photojournalism
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was an American politician and statesman, 35th President of the United States (1961-1963).
John was born in a family of natives of Ireland, his father - Joseph Kennedy - a Democratic politician, who headed the Securities and Exchange Commission in the 1930s, was U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. John studied at Harvard and Princeton Universities and traveled to Europe in 1937. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy and received a number of awards, and immediately after the war he entered politics.
In 1946, John F. Kennedy was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts, in 1952, with the help of financial support from the Kennedy family won election to the Senate and held the post until the end of 1960. In the presidential election of 1960, 43-year-old Kennedy with a small margin of victory over Richard Nixon, becoming the 35th President of the United States.
The time of Kennedy's presidency was marked by the escalation of the Cold War. Its peak was the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when the confrontation between Washington and Moscow almost led to nuclear war. With great difficulty the parties managed to reach a compromise - during the negotiations the USSR undertook to remove missiles from Cuba in return for the dismantling of American missiles in Turkey. Since the beginning of 1963, the U.S. President increasingly spoke out in favor of peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union. In August 1963, the U.S., USSR and Great Britain signed a treaty banning nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, outer space and underwater, which entered into force in October 1963. In the same 1963, when the country was hit by a wave of protests of the colored population, he introduced a bill in Congress that banned segregation in public places.
On November 22, 1963, during a trip to Dallas, Texas, John F. Kennedy was fatally wounded. He was 46 years old. Lee Harvey Oswald was held as the prime suspect in the assassination, who was shot and killed two days later by Jack Ruby in the garage of the Dallas police station. There are various versions of the reasons for the President's assassination, but none of them has been fully proven so far.
In his free time from politics, John F. Kennedy managed to write a book "Stories of Courage", for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1957. These are biographies of people whom he considered to be models of courage in politics. In 1958, Kennedy published a book called A Nation of Immigrants.
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker, celebrated as the most pivotal Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Born in Fuendetodos, Aragon, Spain, on March 30, 1746, Goya's work reflects a tumultuous period of history, intertwining the personal, political, and social upheavals of his time with a bold and innovative artistic vision. His early career was marked by portraits of the Spanish aristocracy and royalty, as well as Rococo style tapestry cartoons for the royal palace. However, following a severe illness in 1793 that left him deaf, his art took on a darker and more pessimistic tone.
Goya's oeuvre is vast, encompassing around 700 paintings, 280 prints, and several thousand drawings, through which he depicted a wide range of subjects from the whimsical to the macabre. Notable among his works are "The Naked Maja," "The Clothed Maja," "The Family of Charles IV," "The Third of May 1808: The Execution of the Defenders of Madrid," and "Saturn Eating His Children." His etchings, particularly the series "Los Caprichos" and "The Disasters of War," are celebrated for their intricate detail, emotional depth, and critical social commentary.
Goya's contribution to art goes beyond his mastery of painting and printmaking. He is often considered the bridge between the Old Masters and modern art, introducing themes and techniques that would influence countless artists in the centuries to follow. His ability to capture the essence of his era, the human condition, and the complexities of his own psyche, makes his work universally relatable and enduringly relevant.
His most famous paintings are housed in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Museo del Prado in Madrid, which holds an extensive collection of his works. The Prado's collection serves as a testament to Goya's significant impact on art and culture, offering insight into the artist's unique perspective on the world around him.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Francisco de Goya's legacy is a beacon of artistic innovation and historical significance. His works not only adorn the walls of museums but also continue to inspire and provoke thought among audiences across the globe.
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Margaret Bourke-White was an American photographer and photojournalist. She studied photography at the Clarence H. White School of Photography. White, where she developed her trademark style using dramatic angles and strong contrasts of light and shadow.
Burke-White was one of the first women photographers to work for Life magazine, and her images became synonymous with the magazine's coverage of major world events such as World War II and the Korean War. She was also the first woman photographer to work in war zones during World War II, where she captured powerful images of warfare and its impact on civilians.
In addition to war photography, Bourke-White also documented the Great Depression in the United States and was one of the few photographers to gain access to the Soviet Union in the 1930s where she documented Soviet industrialization and the lives of ordinary people.
Bourke-White's work was known for its powerful impact and stark realism. She often risked her safety to get the perfect shot and her images continue to inspire photographers today. She published several books of her work, including 'Eyes on Russia' and 'Dear Fatherland, Rest in Peace'.
Bourke-White left behind a legacy as one of the greatest photojournalists of the 20th century.
