Comics Nerd, Book Worm, Cynical Idealist, Mad Historian in Training (WWI and its place in the pop cultures of the major combatants, specifically), Feminist, Whovian, typo-prone, Grrl Dandy, incurable pottymouth, internet-ruining asexual heathen, so-called "Dirty Commy Basturd," and Neurasthenic Farceur. My aim is to study 1900-1950 in Europe and make comics about it, and my general policy is to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. I also greatly enjoy tea.
undercoverterrorist | xyrophile | lauriejuspeczyk:
Ivan the Terrible and his Son Ivan, 1885
Ugh, I love this painting so much.
Just some background stuff, Ivan the Terrible was the Tsar of Russia for most of the 16th Century. In I think 1581, he caught his daughter-in-law wearing ‘immodest clothing in front of everyone’ and struck her. She was apparently pregnant and she may or may not have had a miscarriage because of it.
Ivan’s son and the girl’s husband, also named Ivan after his father, hears about it and gets into a really heated argument with his father that ends with Ivan the Terrible taking a swing at his son with his pointed staff. It’s said that he immediately fell down and kissed his son’s face, pressing his hands against his left temple to try to stop the bleeding. He famously screamed “May I be damned! I’ve killed my son! I’ve killed my son!” His son briefly regained consciousness and his last words were “I die as a devoted son and most humble servant.”
I love all the details. I love the pointed staff lying on the ground and the signs of a fight with the tossed over chair, disturbed carpet, and the door wide open. I love the single tear on Ivan’s face and their position on the floor. This is a really gorgeous but raw depiction of one of the darkest moments in an incredible man’s life. I wish there were more historical paintings like this.One of my absolute favorite pieces of art, ever. It’s by Ilya Repin, by the way.
Everybody shut up and look at how amazing this is.
Francisco de Goya - Saturn Devouring His Son
This could be a scene from an incredibly awesome video game.
How to Interpret Blood Spatters
1) Angular - If the victim was on the move, drops hit at an angle. The more oblique the impact, the longer the drop’s tail. The head points in the direction the person was traveling.
2) High Velocity - Misty, diffuse spatter is created by external force greater than 100 feet per second — which usually means a gunshot, an explosion, or (seriously) a sneeze.
3) Hair Impact - A traumatic impact between head and surface tends to leave a stain with feathered edges, like someone squished a loaded paintbrush against the wall.
4) Hair Swipe - If the smear fades out in one direction, the head was likely bloody before contact. The lightest edge of the swipe points in the direction the head was traveling.
5) Fabric Swipe - More fluid than hair swipes, these stains sometimes display the imprint of the bloodied clothing. T-shirt weaves are often the easiest patterns to decipher.
Oh man this is good
Layers of the human hand.
Principles of Anatomy, as Shown in the Hand. Frederic James Wood, 1920.
