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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

The copy of the Last Supper held at the Royal Academy of Arts is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci's pupils Giampietrino and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio.

See ‘The Last Supper’ in a New High-Resolution Scan Online

Based on a copy made by Leonardo da Vinci’s pupils, the image will be useful to scholars and the public alike

Written in ornate cursive by a general’s aide and signed by Maj. F.W. Emery on behalf of Granger, “General Orders No. 3” had long been hidden in a book of formal orders housed at the archives.

Cool Finds

National Archives Locates Handwritten Juneteenth Order

On June 19, 1865, the decree informed the people of Texas that enslaved individuals were now free

Quaker Oats announced this week that it will retire the Aunt Jemima name and logo. "We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype," said a spokesperson in a statement.

Quaker Oats to Retire Aunt Jemima After Acknowledging Brand’s Origins as ‘Racial Stereotype’

The breakfast line’s rebranding arrives amid widespread protests against systemic racism and police brutality

John Everett Millais, The Bridesmaid, 1851

Covid-19

U.K. Museum Reimagines Classic Art With Face Masks

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge has released greeting cards of six paintings adapted for this “most unusual year”

A fisherman happened upon a statue depicting the Virgin Mary and child in a river near Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Cool Finds

Fisherman Finds Suspected Medieval Statue in Spanish Riverbed

Researchers think the religious icon, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus, is about 700 years old

A display in Paris' Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, which houses hundreds of thousands of artifacts from non-European cultures

Activists Try to Remove African Artifact From Paris Museum

Protesters demanding the repatriation of looted objects seized a funeral pole on view at the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor's “Ocean Siren” changes color according to the average daily water temperatures measured at Davies Reef on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Recently, marine heatwaves have wreaked havoc on the Great Barrier Reef, causing the most widespread bleaching ever recorded.

This Sculpture Takes the Great Barrier Reef’s Temperature

‘Ocean Siren’ changes colors in real time to reflect ocean temperatures at Davies Reef, part of Australia’s ailing Great Barrier Reef

The planned memorial to victims of slavery will be located in the Tuileries Gardens in the center of Paris.

France Seeks Proposals for Memorial to Victims of Slavery

Currently, Paris is home to just one significant monument recognizing the country’s history of enslavement

Google's Wing drones can carry packages weighing up to three pounds.

Covid-19

Virginia School District Will Use Drones to Deliver Summer Reading

Montgomery County has partnered with Google’s Wing service to distribute library books

The four sides of a dice, as well as the front and back sides of several other game pieces found in western Norway

Cool Finds

Ancient Roman Board Game Found in Norwegian Burial Mound

Researchers unearthed a four-sided dice and 18 circular tokens

A marble statue of Christopher Columbus was beheaded in Boston.

Christopher Columbus Statues Beheaded, Pulled Down Across America

Protesters in three U.S. cities targeted sculptures of the Italian explorer and colonizer

A view of the modified seating arrangement at the Berliner Ensemble

Covid-19

How a Berlin Theater Will Enforce Social Distancing

The venue removed more than half of its seats to keep audience members safely separated

This wall painting features musicians in European clothing on the left and a dancer in a traditional feathered cape on the right.

Cool Finds

Renovations Reveal Rare Maya Murals Hidden in Guatemalan Home

The wall paintings may chart the decline of Spanish colonial influence and resurgence of indigenous culture

Researchers recently identified the unnamed sitter in this portrait as Mary Boleyn, older sister of Anne Boleyn.

After Hundreds of Years, Unknown Woman in Tudor Portrait Identified as Mary Boleyn

New evidence suggests the painting depicts Anne Boleyn’s older sister, the one-time mistress of Henry VIII

Excavations of the Red Lion, thought to be the oldest theater in London, also uncovered two nearby beer cellars.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Traces of What May Be London’s Oldest Theater

Experts identified the Red Lion’s location using details from two 16th-century lawsuits

Works by German artist Paul Klee are projected on June 3, 2020, at the Bassins de Lumières digital art center in Bordeaux.

Former Nazi Submarine Base Transformed Into Digital Art Gallery

The concrete bunker once housed Axis U-boats. Now, it features floor-to-ceiling projections of works by Gustav Klimt, Paul Klee

This 1484 copy of Tuhfat al-Ahrar was produced during the lifetime of Jāmī, considered Iran's last great mystical poet.

The National Library of Israel Will Digitize 2,500 Rare Islamic Manuscripts

The cultural institution estimates that the process will take three years to complete

A poem providing clues to the location of a treasure chest filled with gold and jewels inspired thousands to search the Rocky Mountains.

Cool Finds

Decade-Long Search for Rocky Mountain Treasure Yields Trove Worth $2 Million

Nine clues embedded in a 24-line poem led to art dealer Forrest Fenn’s hidden chest of gold, gems and rare artifacts

Governor Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of Richmond's statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Confederate Monuments Are Coming Down Across the Country

As protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd continue, statues commemorating controversial historical figures are being removed from U.S. cities

The prayer book is written in Latin and French and features 40 miniature illustrations.

A Prayer Book Owned by Mary, Queen of Scots, Is Up for Sale

The ill-fated monarch inscribed the gift from her great-aunt with an affectionate inscription

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