Equally worrying: How people weigh every word they are prepared to put on the record on this subject because they worry about repercussions.

And even better:
t.co/sptlT0L7OS

This morning I added an SSL security certificate to my website pastellists.com This should fix an access issue for some of you, but if you encounter any new problems please let me know [email me through Contacts tab]

Would that our politicians showed the same courage, intelligence and humanity as this Pope.

The copyist is still Charles Queuin: J.46.1788992
www.lot-tissimo.com/en-gb/auctio...

Israel's attacks in Lebanon raise the same ethical & legal questions (also effectiveness in securing peace) as in Gaza 30 months ago. UK Gov turned blind eye to Gaza but now speaks up against Israel. What changed? Could Israel's sense of impunity have been stopped back then?

Not a book...but if you had to sharpen your arrow on one, what would you choose? Voltaire? Swift?
www.lot-tissimo.com/en-gb/auctio...

Blow your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise from death you 229 souls

What a wonderfully civilised talk with Pierre Rosenberg to mark the publication of his opus summum on Poussin.
www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/...

Trumpian tactics

So now you're wordly wise

Can anyone find the dates for Elizabeth Randall Keating, wife of Col Thomas Keating (1734–1780), in the East India Company’s service; his 1764 letter applied for permission to take his wife with him to Bombay?

Two "enfants trouvés" in Paris were baptised "Anne Natoire" within 18 months; the later may be the 6th given this name (6e?). What was the logic? Was there a Natoire fund or benefactor?

If you read that Tweet on its own or too hastily, many people will get completely the wrong impression

Meaningless unless she does something significant. But this government continues to arm, train, share intelligence with Israel and call them our ally

Why are we still using a meaningless average for energy bills instead of a price per kWh or a simple percentage increase?

The Coypel in a South Carolina auction just sold for $400,000 including fees, against an estimate of $2-4000. See my essay for why
pastellists.com/Essays/Coype...

Nattier’s portraits of M. et Mme Royer It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly 20 years since Xavier Salmon’s wonderful Nattier exhibition at Versailles. Those were the days before it had become popular to borrow pastels for temporary sho…

A fascinating art- and music history lesson from @neiljeffares.bsky.social regarding Jean-Marc Nattier’s portraits of Jean-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer and his wife, Louise-Geneviève Le Blond.

In this portrait, Royer doesn’t look like the kinda guy who would write such turbulent music...
#artsky #art

It's disappointing that Larry the No. 10 mouser hasn't caught more of the current cabinet members. So many to choose from

A cousin several times removed, but he was a friend of my father so it felt nearer. And since we are both N Jeffares, Academia and other sources keep thinking I'm a Yeats expert

If Iran is reckless, what word applies to Trump? (You won't hear it from this pathetically useless Foreign Secretary.)

Franck, prelude, fugue and variation Op. 18

The @nationalgalleryuk.bsky.social is to send their Mignard on tour: it will travel to our four locations 2026-27. Is this wise? It's 2m tall, was relined 19th century and has a full length join in the canvas. (It's also one of the pics I always look at when I visit)

I can't help wonder if Trump's conversion to foreign warfare is driven by the need to keep up with his friend Bibi, who has a battle-hardened military with an outstanding record of efficient slaughter and destruction. A must-have for Trump, with actual experience a major selling point for industry

Quite. Perhaps the thought of (the first 5000) US troops putting "boots on ground", and the first bodybags coming back, will bring this home to them. Maybe they should ask their grandparents about Vietnam

This has always seemed to me the silliest category confusion

But it is not the sound one expects to hear from a Labour government headed by a supposedly left-wing human rights barrister

See also entry in the online Dictionary of pastellists: www.pastellists.com/Articles/Bas...

Do read my entry carefully as this is not a straightforward copy