Quote - It's possible that meeting a genuine, postcode-Paradise angel would be a bit of a jolt to the system, but it would have nothing to do with the angel's perfection.   As imperfect creatures, we self-evidently aren't capable of identifying perfection.   We may think we can and we may even be right, but we can't possibly be sure.   Artists may like to aim at their own idea of what constitutes perfection, but artists' admirers also have a disconcerting tendency to ascribe perfection to their heroes.   Fans of Mozart are given to making daft claims about the "perfection" of his music.   My response is:  "How do you know?"

Taken from Daniel chapter 10 (emphasis mine):

10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by
the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; 10:5 Then I lifted up
mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen,
whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 10:6 His body also
was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and
his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to
polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a
multitude.

10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me
saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they
fled to hide themselves.

10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there
remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into
corruption, and I retained no strength.

10:9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of
his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward
the ground.

10:10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and
upon the palms of my hands.

10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand
the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am
I now sent.

And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day
that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself
before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and
twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help
me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

10:14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy
people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

10:15 And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward
the ground, and I became dumb.

10:16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched
my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that
stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon
me, and I have retained no strength.

10:17 For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord?
for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither
is there breath left in me.

.......food for thought.  It makes me think.

  

Quote - There was a commission, back in the Eighties,  that studied every painting in the world attributed to Rembrandt and eliminated more than half (I think - my memory is imperfect) as not being genuinely the work of the artist .   Often, they had identified a fault in the draughtmanship and reasoned that a painting with a conspicuous defect could not be by Rembrandt - about as circular an argument as you could find.  Ironically, I don't think that Rembrandt ever attempted to create perfect beauty.   Although he experimented widely with his technique, beauty for beauty's sake doesn't seem to have been his aim.   Just as well, because some of the folks he painted could have scared horses at a hundred paces.

 

Da Vinci also did extensive visual studies of human deformities, recorded in his journals.

Something To Do At 3:00AM