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'Review'. Oil on canvas painting by Shirataki Ikunosuke (1873-1960), 1903.<br/><br/> Shirataki Ikunosuke (17 March 1873 - 25 November 1960) was a Japanese yōga (Western-style) painter from Tajima Province. He was a member of the Hakuba-kai (White Horse Society) artists' association, and travelled across Europe and the USA from 1904 to 1910.
Utagawa Yoshitora (active 1850-1880) was a Japanese <i>ukiyo-e</i> artist and book illustrator. Though both his date of birth and death are unknown, what is known is that Yoshitora was born in Edo and that he eventually became Utagawa Kuniyoshi's oldest pupil.<br/><br/> Yoshitora soon showed excellence in his prints of <i>bijinga (beautiful women), <i>kabuki</i> actors and warriors, producing over 60 print series and illustrating more than 100 books. He was imprisoned and manacled for forty days by censors who interpreted one of his prints as a criticism of authority, which resulted in his expulsion from Kuniyoshi's studio, though he still continued to illustrate prolifically.<br/><br/> From the 1860s onwards, Yoshitora began to produce <i>Yokohama-e</i> prints of foreigners after Japan's rapid modernisations and opening up. He would collaborate on many landscape series and began working in newspapers in the Meiji Period. His last known work appeared in 1882.
Shigeru Aoki (1882-1911) was a Japanese painter famed for his combining of Japanese mythology and legends with the Western-style art movement that could be found in some late 19th and early 20th century Japanese paintings.<br/><br/> Aoki was born into an ex-samurai household in northern Kyushu. He left his home in 1899 to pursue artistic studies in Tokyo, and soon began to accumulate critical acclaim for his artwork and its use of Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood techniques mixed with Kojiki themes. He died in March 1911 from tuberculosis, aged only 28.
The Jade Emperor is one of the most important deities in traditional Chinese culture and religion and in Taoism. The Jade Emperor, known by many other names such as Heavenly Grandfather, Heavenly Duke, Jade Lord of of the Highest Emperor and Great Emperor of Jade, is considered the ruler of heaven and a manifestation of the first god.<br/><br/> In Taoist theology, he was originally known as Yuhuang, and was assistant to the first supreme administrator of Heaven, Yuanshi Tianzun. He took over after Yuanshi Tianzun stepped down, becoming overseer of both Heaven and Earth. In other origin stories, he was originally the crown prince of the kingdom of Pure Felicity and Majestic Heavenly Lights and Ornaments, and was kind and intelligent even in his youth. He was said to be benevolent and respectful to both men and creatures, and made sure everyone in the kingdom found peace and contentment after he ascended to the throne. He eventually left to cultivate Tao, and became Jade Emperor after over one hundred million years of cultivation and meditation.<br/><br/> The Jade Emperor plays important roles in various Chinese folk tales and stories such as 'Journey to the West', and he is still worshipped in Taoist temples. Temples to the Jade Emperor can be found across China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with celebrations on his 'birthday' every ninth day of the first lunar month.
Born Servius Sulpicius Galba, Galba came from a noble and wealthy family, though he had no connection by birth and only a very remote connection by adoption to any of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Refusing encouragement by friends to make a bid for the empire after Caligula's assassination, Galba loyally served Claudius, and lived for most of Nero's reign in retirement.<br/><br/> However, in 68 CE, he was informed of Nero's intention to have him killed, and he defected from Nero to save himself. After Nero's suicide, Galba was named Caesar and killed many soldiers upon his approach to Rome for making demands of him.<br/><br/> Galba's reign lasted little more than seven months, his cruelty and sentencing of many to death without trial turning the people and especially the military and Praetorian guard against him. Many legions refused to swear loyalty and rebelled against Galba, and Galba was assassinated while riding out to confront them. His reign began what would be known as the tumultuous Year of the Four Emperors.
Born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, Nero was the only son of Agrippina the Younger, who would later marry his great-uncle Emperor Claudius. Claudius adopted Nero and was made heir and successor alongside Claudius' own son Brittanicus. Nero acceded to the throne after Claudius' death in 54 CE, possibly poisoned at the hands of Nero's mother.<br/><br/> Nero's reign is infamous for his corruption, tyranny and extravagance, as well as his many executions, including that of his mother and the poisoning of his stepbrother Britannicus soon after the start of his rule. His most infamous mark on history however, is his presumed starting of the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE, which caused widespread destruction and was intentionally done to clear space for Nero's planned palatial complex, the Domus Aurea.<br/><br/> In 68 CE, Nero was driven from the throne by rebellion, and he committed suicide that same year. With his death came the the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, leading to the tumultuous period known as the Year of the Four Emperors.
Cleopatra VII Philopator (69 – August 12, 30 BCE), known to history simply as Cleopatra, was the last active pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, shortly survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion. After her reign, Egypt became a province of the then-recently established Roman Empire.<br/><br/> Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Macedonian Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great's death during the Hellenistic period. The Ptolemies, throughout their dynasty, spoke Greek and refused to speak Egyptian, which is the reason that Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents such as the Rosetta Stone. By contrast, Cleopatra did learn to speak Egyptian and represented herself as the reincarnation of an Egyptian goddess, Isis.<br/><br/> Cleopatra originally ruled jointly with her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes, and later with her brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she married according to Egyptian custom, but eventually she became sole ruler. As pharaoh she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne. She later elevated her son with Caesar, Caesarion, to co-ruler in name.<br/><br/> After Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE, she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesar's legal heir, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (later known as Augustus). With Antony, she bore the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios, and another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus. After losing the Battle of Actium to Octavian's forces, Antony committed suicide. Cleopatra followed suit. According to tradition, she killed herself by means of an asp bite on August 12, 30 BCE. She was outlived by Caesarion, who was declared pharaoh by his supporters, but soon killed on Octavian's orders. Egypt then became the Roman province of Aegyptus.
Guanyin, short for Guanshiyin, is a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism often associated with compassion and mercy. While she is often portrayed as a woman, she is beyond gender and can be depicted as both male and female.<br/><br/> Guanyin is often referred to as the 'most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity', due to her miraculous powers and her loving compassion. She is not only worshipped in Buddhism, but also in Taoism and Chinese folk religion, with various stories and legends about her. Guanyin plays a very important role in the classic Chinese novel 'Journey to the West.'<br/><br/> She is known by various names in different nations, with the Japanese calling her Kannon/Kwannon, or more formally Kanzeon, while in Thailand she is called Kuan Im. She is extremely popular, with temples dedicated to her found throughout South and East Asia, especially in China and Chinese folk religion.
Pierre Bonirote (1811-1891) was a French painter from Lyon. From 1852, he was a professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon.<br/><br/> Francois Felix Roubard (1824 - 1876) was a French sculptor born in Lyon.
Liu Bei (161 – 21 June 223 CE) was a warlord, military general and later as Emperor Zhaolie the founder of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Despite having a later start than his rivals and lacking both the material resources and social status they commanded, Liu overcame his many defeats to carve out his own realm, which at its peak spanned modern day Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, part of Hubei and part of Gansu.<br/><br/> Yan Liben (Wade–Giles: Yen Li-pen, c. 600-673), formally Baron Wenzhen of Boling, was a Chinese painter and government official of the early Tang Dynasty. His notable works include the Thirteen Emperors Scroll and Northern Qi Scholars Collating Classic Texts. He also painted the Portraits at Lingyan Pavilion, under Emperor Taizong of Tang, commissioned in 643 to commemorate 24 of the greatest contributors to Emperor Taizong's reign, as well as 18 portraits commemorating the 18 great scholars who served Emperor Taizong when he was the Prince of Qin. Yan's paintings included painted portraits of various Chinese emperors from the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) up until the Sui Dynasty (581-618) period.