Month: January 2022

pigments

pastel – First pertained to pigment or paste and evolved to mean light or pale colors. More…

excipient – An inactive substance that serves as the vehicle or medium for a drug; it is also the material or surface that receives the pigments in painting. More…

primary colors, secondary colors – In dyes, pigments, and paints, the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue—which mix to make the secondary colors: orange, green, and purple. More…

raw sienna, burnt sienna – Raw sienna is a brownish-yellow earth color obtained from a natural clay containing iron and manganese; burnt sienna is reddish-brown. More…

Motown Records Founded (1959)

Detroit songwriter Berry Gordy, Jr., founded Motown Records in 1959 with an $800 loan from his family. The label scored its first big hit with the Miracles’ “Shop Around” in 1960, and its roster soon boasted the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Supremes, and Marvin Gaye. By creating the “Motown sound”—lyrical ballads set to an infectiously rhythmic accompaniment—it helped to make African-American music part of the popular music industry. Where does the name “Motown” come from? Discuss

Zanzibar Revolution Day

In December 1963, the African island of Zanzibar won independence from England. On January 12, 1964, a revolution led by John Okello of the Afro-Shirazi Party overthrew the sultan who ruled Zanzibar. Abeid Karume was named president and the country’s name changed to the People’s Republic of Zanzibar (now a semiautonomous part of Tanzania since merging with neighboring Tanganyika). Zanzibar Revolution Day commemorates the revolt that installed Karume as president. Celebrations are held at the Amaan Stadium, and a wreath is officially placed at the gravesite of Abeid Karume. Discuss

John Singer Sargent (1856)

The son of American expatriates, Sargent grew up in Europe and studied painting in Paris. His best known work is the Portrait of Madame X, which created a scandal at the 1884 Salon—critics found it erotic, and the sitter’s mother disapproved. Discouraged, Sargent moved permanently to London where he captured Edwardian high society in elegant portraits painted with his slashing brushstrokes. Though his portraits brought him acclaim, fellow artist James Whistler described them in what way? Discuss

The Nestorian Stele

The Nestorian Stele is an ancient stone artifact that reveals a Christian presence in 7th-century China. The Christian sect of Nestorianism originated in 5th-century Constantinople and reached China through missionaries. Inscribed in both Chinese and Syriac, the almost 10-foot (3-m) limestone stele, or stone slab, describes the existence of Christian communities in northern China and reveals that the Emperor Taizong had recognized Christianity by 635 CE. When was the stele unearthed? Discuss

Grand Canyon Designated a National Monument (1908)

Arizona’s Grand Canyon, the great gorge of the Colorado River, is one of the natural wonders of the world. The canyon reaches depths greater than 1 mile (1.6 km), and its multicolored rock layers and steep rims are renowned for their beauty. After visiting the Grand Canyon in 1903, US President Theodore Roosevelt—an avid conservationist—became a major proponent of its preservation and designated it a US National Monument on January 11, 1908. Who fought against his efforts? Discuss

George Joseph Smith (1872)

Smith was the English serial killer and bigamist behind the “Brides in the Bath” murders, a case that was a breakthrough in forensic investigation. Suspicions arose when three women were found dead in their bathtubs within three years—and each one had left money to her husband. However, none of the victims showed signs of violence. Smith’s perfect crime unraveled when the Detective Inspector was able to link him to each woman, and the pathologist determined that Smith had done what to them? Discuss