http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/goya/index.htm

Considered to be the last of the Old Masters, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes has been the subject of a number of insightful retrospectives and special exhibitions over the past decade. Designed to complement a current exhibition at the Frick Museum in New York, this online collection offers images taken from the last years of his distinguished career. Perhaps the most intriguing drawings offered here are his rather impressive miniature paintings, which he created during the winter of 1824-1825. Some of the subjects in these tiny renderings include a monk and an old woman and two children looking at a book, all completed on ivory. Each section of the collection includes a rather lengthy essay on the origin and creation of each work. For those persons who might be interested in visiting the exhibit in person, there are complete details available here as well. [KMG]
[KMG]

http://www.gnosis.org/welcome.html

For those who might be unfamiliar with the religious tradition of Gnosticism, it is generally a historical term used to refer to a number of mystical sects or groups that were primarily active around the Mediterranean in the first few centuries of the Common Era. This site serves as one of the better online repositories of information related to this religious tradition, both in terms of its historical coverage, and in its exploration of the faith as it is currently practiced. First time visitors may want to move down the homepage to the “What is Gnosticism?” area to read a few introductory essays. Their “Library” section is quite diverse as well, and offers everything from the complete writings of G.R.S. Mead, a noted scholar of the tradition, to transcriptions of Gnostic scriptures and fragments. [KMG]

http://www.globalethics.org/index.htm

A number of organizations and think-tanks have taken on the most pressing questions of our day, but relatively few have addressed such quandaries as basic as “Are there a core of shared, moral values?” In 1990, the Institute for Global Ethics started with this crucial inquiry and expanded their scope to work towards understanding these values. From the homepage, visitors can read through their online resources, which include the Ethics Newsline (a weekly electronic newsletter), letters from their president, and a number of topical white papers. Some of these papers have rather compelling titles, such as “Ethics and the Learned Professions” and “Corporate Social Responsibility and Peacebuilding: A Case for Action in Israel and the Palestinian Territories”. Finally, users of the site may also wish to take a look at their calendar of upcoming seminars and lectures. [KMG]

http://www.thislife.org/

While most subscribers to the Scout Report may have heard of Chicago Public Radio’s own “This American Life” radio program, those who have not may truly appreciate an introduction to their delightful website. Since the show debuted in 1995, it has garnered a great deal of critical acclaim, both for its straight-ahead approach to crafting a narrative and for its diverse set of guest commentators, which include Sarah Vowell and David Sedaris, among others. Visitors to the site can learn about the show’s host, Ira Glass on the “Staff” section, then proceed to the “Our Favorites” area to get a sense of what the show is all about. Some of the episodes featured here include the story of the people who come in and out of Chicago diner in a 24-hour period and the rather complex story that surrounded a yacht that supposedly belonged to Adolf Hitler. Of course, visitors can listen to all of these programs here in their archive, along with many others. [KMG]

http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/boer/boerwarhistory_e.html

As a former colony of Britain, Canada contributed a significant number of troops to Britain’s ongoing three year conflict within South Africa, often referred to as the Boer War. At the time, a number of persons within Canada expressed doubt about why they were supporting such a distant military venture, and even Prime Minister Sir Wilfried Laurier was skeptical. This online exhibit from the Canadian War Museum explores Canadian involvement in this military action, and includes sections that provide information about the units and personalities involved throughout the conflict. Visitors can also view images of some of the awards that were associated with this conflict, such as the Queen’s South African Medal and the Queen’s Scarf of Honour, which were crocheted by Queen Victoria herself. The site is rounded out by a lengthy and well-composed essay by Dr. Cameron Pulsifer that provides a nice historical sketch of Canada’s commitment to the South African War. [KMG]

http://www.ima-art.org/bellini/index.html

Dedicated to creating devotional images and painting altarpieces, Giovanni Bellini’s work is a primary example of the early Renaissance artistic tradition that came of age in Venice. The Indianapolis Museum of Art has a number of works by this master, and they have drawn on these works to create this insightful exhibit that explores the paintings and the creative process by which they were created. Through the four marvelous sections of this site, visitors can learn about the process involved in his studio by which copies were made of his works, and also how some of his creations (such as his famed “Madonna”) have been preserved for future generations to enjoy. One section that should not be missed is the “Invisible Bellini” section, where visitors can learn about what lies beneath the visible surface of his masterworks. [KMG]