The girl (not) from next door and her refound fiancé

Some time ago, I came on social media across the painting of a woman.  The information said that this was a portrait of Elisabeth Bellinghausen.  However, it was Elisabeth’s surname which had me intrigued.

The village next to the one where I grew up is called Bellinghausen.  Bellinghausen is also a frequent surname in the area.  Naturally, I wondered whether this lady had anything to do with “our” Bellinghausen, given that it is only approx. 35 km to the south-east of Cologne. On a clear day, you can see Cologne Cathedral in the distance. So it is not that far-fetched to think that someone from the village of Bellinghausen had moved to Cologne, where the family would become very influential.

I had wanted to find out more about her for quite some time. And then the other day, there were some more exciting news about her portrait.

Welcome to Bad Godesberg

‘Encounter‘ by Eva de Maizière

Eva de Maizière, ‘Encounter’, 1978

This post has nothing to do with history but concerns an artwork which speaks to me.  I would like to introduce you to a sculpture in Bad Godesberg, a southern suburb of Bonn.  Often remembered for its abundance of embassies during the time when Bonn was the capital of West Germany.  The “Bad” (spa) refers to its older history as a place with a spring with health benefits.

The Greats at the Art Gallery of NSW

The Greats at the Art Gallery of NSW – Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland

At present, the Art Gallery of NSW is showing ‘The Greats‘, an exhibition of masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland.  As the exhibition closes on 14 February, we decided that now was the time to go and see it.  After all,  it is a lot easier to go into Sydney than going all the way to Edinburgh.  The works are from three galleries in the Scottish capital:  The Scottish National Gallery, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.