Eugene Fromentin was an author and painter, I read about his sad substory with his childhood friend who went with other man and rejected his proposal. He went to Algeria and fell in love with Algerian Sahara. I’ve many orientalism comments on this painting, but what attracts me most is the beautiful blue sky. I’ve seen real beautiful night skies in my life, so to be fair, this is not really beautiful one, however, comparing it to our night sky nowadays, it’s really beautiful.

The increased use of light-emitting diodes causes our night sky to undergo a 10% decrease annually. People would be surprised when you tell them that skies in works like Sterrennacht were not a matter of intellectual view but in fact skies used to look like that casually. Today you would have to go very near in the desert to get such a look, and even that is not comparable to how it used to be. (talking about this remind me of this great episode that I watched as a kid, “Boys, you’re going to remember this for the rest of your lives”).

Check this part from رسائل الامام الغزالي about skies:

It’s sad that Fromentin’s writings are not accessible, I’m sure his life had many interesting spots and stories to tell about.

I first saw this painting before learning about Fromentin background so I thoguht it’s about Abraham’s Journey to Canaan or something related. The way the man on the white horse is clothed might be the reason.

For some resaon I find this painting very interesting, but I can not explain it. I read that “the child represents our natural inclination towards the raw beauty and simplicity of the natural world.” and “female figure and her classical setting symbolize the pursuit of knowledge, refinement, and the ideals of civilization” but I do not quite get those explanations. I think it’s just a beautiful piece of art.

The painting O Mistress Mine, Where Are You Roaming? by Edwin Austin Abbey is inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, and it captures a romantic or dramatic interaction between the two central figures.

• The man in red robes (possibly a nobleman or a clergyman) leans toward the woman in black and green, gripping her hand. His posture suggests urgency, persuasion, or pleading.
• The woman looks surprised or conflicted, as if caught between listening to him and resisting his advances. Her facial expression and hand placement suggest hesitation.
• The figure in the background, partly hidden and playing a lute, likely represents a musician or a minstrel.
• Given the painting’s literary inspiration, she could be connected to Feste, the fool from *Twelfth Night, who sings the poem from which the painting takes its name.
• Her presence suggests that music is part of the moment, possibly emphasizing the mood of seduction, longing, or sorrow.
• The setting, with whitewashed walls, bare trees, and cobblestone ground, feels isolated and intimate, suggesting a clandestine meeting.
• The nobleman’s expression and posture indicate an urgent conversation* —perhaps a secret romance, a plea for love, or even an attempt to persuade her into a forbidden affair.
• The woman’s reserved stance implies indecision—she might be resisting temptation, conflicted between duty and desire.

Looks a lot like Ask Me No more, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema.

Looks a lot like Ask Me No more, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema.

Same place as Ask Me No more, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Giulio Cesare Procaccini was an Italian painter and sculptor of the early Baroque era in Milan.

His paintings make me want to play Assassin’s Creed again.