Nothing marks the true onset of summer like a dip in the
pool even better if it s one that’s part of a historic castle, villa, mansion, or the like. And, even if you have to travel far and wide to find a
pool to cool off in, it’s well worth it if that means escaping the dreadful summer heat. Naturally, with temperatures rising in lead up to the official start of summer next month, it’s the perfect time to take a look at our list of the best
pools to visit at historic houses across the country, including ones at the Versace Mansion, Old Westbury Gardens, the Getty Villa, and more. Don t forget the sunscreen!
A Fertility Idol of Questionable Authenticity
Dumbarton Oaks is a historic estate in Washington, D.C. which has an unusual artifact among its impressive collection of Byzantine and pre-Columbian objects – a fertility idol known as the Birthing Figure. The idol is about 20 cm (8 inches) tall and carved out of scapolite. Some say it’s a representation of Tlazolteotl, an Aztec deity associated with purification, but the authenticity of the artifact is a source of controversy.
Originally, the sculpture was said to be of Aztec origin and made circa 900–1521. However, the first mention of the idol appears in 1899, when Ernest-Théodore Hamy reported seeing it in an antique store in Paris. It was purchased by a French collector and eventually ended up in the collection of Robert Woods Bliss, the founder of Dumbarton Oaks, in 1947.
Thomas B F Cummins Appointed Director of Dumbarton Oaks | News thecrimson.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thecrimson.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Baritone Christian Gerhaher, admired by audiences for his powerful expression and moving voice, sings of the heavenly lightness of love, and the pain of its loss, in Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été.
A completely different scene from those mysterious and melancholy summer nights is conjured in Summer Pastorale by the Franco-Swiss composer Arthur Honegger. This short work of 1920 captivates with tranquil impressions of nature and warm orchestral colours.
The concert with French conductor Stéphane Denève finishes with a masterpiece from Stravinsky’s neo-classical period: Dumbarton Oaks, a concerto in E-flat named after the residence of the patron who commissioned it (near Washington, DC). It’s an ingenious jeu d’esprit that plays with stylistic, formal and development patterns from music history, using a wealth of combinations and overlaps that go far beyond the simple joys of quotation.