February 27, On This Day
From the Dutch Golden Age
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Dutch painter Carel Fabritius was born on this day in 1622. A pupil of Rembrandt, this Dutch Golden Age artist developed a style unique from the master. Some of his most famous works include A View of Delft (1652), The Goldfinch (1654), and The Sentry (1654). Interestingly, The Goldfinch — a trompe-l’œil oil on panel depicting a life-size chained goldfinch — plays a central role in the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and its film adaptation.
Carnival of colour
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In 1827, on February 27, New Orleans held its first Mardi Gras celebration. Celebrated across the United States, it is a moment to let go before the more-somber occasion of Ash Wednesday. It nearly always involves the use of masks and costumes by participants, especially in purple, green, and gold. The use of flamboyant feathers, capes, headdresses, jewellery, and Venetian masks is prominent, and this festival finds itself extremely popular among depictions in art, photography, cinema and literature.
