As you can see I've added a small accent photo. If you would please leave URLs that lead to free-use religious art, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm only comfortable using my own until I know the rights.
You'll see also that I have both category and chronological search possibilities. MT is really a marvel and better yet is DHTML and CSS that allow for amazing changes to a blog without extensive code rewriting. This blows blogger out of the water. A definite plus. Altering the blogger template could be a technical nightmare because the CSS was combined with the Template and there was a tendency to corruption and coding bugs. This way, you can tell if the problem is in the CSS or the template. Great mechanism. Plus I'm learning a tremendous amount about the meaning of the code.
Next, I'll probably fool with some backgrounds. I do this because presently my brain is exhausted from writing about Impact (reaction) engines, reciprocating engines, and the enormously inventive Clement Ader. Google him, I think you'll be amused and fascinated with his aircraft designs. This should end shortly as the exhibit is opening in a few days. I've got an invitation to the opening.
Oh, and supercool--Samuel's class will be taking a field-trip to the museum so he'll get to see his daddy's work without even knowing it. I'm thinking of volunteering for chaperone. Kids are GREAT! (Especially if you're talking four or so hours at a time!)
Two sites, neither of which is religious exclusively, so you would have to do some hunting.
Artmagick has some religious paintings, and asks only that you not link and not use the paintings in a commerical application. It has "themes" (in the library) where some paintings are organized by topic.
Art Renewal Center is after realistic rather than abstract art, so the religious art is only part of it, and unlike Artmagick, you need to know the artist you are after. (Raphael and Titian have some good works.) Humm -- and now that I look at it, while it offers high-resolution images for free download, it doesn't say anything about using the other images.
Dear Mary,
Thanks for the tips!
shalom,
Steven
we wrote to the good folks at www.immaculateheart.com and asked permission to use their images. (We offered to post courtesy link.) They very promptly and kindly gave their permission.
I think most of their images are public domain anyway, but since I don't know exactly how copyright law works we decided to play it safe. Are any images more than 100 years old public domain?
Life gets a little complicated here.
The painting itself is public domain 70 years after the artist died. Due to the ex post facto clause in the Constitution, everything before a date in the 1920's is public domain in the US.
HOWEVER --
when you make a copy of a work, you can acquire certain derivative copyrights. I don't know the details, and I would need to be a lawyer to work them all out. The scans may be protected even if the painting is public domain. Better to use sites that allow you to.
(Incidentially, Bartolome Murillo has some astounding Madonna and Child paintings -- I point him out because he's not well known.)