There are too many "Rousseau"s in Art History. Moreover, there are too many Rousseaus (or perhaps Rousseaux) in 19th Century Art History.

There's Théodore Rousseau, the French Barbizon landscape artist.

Henri Rousseau, a self-taught artist known for his vibrant dreamscapes.

And Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a philosopher and writer whose works and theories influenced 18th and 19th century art.


Oy.


Additionally, I'm super intrigued by the Amazon Kindle and I can see how it would be really cool to have.

However, like any new technology, I'll definitely be waiting for version 2.0, or whatever. Not only because I don't have $400 to spare right now, but also because I can see some features that I would expect to find and aren't yet available. A stylus or trackpad, for one. Color capability (though that might be a while down the road...I mean, iPods were black and white for several years) for highlighting and image purposes. The ability to transfer the books purchased to a computer (preferably in .pdf format).

I think the interface is extremely advanced, but possibly less impressive when viewed next to palmtop computers, which can do all that and more. I do hope this thing takes off, though. It's a really brilliant invention.

My 19th Century Art class today was really good.

There wasn't anything overly notable, it was just interesting and engaging, more so than usual. And it's usually a pretty good class.

Things I Found Particularly Interesting:
- There's a theory that Michelangelo actually did the Hellenistic "Laocoön" sculpture
- Rosa Bonheur had to get a permit from the Paris police to wear men's clothing, and had to get it renewed every 6 months (she was also the first woman artist in the Legion of Honor in France, a lesbian, and dissected horses to study anatomy...common for some male artists including Leonardo and Eakins, but definitely not for women)
- Additionally, Buffalo Bill brought Bonheur two wild mustang colts when he took his traveling show to Paris (she was a super fascinating woman)
- Napoleon III played an important role in modernizing Paris (introducing a city plan, wide streets, garbage disposal, etc.) because he had the idea that creating Paris as a cultural center would reduce the revolutionary tendencies
- Anderson Cooper is a Vanderbilt (when discussing William Morris Hunt's design of the Biltmore residence)
- It's possible to get a PhD. in the history of landscape architecture (BTW - I'm a huge Olmsted fan...google it)


Now, I think I'll head off to the movies. August Rush anyone? :-)