. And there's a reason why your therapist is begging you to journal: What is a blank page if not a mirror, folks? What is a pen if not a thread that pulls us through? 2. Digital exorcism Advertisement Fixed signs like Scorpio low-key love to hold on to things that hold them back: jobs, people, habits and beliefs. Under this full moon, you are invited and encouraged to do away with any text or photo evidence that makes you feel shame, regret, or restriction. Consider the pictures and messages you release into the digital ether a bat call to the universe that you are ready to accept the new and the sublime. Double down on calling in the good good by writing the following sentence in your notes app, ashes, blessed dirt or in blood/semen/watercolor paint in your journal 'I am open to receiving all type of abundance.' Hear, hear. 3. List three grudges you're holding on to and the real reasons why Advertisement 3 A Scorpio never forgets. Lutfar – As a fixed water sign, Scorpio forgets nothing and forgive even less. Under the light of this moon, if you can't let it go let it be an exercise in self-inquiry, ask yourself: What are you gaining by holding on? Does it still sting? What original wound lives below the infraction that inspired the grudge? If you release those feelings, what could you welcome into the space that's left? 4. Sit quietly for 10 minutes and notice the thoughts that emerge and repeat As full moons represent the closing of a cycle, get curious about the circles you find yourself spinning. Can you observe them without judgment? What are they demanding? To rid a haunted home of spirits, many paranormal experts recommend asking the ghosts what they need or want. As doom loops are both a maladaptive coping mechanism and something of a haunting, ask yours what they need and more importantly, what they are distracting you from. Get to the source and get to sorting it out. 5. Write down a painful truth you've been avoiding 3 Face your darkest self — and welcome transformation. Shomixer – Advertisement Lore holds that in order to cast out a demon, you must call it by its name. In this sense, when we give something language, we give it both form and the ability to be transformed. Similarly, by writing down a painful truth, you can face it and give it the space to change form from fear to freedom, a blockade to a building block. Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.
Globe and Mail
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Announcing The Align Your Story Fellowship Program for Writers
Align Your Story Writing Fellowship Program is now accepting applications. Online writing class with mindful, embodied writing program for serious writers in all genres. Runs mid-May to mid-August 2025. 6 fellowships: Top awards worth $5,000. Includes Mentoring with Nadia Colburn, award-winning writer and teacher. Complete the application then email a writing sample. Deadline: Monday, May 12th at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Learn more. Award-winning poet, memoirist, writing teacher, yogi, and activist, Nadia Colburn, Ph.D., RYT 200, who runs an online creative writing school, is excited to announce The Align Your Story Fellowship Program for Writers. The Align Your Story Fellowship Program is designed to support serious writers working in any genre who want to deepen their practice and craft and explore a mindful, embodied approach to writing. The program will be conducted online and is open to writers everywhere. The Fellowship's unique holistic, integrative writing curriculum, which includes guided meditation, yoga, the close study of literature, and step-by-step writing lessons and prompts, will help the Fellows hone their creative voice and vision, develop greater confidence and skills, find greater freedom and range on the page, heal their stories, bring mind and body together in the writing process, and find a greater sense of fulfillment in their writing–and life. The fellowships will run from mid-May to mid-August 2025 (though there is some flexibility around the start date, if needed). And fellows will receive lifetime access to the online writing course included in their award package. There are six fellowships, each named for a writer whose work will be studied in the program. All are open to writers working in any genre: The Sappho Writing Fellowship, for a writer of any age and background; The Virginia Woolf Under 30 Writing Fellowship, for a writer under 30 of any background,; The Zora Neale Hurston Writing Fellowship, for a writer of any age who identifies as a person of color; The Maya Angelou Writing Fellowship for Teachers, for a teacher of any age and background; and The Mary Oliver Writing Fellowship, which will be awarded to two writers of any background and age. The Sappho, Virginia Woolf, Zora Neale Hurston, and Maya Angelou Fellowships have award packages worth over $5,000 and include a full tuition waiver for the online writing class Align Your Story; two private one-on-one mentoring sessions with Colburn; and 3 months of membership in the Align Mindful Embodied Writers Collective, Nadia Colburn's ongoing writing community. The two Mary Oliver Fellowships have award packages worth over $3,500 and include a full tuition waiver for the Align Your Story course and 3 months of membership in the Align Mindful Embodied Writers Collective. In addition to the 6 writers selected for these fellowships 12 other top contenders will receive scholarships, discounts, and other opportunities at Nadia Colburn's writing school. Nadia Colburn is an award-winning poet and memoir writer, and the author of two books. She has taught literature at MIT, holds a PhD in English from Columbia University, and is a certified yoga teacher and mindfulness instructor. Her community of online writing students includes over 30,000 mindful writers. To apply, complete the brief Application Form here and email a writing sample of up to 8 double spaced pages to nadia@ There is no entry fee. The deadline to submit is Monday, May 12th, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Learn more about Online Writing Classes and Coaching with Nadia Colburn, Boston area writer and writing teacher. Have questions? Email nadia@ Media Contact Company Name: Nadia Colburn Contact Person: Nadia Colburn Email: Send Email Phone: (617) 785-6627 Address: 48 Cedar St City: Cambridge State: Massachusetts Country: United States Website:
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Rainbow plaque to be unveiled at former home of Jackie Forster
London's latest "rainbow plaque" has been unveiled at the former home of actor, broadcaster and lesbian rights activist Jackie the scheme, blue plaques bordered with rainbow stripes have been installed in several locations in the capital, to commemorate significant people, places or events in LGBTQIA+ publicly came out as a lesbian in 1969 and joined the Campaign for Homosexual Equality. She later co-founded the long-running lesbian social network and publication organisation Studio Voltaire, which runs the plaque scheme, described Forster as a "true trailblazer who paved the way for LGBTQIA+ people through her pioneering work". Following Sappho, Forster joined the Greater London Council's Women's Committee and became an active member of the Lesbian Archive and Information Centre Management Committee. "Jackie spent the last half of her life working increasingly for LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility," said Anne Lacey, Forster's partner."From the day she 'came out' at Speakers' Corner in 1969, she fought for the celebration of the word 'lesbian.'"The plaque was unveiled in front of her family, friends and fellow activists on Wednesday, at Forster's former home in Warwick Avenue, where she lived for 21 years until her Sanders, Founder of LGBT+ History Month said Forster was a "whirlwind and a massive champion for lesbian visibility"."Importantly, Jackie ensured there was a weekly safe space at Sappho's Notting Hill meetings. "Her kindness was legendary," she added. Forster was chosen for the commemoration through public nominations, with this being one of five new plaques being installed across London since initiative, supported by the Mayor of London, has already installed plaques for playwright Oscar Wilde (Clapham Junction Station), the film My Beautiful Laundrette (Vauxhall) and he Black and Lesbian Gay Centre (Peckham).
