A contemplative visitor has recently arrived at Harvard. Her name is unknown but her presence is unmistakable. She is the subject of a vivid portrait by the French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard.Muted hues of browns, reds, and blues contribute to the wistful appeal of “Young Girl Reading,” installed in a second-floor gallery devoted to 18th-century neoclassicism and rococo at Harvard Art Museums. The sitter looks serene in her yellow velvet dress topped with a white ruffled collar. Her head bowed, she is immersed in the small book she holds in her right hand.The image is one of Fragonard’s fantasy portraits, a series from the middle of his career in the late 1700s. The 15 works are similar in size, always of a single figure, sometimes a man, sometimes a woman. Often the subject is engaged in an activity that suggests a sort of “cultured leisure,” said Cassandra Albinson, Margaret S. Winthrop Curator of European Art.“We think that they are images of people that actually sat for him and they are certainly in what we call a portrait format, so the focus is on the face and the upper part of the body,” said Albinson. “But there is also something imaginary and sort of fantastical about them.”“Young Girl Reading” is just one of many masterworks that have been loaned to the Harvard Art Museums through the years, part of a series of exchanges that have enabled Harvard to share from its own rich collection and brought a range of famous works to campus.Recently Winslow Homer’s canonical nocturne “Summer Night” was on view at the museums as part of an agreement with the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. In return, Harvard lent the Paris institution “Summer Scene,” a vivid oil landscape by the French Impressionist Jean Frédéric Bazille depicting a group of young men bathing on the banks of a sun-splashed river.Many factors are considered before Harvard says yes to such a request. First, if a piece is too fragile, a loan is out of the question. Curators also carefully research the museum making the request to ensure its gallery conditions meet lighting and temperature requirements. Also considered is the impact of taking popular works off display.“It’s one of the most serious duties that we have as curators, to make those decisions about loans and to work with colleagues and with our director to come up with a reasonable response,” said Albinson. With borrowed seascape as backdrop, Harvard Art Museums director explores what made the artist so singular Related The magic and moonlight of Winslow Homer Still, such exchanges bring rewards.For one, the trades connect visitors with masterworks they might otherwise never see in person, such as the famous Fragonard, on view through Sept. 11 and the subject of an Albinson gallery talk on Wednesday and a lecture on Saturday with two French art scholars.The journey of “Young Girl Reading” to Cambridge began a couple of years ago with a curator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., who was organizing a U.S. show of 18th-century French painting. She wanted to include Harvard’s famous 1750 portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV, by French painter François Boucher.“She asked to borrow one of our treasures, really one of our very, very best paintings,” said Edouard Kopp, the Maida and George Abrams Associate Curator of Drawings, who helped facilitate the request. Eager to fill the space that would be left by the loan, Kopp and colleagues considered works from the National Gallery that could match the Boucher in size and subject matter. “Young Woman Reading” fit both requirements.“We had this idea of asking for this magnificent painting by Fragonard,” said Kopp, “and to our delight they said yes.”The piece hangs near a number of Harvard-held paintings and drawings by the prolific French artist in a mini “thematic” installation inspired by the loan.“As a draftsman and as a painter you could say Fragonard is a very virtuosic artist,” said Kopp. “He’s not interested in the exact minute depiction of small details, but rather he has a witty, vigorous approach to drawing.” read more

View Comments Broadway.com editors are privileged to see all the Great White Way has to offer each year, and it’s no easy task to choose five favorites among the new musicals, glittering revivals and extraordinary plays. After mulling it over together, we present to you Broadway.com’s top five shows of 2016.5. American PsychoWith its brash ’80s vibe and slick and sick anti-hero, American Psycho was a love-it-or-hate-it venture, but we loved it! The short-lived musical is our number five pick because, thanks to the electro score by Duncan Sheik, inventive choreography by Lynne Page and stunning directorial vision of Rupert Goold, it was one of the true artistic triumphs on Broadway this year. And as chilling Wall Street serial killer Patrick Bateman, the dashing Benjamin Walker was bloody… and bloody brilliant!4. Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That FollowedLanding at number four is Shuffle Along, which tapped its way into our hearts early this year and closed far too soon. Director George C. Wolfe and choreographer Savion Glover reunited for the first time in 20 years and gifted us a thrilling musical that boasted enough star power and dynamic dancing to light up the whole city. A show about the true story of four artists who launched the first all-black romantic musical on Broadway that celebrated art, ambition and identity, Shuffle Along was tops.3. Dear Evan HansenAt three is Dear Evan Hansen, which will undoubtedly be a frontrunner at next year’s Tony Awards. After breaking audience’s hearts in DC and off-Broadway, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s new musical officially opened this December on the Great White Way. Directed by Michael Grief and led by Ben Platt as the titular troubled high schooler who goes viral, the tuner is a moving breath of fresh air. Our top tip if you’re heading to the Music Box Theatre? Bring tissues.2. The HumansNumber two is Stephen Karam’s quietly devastating play The Humans. The Tony-winning hit’s compassionate look at fears, frustrations and family hit home with audiences, and even made us laugh. It’s a gorgeous work featuring a remarkable ensemble of actors, including Reed Birney and Jayne Houdyshell, who were both honored with Tony Awards for their performances.1. FalsettosNothing unlikely about our love for Falsettos, the best show of 2016. William Finn and James Lapine’s heartbreaker about a gay man’s quest for family and acceptance in AIDS-ravaged New York City of the 1980s only gets better with age. For this revival, original director Lapine gave the show a fresh staging and gathered a dream cast of Broadway favorites. In a fall filled with terrible news on our Facebook feeds, Falsettos was the warm hug of a show we all so desperately needed. Clockwise from top left: “Dear Evan Hansen,” “American Psycho,” “Falsettos,” “Shuffle Along” and “The Humans.” read more

Governor Announces First Clean and Clear Water Plan GrantsMontpelier-Governor Jim Douglas was in St. Albans today to announcethe first $111,000 in grants for his Clean and Clean Action Plan andpresent a check for $11,000 to the Lake Champlain Committee for work toidentify which areas in the St. Albans Bay watershed should undergotreatments to reduce the amount of phosphorus reaching the lake.Douglas’ multi-year, multi-million dollar clean-up plan for the LakeChamplain Basin, and waterways throughout Vermont, received $500,000 incapital funds in the fiscal year 2005 budget to complete stream stabilityprojects. Douglas’ plan calls for this stream stability program to befunded for at least six years. “Our plan is about more than a preciousnatural resource; it is about more than our lakes, rivers and streams.It’s about our quality of life, and our way of life,” Douglas said.The goal of the grant program is to reduce the long-term sediment andnutrient loading to Lake Champlain from unstable or eroding streamchannels and flood plains by protecting, managing, and restoring streamsand stream corridors.Municipalities, local or regional governmental agencies, nonprofitorganizations, and citizens groups proposing projects located in the LakeChamplain Basin are eligible to receive River Corridor Grants.Individuals and state and federal agencies are not eligible to receivefunds directly, but may partner with an eligible project sponsor.Douglas’ plan-dubbed the Clean & Clear Water Action Plan-focuses onproviding leadership, financial resources and a sustained commitment toefforts designed to ensure that Vermont’s waterways meet high waterquality standards. The plan is a $130 million investment in improving andprotecting Vermont’s waterways, the most significant water qualityinitiative Vermont has ever undertaken.”After more than a decade of discussion about the need to improve andprotect waterways throughout Vermont, we can-and we must-and we are actingnow,” Douglas said.For more information on fluvial geomorphology which guides Vermont’sefforts on stream stabilization, please see www.vtwaterquality.org/rivers(link is external). read more

Will Genia is now playing for the Melbourne Rebels but his heart/homes are in Brisbane. Picture: AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy.AUSTRALIAN rugby star Will Genia may be playing for the Melbourne Rebels these days but his heart is still in Brisbane – or his hearth at least.The former Reds superstar has two houses in the Queensland capital, one of which he has owned for five years and the other which he and wife Vanessa just bought at the end of January.More from newsParks and wildlife the new lust-haves post coronavirus19 hours agoNoosa’s best beachfront penthouse is about to hit the market19 hours agoThe new purchase is a “charming, perfectly renovated cottage” according to its listing. with three bedrooms, airconditioning, fully secure yard and close to good schools in the Coorparoo area.The rental – which has been fetching him over $900 a week in rent since 2015 – is an executive home with multiple living spaces, a pool, entertainment deck, fully functional butler’s pantry and which was marketed as perfect for having mates over for a barbecue.The most recent rental price set in February was $915 a week.It’s unclear when the family plan to return to live in Brisbane, with Genia contracted to the Melbourne Rebels through to the end of the 2019 Super Rugby season. read more

Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayNext playlist itemMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 1:04Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -1:04 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality Levels720p720pHD432p432p288p288p180p180pAutoA, selectedAudio Tracken (Main), selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.PlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -0:00 Playback Rate1xFullscreenTips to keep ahead of the property market01:05 307/4 Grantala Street, Manoora. is available for $290 per weekMore from newsCairns home ticks popular internet search terms2 days agoTen auction results from ‘active’ weekend in Cairns2 days agoHouses in Parramatta Park rented for a median price of $445 and provided a 5.1 per cent rental yield.Two years ago the median asking rent was just $400.Other suburbs in the top five also provided returns of between 4.8 and 5.7 per cent this year.The statistics and results from a recent realestate.com.au survey bode well for property.In March, the website asked visitorsfor their thoughts on the property market, including current conditions and expectations for market activity throughout the rest of 2019.Despite a challenging landscape, 13 per cent were looking to suburbs they felt were previously out of reach; 12 per cent said they were encouraged to buy earlier than expected; 11 per cent were motivated to save harder for a deposit. Inner-city suburbs are proving popular with those renting propertyINNER Cairns suburbs are home to more renters than anywhere else in the city, despite the fact rental yields aren’t always the highest.Cairns North (66.8 per cent), Parramatta Park (63.4 per cent), Manoora (61.6 per cent), Westcourt (60.3 per cent) and Bungalow (59.9 per cent) came out on top as a rental hot spots, according to recent CoreLogic data.Bungalow has also been revealed as offering the best of both worlds with tenants in the semi-industrial suburb renting units for a median price of just $260 while investors in apartments there get a whopping 9 per cent return.Cairns North units rented for a median of $350 while owners reaped 7.7 per cent return, the lowest of the top five.But two years ago, Cairns North units were earning just $330 per week in rent.Investors would do well buying units in Manoora as well, which posted 8.9 per cent returns and median rent of $270, up $10 from 2017. Compared to December data, more buyers were encouraged to take action in the current market.“Consumer sentiment is definitely down compared to 18 months ago; we can’t deny that people are looking at property very differently and we know that the Reserve Bank identified consumer sentiment as an issue,” REA economist Nerida Conisbee said.“First home buyers are very happy, partly driven by the fact the market has calmed down, but they do take longer in their decision-making and tend to react better to a slower market.” read more

20 Views   no discussions Share Sharing is caring! Logo of the Florida Association of Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA). Photo credit: FacebookThe Dominica Organic Agriculture Movement Incorporated (DOAM) says in the next ten to fifteen years, Dominica will be ready to take on the organic agriculture sector.President of DOAM Olu Obonyo told the official opening of a series of workshops here this week, one of the pillars of sustainable development is agriculture.“We cannot talk about sustainable development without addressing organic agriculture. This will mean that farmers who are in traditional agriculture will have to move into organic agriculture,” he said.This announcement was made as the Dominica Organic Agriculture Movement Incorporation and the Florida Association of Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MOAF) hosts a Lecture and Workshop on Soil Management – Compost Technologies.He said several traditional farmers will form part of the workshop.“We are looking at a trend which will take ten to fifteen. Government has spoken about it and we need to do it in a very serious way,” he added.Dominica Vibes News Share Tweet News DOAM says Dominica will soon be ready to take on the organic farming sector by: – July 19, 2011 Share read more

On Tuesday, May 8, Franklin County travelled to Milan to take on the Indians in a non-conference match. For the second time this season, Franklin County gave up only two games total in all five varsity matches to their opponent.Franklin County is now 17-0 on the season and will travel to Greensburg on Thursday, May 10, to compete in the first round of the EIAC conference tournament.Scores#1 Singles Lilli Stewart (FC) beat Margo Taylor (M) 6-0, 6-0#2 Singles Megan Routh (FC) beat Megan Burger (M) 6-0, 6-0#3 Singles Lauren Klei (FC) beat Delaney Bushhorn (M) 6-0, 6-0#1 Doubles Grace Moster and Katarina Sacksteder (FC) beat Tori Haessig and Abby Riehle (M) 6-0, 6-0#2 Doubles Maggie Brack and Taylor McCreary (FC) beat Tulsi Patel and DeLaine Weber (M) 6-2, 6-0Courtesy of Wildcats Coach Braydon Ertel. read more

Andre Santos’ move from Arsenal to Gremio gathered pace on Sunday as the defender was photographed arriving in Brazil ahead of a proposed move back to South America. While there has not yet been any official comment from Arsenal, a picture of Santos arriving in his homeland, where he last played for Corinthians in 2008/2009, greeted by cheering fans was posted on Twitter. Meanwhile, Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski put a post on his official Twitter account which read: “@Andre_santos27 We will miss you man, I wish u all the very best #Gunner God bless you”. Santos made 26 appearances for Arsenal, scoring four goals. It remains to be confirmed whether the transfer will be permanent or a loan deal. Press Association Santos, 29, was signed from Fenerbahce for £6.8million in August 2011. However, the Brazil international has fallen down the pecking order at Emirates Stadium behind England left-back Kieran Gibbs, and following the deadline day arrival of Spaniard Nacho Monreal is now surplus to requirements. read more

Press Association Fabian Delph has branded Aston Villa team-mate Christian Benteke “a natural monster” who should have been named PFA Young Player of the Year on Sunday. The Belgium striker has now scored 22 goals this season and 18 in the Barclays Premier League after his hat-trick against Sunderland on Monday night, eclipsing the 17 Dwight Yorke scored on two occasions. “Christian is a natural monster,” said midfielder Delph. “He doesn’t do any upper body work whatsoever. He works on his core strength and his legs but that is it.” He added: “When he first came I asked him whether he ate raw meat. John Carew was very similar but Christian is 22. “Some defenders try to rough him up but everyone who has tried it has failed.” Monday night’s contribution was classic in the sense of his opener being a poacher’s effort, nodding home the rebound after Simon Mignolet had failed to hold Gabriel Agbonlahor’s stinging shot. Then he climbed high to power home a far post header before beating Mignolet at his near post with a low strike after surging into the box. “When I saw him jump for the second goal I thought ‘he has wings’,” said Delph. “I wasn’t sure if he had actually headed the crossbar. If he did I feel sorry for the crossbar. The number of goals he has scored doesn’t surprise me. “We have three games to go and I could put a bet on him to score at least another three or four. He has dragged us through so many games. I was quite surprised he didn’t get young player of the season. Obviously he is my pal and I am a bit biased towards him. But even from the outside, you would have thought he would be up there.” read more

The 18-year-old arrives at Craven Cottage on a free transfer and will be part of the Fulham development squad that will compete in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League. Plumain represented France at Under-16 level and he made 22 appearances for Lens in the French second division last season, scoring one goal. Fulham have signed French midfielder Ange-Freddy Plumain from Lens. He has signed a contract until June 30, 2016, with the option of extending the deal for another year. Fulham manager Martin Jol has so far strengthened his first-team squad with the signings of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from Roma, Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng and Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta. Press Association read more