Tamara Karsavina: The Elegant Muse of the Ballets Russes

Tamara Karsavina (1885–1978) was one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century and a legendary figure in the history of ballet. A principal dancer with the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg and a star of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, she captivated audiences with her extraordinary grace, dramatic intensity, and remarkable intelligence.

Renowned for her groundbreaking interpretations of roles such as Giselle, The Firebird, and Spectre de la Rose, Karsavina brought a new level of emotional depth and artistic sophistication to ballet. After leaving Russia following the Revolution, she settled in England, where she became a respected teacher and writer, greatly influencing the development of British ballet. Her elegance, artistry, and pioneering spirit continue to inspire dancers and ballet lovers worldwide.

These vintage portraits capture the extraordinary grace, poise, and magnetic presence of Tamara Karsavina, one of the most celebrated and influential ballerinas of the 20th century.

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Before the Sex Pistols, Here Are Some Rarely Seen Photographs of John Simon Ritchie aka Sid Vicious in the 1970s

Before joining the Sex Pistols in 1977, John Simon Ritchie (who also used the name John Beverley) was a fixture in London’s early punk scene, known more for his attitude and “look” than his musical ability.

Born in 1957, Ritchie grew up in a poverty-stricken and unstable environment. In 1973, while studying at Hackney Technical College, he met John Lydon (later Johnny Rotten). They formed a group of friends known as The Four Johns, which also included John Wardle (Jah Wobble) and John Grey. During this time, they spent their days squatting in London and hanging out at Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s clothing store, SEX.

His famous stage name was actually an ironic joke from John Lydon. Lydon had a pet hamster named Sid (after Syd Barrett), which bit Ritchie’s finger. Ritchie reportedly yelled, “Sid is really vicious!” and the name stuck.

Despite having very little experience with instruments, Sid was active in the budding punk community. He played in short-lived early punk bands like The Flowers of Romance and briefly drummed for Siouxsie and the Banshees (at their very first gig). He reportedly auditioned to be the lead singer for The Damned but failed to get the part after not showing up for the audition.

Even before he had a bass guitar, Sid was known for his volatility. He is credited with inventing the pogo dance, not as a dance move, but as a way to see over the crowd and knock into people he didn’t like. His reputation was sealed when he reportedly threw a glass at a pillar during a Damned show, resulting in a bystander losing an eye, which led to his brief incarceration and solidified his “vicious” persona.

When original bassist Glen Matlock left the Sex Pistols in early 1977, Lydon pushed for Sid to join. Despite the fact that Sid couldn’t play the bass, McLaren saw him as the “ultimate fan” and the perfect visual representation of the punk spirit. He was recruited more for his look and attitude than for his rhythmic precision.

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35 Vintage Portraits of Virginia McKenna on the Set ‘Born Free’ (1966)

In 1966, British actress Virginia McKenna captivated audiences both on and off screen during the filming of the beloved classic Born Free. These intimate portraits capture the actress at her most radiant, showcasing her natural beauty, warmth, and deep connection with the lions she helped raise.

Shot on location in Kenya, the images reflect McKenna’s graceful presence amid the rugged African landscape, embodying the spirit of freedom, compassion, and adventure that defined the film. More than just behind-the-scenes photographs, these portraits offer a rare and touching glimpse into one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of the 1960s.

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32 Wonderful Photos From the Set of “Running on Empty” (1988)

Running on Empty is a 1988 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Naomi Foner. The story follows the Pope family, a couple who have been living as fugitives from the FBI since the late 1960s after they bombed a weapons lab (a napalm factory) in protest against the Vietnam War, an act that accidentally injured a janitor. They’ve been on the run for nearly two decades, constantly changing identities and moving towns with their two sons.

The film centers on the eldest son, Danny Pope (River Phoenix), a talented pianist and high school senior who is torn between loyalty to his family and his desire for a normal life, including pursuing music studies at Juilliard and a relationship with his music teacher’s daughter (Martha Plimpton). It explores themes of family, sacrifice, coming of age, and the long-term consequences of radical activism.

The film received critical acclaim for its performances (especially Phoenix and Christine Lahti), emotional depth, and Lumet’s direction. River Phoenix earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and Naomi Foner was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. It also received multiple Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Screenplay.

Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars and called it “one of the best films of the year.” In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote, “The courtship between Danny and Lorna is staged especially disarmingly, with Mr. Phoenix and Miss Plimpton conveying a sweet, serious and believably gradual attraction.” Newsweek magazine’s David Ansen wrote, “A curious mix of soap opera and social history, Lumet’s film shouldn't work, yet its fusion of oddly matched parts proves emotionally overpowering. You have to be pretty tough to resist it.”

Running on Empty was released on September 9, 1988, in 22 theaters, where it grossed $215,157 on its opening weekend. It went on to make $2,835,116 in North America.

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Studio Portraits of Glenda Jackson, ca. 1965

Glenda Jackson (May 9, 1936 – June 15, 2023) was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in the mid-1960s, during a formative period that helped establish her as a powerful, intense stage actress before her major film breakthroughs.

She joined the RSC around 1963–1964 (sources vary slightly on the exact start year, but it was for a four-year period) after an earlier unsuccessful audition and periods of repertory work and odd jobs. She was initially recruited for director Peter Brook’s experimental Theatre of Cruelty season, influenced by Antonin Artaud.

Jackson played Charlotte Corday, an asylum inmate portraying the assassin of Jean-Paul Marat, in Marat/Sade (1965–1965). This was her major breakthrough role. The production was highly controversial and innovative, blending theater with elements of cruelty and improvisation. It transferred to Broadway (her debut there) in 1965 and was filmed in 1967, bringing her international attention.

While her experimental work made headlines, Jackson also tackled traditional texts with a modernist, unsentimental edge. She played Ophelia in Hamlet (1965), opposite David Warner as Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon (later transferring to the Aldwych Theatre in London). Critics praised her fierce, strong interpretation; Penelope Gilliatt noted she was “the only Ophelia she had seen who was ready to play the Prince himself.”

She starred in this controversial protest play against the Vietnam War in US (1966), which utilized avant-garde techniques to challenge British complicity in the conflict.

Her RSC work emphasized raw intensity, intellectual sharpness, and physical commitment, suiting the era’s experimental and politically charged theater. She left the company around 1967–1968 as her film career accelerated (e.g., Women in Love in 1969, for which she won her first Oscar). She later returned to the RSC for roles like Hedda Gabler (1975) and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (1978–1979).

Jackson’s time with the RSC in the 1960s was pivotal, showcasing her commanding presence in ensemble and experimental work alongside directors like Brook and Hall. It bridged her early repertory days and her status as a major star. Here are some stunning studio portraits of Glenda Jackson taken by John Hedgecoe in 1965 while she was working with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

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Élisabeth Sonrel: Ethereal Beauty and Art Nouveau Elegance

Élisabeth Sonrel (1874–1953) was a talented French painter and illustrator best known for her elegant Art Nouveau works. Born in Tours and trained initially by her father, she later studied under Jules Lefebvre in Paris. Her distinctive style blended Pre-Raphaelite beauty with Symbolist and mystical elements, often featuring idealized women with flowing hair, delicate features, and ethereal expressions.

Deeply influenced by the Renaissance masters, particularly Botticelli, after a trip to Italy, Sonrel created large, luminous watercolors filled with allegorical, mythological, and romantic themes. Though she also produced portraits and landscapes, her dreamlike portraits of graceful young women remain her most iconic contribution to the Art Nouveau movement.

Enjoy this beautiful collection of Élisabeth Sonrel’s works, where delicate watercolor, luminous color, and ethereal grace come together to define one of the most enchanting voices of the Art Nouveau movement.

A Sewing Girl

A Springtime Recital

A Young Woman

An Afternoon in the Garden

An Evening in May

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Prado Mona Lisa: The Twin Revealed

The Prado’s Mona Lisa is a painting by the workshop of Leonardo da Vinci and depicts the same subject and composition as Leonardo’s better known Mona Lisa at the Louvre, Paris. The Prado Mona Lisa has been in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain since 1819, but was considered for decades a relatively unimportant copy. Following its restoration in 2012, however, the Prado’s Mona Lisa has come to be understood as the earliest known studio copy of Leonardo’s masterpiece.

The Prado Mona Lisa was created around 1503–1516 (more precisely often dated 1507–1516) in Leonardo’s workshop, likely simultaneously with the original. It was painted on a walnut panel (common in the period) by an unknown pupil or assistant working alongside Leonardo. Possible candidates include apprentices like Francesco Melzi or Salaì (Gian Giacomo Caprotti), though the exact artist remains unidentified. Leonardo likely supervised or authorized it.

The painting entered the Prado collection in 1819 (from the Spanish royal collection) but was long dismissed as a later, less important copy. It had a dull black overpainted background (added in the 18th century), brighter but flatter colors, and lacked the subtle sfumato of the original.

The Mona Lisa by an apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci.

During preparations for a Louvre exhibition, Prado conservators examined the painting with infrared reflectography, radiography, and other techniques. They discovered under the black background lay a detailed Tuscan rocky landscape nearly identical to the Louvre version.

The underdrawing (preliminary sketch) matched the original, including the same pentimenti (artist’s changes/corrections) to hands, eyes, face contours, etc. This strongly indicates the two were painted in parallel in the same studio. Restoration removed the overpaint, revealing vibrant colors, visible eyebrows, and sharper details that the Louvre Mona Lisa has lost over time due to aging, varnishing, and cleaning.

The restored Prado version is often described as showing how Leonardo’s Mona Lisa likely looked when freshly painted—brighter, with more contrast and detail—making it a valuable “time capsule” for understanding the original.

The Prado’s Mona Lisa before its restoration, with the black repaint of the landscape background.

Near-identical composition, pose, size proportions, and landscape. Both share the same creative evolution in underdrawings. The Prado copy lacks Leonardo’s masterful sfumato (softer blending), has slightly different perspective/angle on the background (as if painted from a nearby spot), more vivid colors, and better-preserved details like eyebrows. The original has deeper atmospheric depth and Leonardo’s unique touch.

This is not just “another copy” among dozens from the 16th–17th centuries. Its contemporaneous creation makes it uniquely valuable for art history, shedding light on Leonardo’s teaching methods, workshop collaboration, and the evolution of his masterpiece. It has been featured in exhibitions alongside the original and continues to draw interest for how it lets us “see” the Mona Lisa more as Leonardo’s contemporaries did.

While the Louvre painting is the singular original by Leonardo’s hand, the Prado version is its closest historical companion, painted in the same room, under the master’s eye, and now restored to reveal lost details of one of art’s greatest icons.