Mar 062024
 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (born near Durham, England, 1806; died Florence, Italy, June 29, 1861) was a poet. One of her most famous works is Sonnets from the Portuguese. She was married to Robert Browning, also a famous poet. One of her most famous lines is “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Children can read her works at: Project Gutenberg.

L. Gordon Cooper

L. Gordon Cooper

L. Gordon Cooper (born Shawnee, Oklahoma, 1927; died Ventura, California, October 4, 2004) was an astronaut. One of the original seven astronauts, he was launched into space on the last Mercury mission. He logged more hours in space than the other six astronauts combined. He was the first astronaut to sleep in space (the mission was 34 hours long). He also flew on the Gemini 5 mission with Pete Conrad. They were in space for eight days and circled the earth 120 times. Children could learn more at: L. Gordon Cooper.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez (born Aracataca, Colombia, 1927; died Mexico City, Mexico, April 17, 2014) was a writer. His books include One Hundred Years of Solitude and Living to Tell the Tale. He received the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Anna Claypoole Peale (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1791; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1878) was an artist. She was a part of the famous Peale family of artists, and she specialized in painting miniatures and still life works. Her miniature portraits were much in demand; she painted about 200 of them. Children can see several of her works at: Anna Claypoole Peale.

Chris Raschka (born Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, 1959) writes and illustrates books for children. His book Yo! Yes? received a 1994 Caldecott Honor Award. His Hello, Goodbye Window received the 2006 Caldecott Medal, and A Ball for Daisy earned him the 2012 Caldecott Medal.

Pieta by Michelangelo

Michelangelo (born Caprese, Italy, 1475; died Rome, Italy, February 18, 1564) was an artist, an architect, and a poet. Among his accomplishments are the painting of the Sistine Chapel, the sculpture Pieta, and the sculpture David. Children could visit a website at: Michelangelo. They could also read Diane Stanley’s book Michelangelo. Finally, they could learn about the rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

May 212024
 

Michelangelo’s Pieta

Michelangelo’s Pietá was damaged in 1972 in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City when Lazlo Toth, a geologist, attacked the sculpture. Using a hammer, Toth shattered Mary’s left arm, her nose, her left eye, and her veil. The damage was repaired. Michelangelo had completed the sculpture around 1498 to 1499, and it is the only sculpture that bears his signature.