Andy (he/him)

Died (alas!) on this day in 1538, in his home town of Regensburg, Albrecht Altdorfer. Here, Alexander the Great & Persian king Darius clash in the Battle of Issus, painted by Altdorfer in 1529.

A medieval manuscript illustration from the British Library royal ms 20 a ii f3r. Image shows a medieval king in a green gown and wearing a crown. He is stood within a burning castle with arms in the air and a look of 'oh dear' on his face

"this is fine"

British Library Manuscript - royal ms 20 a ii f3r

I guess I hadn’t realized he came up just a few days short (a hair short?) of a 23 year reign.

Pure profile aesthetics: sheer elegance of the line for a woman's profile, 1460s, by Antonio del Pollaiuolo. He was born on this day in 1430.

The lace maker, 1662. Seems so quiet, but you know her bobbins are clicking away. By Caspar Netscher, whose day is today.

Giulio Clovio painted the Tower of Babel several times, once in collaboration w/ the great Pieter Bruegel. That work is alas lost. Here is Clovio painting Babel in the Farnese Hours.

I try to avoid them altogether. But maybe two?

Charles II, c. 1670
Peter Lely

(National Maritime Museum)

"You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read."
-- James Baldwin

Green journal cover with title Novel A Forum on Fiction and list of featured articles and authors

As globalization and crises in biopolitics and the environment rapidly increase, and as models of affect theory multiply, the novel and how we read it are undergoing a sea change.

The newest issue of Novel is now available: buff.ly/eWTFEaa

2/2 Visual feast for all the senses in 1653, from Abraham van Beyeren. It's his day.

Catherine de' Medici, showing off her children to be painted in the studio of Francois Clouet. Today is his day.

Happy woman reading
Jan Lievens, c. 1630-1674

(Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge)

The image of 1612 shows an academic scene of early modern Europe: a lecture hall with a professor on a professorial chair at the upper centre, a large groups of students present. This is one from a series of eighteen plates by the workshop of Crispijn van de Passe, depicting scenes of academic life, more here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1972-0722-6-3

Once upon a time in a university near you, in-person teaching was a thing, as you can see in this image of 1612. Young people with hats came together, regularly and voluntarily, prepared for classes, and enjoying a lively learning situation of *checks notes*, a 90 minutes monolog of someone else ...

Assistant Professor in International Politics at Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Looking for a new job opportunity in academia? Check out this job opening for a Assistant Professor in International Politics on jobs.ac.uk!

Assistant Professor in International #Politics - Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin - School of Social Sciences and Philosophy - Department of Political Science #skystorians 🗃️www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPU769/a...

🇸🇪🏆🇭🇺 Hungary’s László Krasznahorkai received the Nobel Prize in Literature today in Stockholm from King Carl XVI Gustaf — a historic moment honoring the master of dark, mesmerically unfolding epics and a landmark day for Hungarian literature.

JOB KLAXON!

CHAIR IN CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN HISTORY AT @ox.ac.uk: please publicize!

Eleanor Rathbone Professor of Contemporary European History
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Born on this day in 1625, Paulus Potter, who painted mostly animals w/ specialty in cattle. Here portrayed as a busy yet dashing artist by Bartholomeus van der Helst in 1654.

Alessandro Farnese, later Duke of Parma & governor of The Netherlands, looking very dashing at age 15. Painted by Sofonisba Anguissola, c. 1560.

Singing and smoking with Captain Lord George Graham in his Cabin 1745. Wig's off -- but dog at the right is wearing it instead! Painted by William Hogarth, born OTD in 1697.

Abduction of Proserpina, by Giambologna, 1579 (from the @NortonSimon Museum in Pasadena), 📸 by @nturchiarophoto

It’s so nice in #portland! Leaves are changing. Ran into a bunch of old friends at the conference registration. Looking forward to things getting started tomorrow.

On my way to the 16th Century Studies Conference in #Portland The flight is 4 hours and 19 minutes. Funny that they wouldn’t just call it 420. #16c

Born OTD 100 years ago, legendary late night host Johnny Carson (d 2005). A show biz career that started in the US Navy in World War II finished up with 3 decades of hosting The Tonight Show.

You didn’t write the “Sir this is a Wendy’s” did you?

Angry woman -- the beer jug is empty! By Pieter Huys, another Bosch follower. It's their day.

The title page

The first page of "Of Man" with extensive marginalia

Today I worked with Adam Smith's copy of Hobbes's "Leviathan" (1651)

I’d have a hard time narrowing a list of key histories from before 400 CE to 30. It would be a nightmare to have to choose just 30 histories from all of human history! A History of History in 300 Histories? Even then it might be a stretch! :)