Glorious peony Sarah Bernhardt just in full and complicated bloom. Brief moment of joy in a world gone mad.

Bright purple Tansy field in Cambridgeshire — beautiful but inedible. It appears to be cultivated— what is it used for?

Felt intimidated this morning in the car park of a local nature reserve by group of men with many flags preparing for some kind of march into Cambridge. Slight problem for them that they started the march by walking into the bushes and having to backtrack… they lowered the flags then….

Cambridge Station today….

Ooh yes please, could do with some spare ones.

Another 17c painting by a woman. Clara Peeters does the usual still life thing. But she does not (I think) fall for the rather dismal vanitas trope…Instead she herself appears reflected on surfaces of shiny objects (here in the lid of the jug). How to get seen (and heard).

Following @jowolff.bsky.social ‘s example to post some art, for cheer and hope, this painting, with its wonderful clear gaze, was attributed to Guido Reni until it was discovered that it was actually painted by a woman, Ginevra Cantofoli. In the Doria Pamphili gallery in Rome.

Thank you! Will this do???

Thank you … perhaps this will get me in anyway?