Small Talk from Versailles: a day with the Sun King

Thanks to several tv series and movies everyone knows that a very strict etiquette controlled, in ancient times, the social and private lives of the European royal and aristocratic families. Each country had its own rules that were progressively abandoned, especially in the last two centuries. Today we can still gossip - in a good …

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Focus on a Masterpiece: Le Balcon – The Balcony (Manet, 1868/69)

Today I was dreaming about having a balcony in Paris. Not necessarily a huge one. A small one would be fine for me. One like Le Balcon (The Balcony) painted by Edouard Manet in 1868/1869 would be perfect. I love that picture. It really is one of my favorite paintings ever so I decided to …

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