A Thing of Beauty - Part 140

R.a.n.t. of week 06/08/14

I''m going to take a blog hiatus for a while. However, blog contributor Charles Winthrop has agreed to guest blog for the month. The following is part of one of his longest running series. I thought it would be interesting and he has agreed to share it here. I hope you enjoy it.

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It's truly amazing what some people discard and treat as garbage, when in actuality what they have is a prized possession, something of great beauty and value. I was reading this morning of a women who went to a rubbish sale (flea market) and procured a box of various items for only seven dollars. One report suggests a Paul Bunyan mini statue was in the box which is what caught her eye. (A clear indication of the typical junk found there). Going over the items, the painting barely caught her eye. The frame was of interest to her, but the actual object of the frame was not, much like the previous owner. On a gut feeling, she decided to have the painting appraised. Turns out, what she thought was worthless or unimportant, was a lost painting from Frenchman Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919). An auction was established with hopes of raising as much as $75,000. Certainly, this painting was worth far more than originally thought. And someone just threw it away? There are countless tales in the art world of works of art turning up in the oddest places, usually in attics, basements, or behind paintings of less value. So what about us? Is there a true objet d'art in your life? And how do you treat it? Would you devalue it? Damage it? Throw it in the garbage? Certainly not. It doesn't matter if it's a painting hanging on the wall, an antique piece of furniture or even a person. How we treat our valuable possessions is certainly an indication of who we truly are on the inside. How sad it is some people are miserable, horrible people on the inside, who feel the need to damage, destroy or devalue things of beauty.

This excerpt from the online publication - 'Art Beautiful',
used with permission.

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Charles Winthrop is a Washington
state writer & D.J. His interests
include music (both modern and
classical) and is a fine art connoisseur.
His articles have appeared in various
magazines including, 'Art Beautiful',
'Music of the Renaissance', and 'The Walla Walla Whistler'.


♫ Like a beautiful smile
 That fills I know why
 Such a beauty won't die
 It's eternity's mile 
 That we walk all this while ♪

Bonus Photo - Les Deux Sœurs