Countess Anna

Today is our nations Memorial Day. Enjoy your day and take a moment to remember the true meaning of this day. A day to pay our respects to all those who have given their lives in our country's defense. God bless these brave heroes and their families.

Van Gogh Roses (1890) oil on canvas 93 x74 cm

David Beck (25 May 1621 - 20 December 1656) was a Dutch painter.

Thomas Sowell: “It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.”

Imperial Crown of Austria : This crown was originally manufactured for Emperor Rudolf II in 1602 and was from 1804 onwards used as the Crown of the Austrian Empire (also known as the Crown of Rudolf II, Rudolphian Crown). The reason for commissioning an own private crown made was, that the Imperial Crown together with other Imperial Regalia could only be used for coronation ceremonies, but not for everyday use of kings or emperors. If a ruler wanted to wear a crown not only for coronations but also for other events, he had to have an own personal crown to be made. Rudolf II was not the only emperor with a private crown, but most of the other private crowns were broken after the death of their owner and its parts were reused in other artefacts. When Emperor Rudolf II died in 1612, his private crown was not destroyed because of its outstanding beauty and artistic value. On the contrary, it became the Crown of the Habsburg family. Thus it was used during the coronation of Josef II to King of the Romans and was worn by Emperor Francis Stephen of Lorraine, who attended his son's coronation. When due to Napoleon's pressure the disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire became inevitable, Emperor Francis II proclaimed the new Austrian Empire on 11 August 1804, which he from then onwards ruled as Emperor Francis I. At that time, almost two centuries after its manufacture the unofficial private crown then became the official imperial crown and was used until the collapse of the Austrian Empire after WWI. The Imperial Crown of the Habsburg Empire was never used for a coronation, as it was a hereditary monarchy and therefore no need for a coronation ceremony to obtain the imperial title. Crown of Rudolf II consists of basically three principal elements: a circlet with its fleur-de-lis mounts symbolizing a royal crown, a high arch obviously inspired by the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire and a mitre, which reminds of the traditional liturgical headwear of bishops from many Christian churches. Each of these three main elements contains a clear statement: The circlet symbolizes that Rudolf was both, King of Bohemia and Hungary. The High Arch reminds us of the Roman imperators on the one side and of the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire on the other side. The mitre for its part symbolizes the divine right of archpriest and his right to rule as representative of God on Earth. The Crown of Rudolf II owes its magnificent splendor to the reliefs of Mitre's four spherical triangles, which show the coronation in Regensburg, Pressburg (Bratislava) and Prague (Praha) as well as his victory over Ottomans, depicting Rudolf's four principal offices: Imperator as victor over the Ottomans, Emperor, King and once more King. The Crown is also famous as one of the masterpieces of Jan Vermeyen from Antwerp, one of the most outstanding goldsmiths of his time, who made this remarkably beautiful enamel works as well as rich decoration with pearls and jewels, which integrate into a complex iconographic programme. Imperial Treasury Museum (a collection of the Vienna art history Museum in the Imperial Hofburg Palace)

«Мы не можем изобрести чувства. Мы можем открыть и выразить их, любить и ненавидеть их, мы можем хранить их в своем сердце или отвергать». Ничита Станеску

🚨Over 50,000 Christians pack the Netherlands reminding Europe of its true roots. Massive Pentecost gathering pushing back against cultural replacement and Islamisation. Europe is Christian at heart.

A WWII veteran returns to Utah Beach, the Normandy shore where D-Day unfolded. This Memorial Day, we remember the Americans who never came home, the heroes who gave everything so we could be free.

The United States is a greater good for the world than all other countries combined.

vincent van gogh (1853-1890)

“Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.” -C.S. Lewis

"L'égoïste n'est pas celui qui vit comme il lui plaît, c'est celui qui demande aux autres de vivre comme il lui plaît ; l'altruiste est celui qui laisse les autres vivre leur vie, sans intervenir." Oscar Wilde

«l’état le plus dangereux pour une personne est celui du silence, car elle n’à plus besoin de convaincre personne. » Arthur Schopenhauer

"Bookstores are people, not books. Every time you open a book, the person jumps out and becomes you."

I was ashamed of myself when I realized life was a costume party and I attended with my real face. - Franz Kafka

One of Marco Rubio’s finest moments: PAUL: “We violated the Constitution, removed an elected official.” RUBIO: “We did not remove an elected official. We removed an unelected, indicted drug trafficker.”🔥

Snoop Dogg has officially called for a major cultural shift in the United States, proposing that more national attention and funding be directed toward honoring military veterans and community heroes instead of expanding Pride Month celebrations. According to the legendary rapper, America should place greater focus on the people who sacrificed their lives, protected the nation, and quietly served their communities for decades. The controversial statement immediately sparked fierce backlash online and ignited a nationwide debate across social media and television. But Snoop Dogg didn’t stop there. He followed up with an even more powerful message about patriotism, unity, and forgotten American values — a statement so unexpected that it left millions of fans and critics completely stunned, pushing the media storm to an entirely new level.

"Apollo of the Tiber" 🏛️🌹 Roman marble copy after a Greek original, ca. 450 BC. Classical sculpture.

Please share.