Henry Purcell, arguably the greatest English composer of Baroque music, died on this day the 21st of November, 1695. Henry Purcell had been born in late 1659, so that means he was around thirty-six years old at the time of his death. I always find this quite sad, for him – and for us – that he did… Read on
One of my favourite painters from the Seventeenth Century – Nicolas Poussin – died on this day 19th November, 1665, in Rome. I thought I’d share a few of my favourite paintings of his, courtesy of the amazing www.nicolaspoussin.org I was fortunate that, during my time in college, I had the opportunity to study with a painter who… Read on
I recently contributed a guest post about William & Mary to the excellent blog of “Hoydens & Firebrands: Roaring Ladies who write about the 17th Century.” It was posted yesterday here: http://hoydensandfirebrands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/william-and-mary.html Alternately, you can read it here and now: The story of William & Mary is one of duty, love, war, heartbreak, betrayal, and revolution. It was a… Read on
Willem Hendrik, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and King of England, was born on this day the 14th of November, 1650. It had been a dark week for the House of Orange. William II, aged only twenty-four, had died of smallpox on the sixth of November. His widow, the nineteen-year-old Mary Stuart, Princess of Orange,… Read on
Parliamentarian General Sir Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, husband to Anne de Vere, father of Mary Fairfax, died on this day 12th November, 1671, in Yorkshire, England. Fairfax fought in the English Civil War as a General of the Parliamentarians (Roundheads). And though I think he backed the wrong side, he comes across as a noble, likeable, and good… Read on
No, this is not to do with the Seventeenth Century, but this is Remembrance Day, and an important annual remembrance of fallen heroes. I support the troops, and honour them, past and present. I volunteered at a nursing home for thirteen years since I was ten and I met many men who fought in the Second World War,… Read on
Hogarth is synonymous with the Eighteenth Century, but he was, in fact, born in the Seventeenth. Therefore, in honour of his birth, which occurred on this day the 10th of November, 1697, we shall have a look at some of his most popular and influential works of art. Hogarth was a satirist and an artist, who dealt mainly… Read on
François Couperin, also known as Couperin le Grand, French Baroque composer, was born on this day the 10th of November, 1668 (New Style), in Paris, France. I was first exposed to Couperin’s music when I was a little girl, listening to the radio programme, Sunday Baroque. Later, when I had moved out of America, I listened to Baroque… Read on