Sightings

At the end of his career, the British artist Frederic Leighton painted the now-iconic image of a sleeping woman in a vivid orange gown. This nineteenth-century masterpiece embodies the modern philosophy of "art for art's sake," the belief that the value of art lies in its aesthetic qualities rather than in its subject matter. The sensuously draped figure — freed from any narrative context — is integrated into a harmonious ensemble of rhythmic lines and radiant color. more »

The pieces range from early studies for paintings and sculptures to highly-finished drawings that stand alone as works in their own right. What all of the portraits share, however, is the image of a likeness of someone worth remembering, bearing testimony to the deeply human sentiment to leave a mark. Among the many extraordinary works with a more finished polish is an early drawing by Pablo Picasso depicting Marie Derval, a popular actress in Paris. The energetic contour of the figure and her frightening stare lend the portrait an expressionist vigor. more »

An increasing number of states are striving to connect released prisoners to health care programs on the outside. Frequently, that means enrolling them in Medicaid and scheduling appointments for medical services before they are released. Some state programs — in Massachusetts and Connecticut, for example — provide help to all outgoing prisoners. Programs in some other states are more targeted. Those in Rhode Island and New York, for instance, focus on ex-offenders with HIV or AIDS. more »

Last year Ernst van de Wetering published the work as entirely by Rembrandt, executed in circa 1646 and circa 1652. The condition of Saul and David was not ideal. Although structurally sound, it certainly looked the worse for wear. The prominent vertical join and added piece were disfiguring. The paint surface was heavily flattened throughout, and the old varnish was yellowed and cracked. more »