30.06.2019 06:36 Date: June 30, 2019 Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
29.06.2019 18:39 Date: June 30, 2019 Something strange happens on the Philippine island of Palawan when the Cabayugan River reaches the 1,000-meter high limestone mountain called Saint Paul: the flowing water vanishes under the earth. Today’s Doodle celebrates the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a Philippines National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site protected by the Ramsar Convention on this day in 2012. An international body created for the conservation of important wetlands, Ramsar designated this underground river as “unique in the biogeographic region because it connects a range of important ecosystems from the mountain-to-the-sea, including a limestone karst landscape with a complex cave system, mangrove forests, lowland evergreen tropical rainforests, and freshwater swamps.” The river is one of the world’s longest underground waterways at 8.2-kilometers —and one of the few that flows into the sea, creating the largest subterranean estuary in the world. Small boats carry sightseers underground to marvel at dramatic stalactite and stalagmite formations. The 24-kilometer matrix of caves—including the 360-meter long, 80-meter high Italian’s Chamber, one of the largest cave halls in the world—is home to some 800 plant species as well as many animals found nowhere else, including giant spiders, crabs, fish, and snakes, as well as bats, swallows, and fossils dating back millions of years. The critically endangered Philippine cockatoo and Hawksbill turtle, and the endangered Green sea turtle and Nordmann’s greenshank are just a few of the protected species who survive in this one-of-a-kind habitat. Drafts by artist David Lu Location: , , , , Tags: , , , , , ,
29.06.2019 08:37 Date: June 29, 2019 Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
29.06.2019 00:06 Date: June 29, 2019 Early sketches and drafts of the illustrations below. Germany – Italy – Netherlands – Sweden – Location: Tags:
28.06.2019 01:31 Date: June 28, 2019 Early sketches and drafts of the illustrations below. France – USA – Location: , Tags:
28.06.2019 00:03 Date: June 28, 2019 On this day in 1834, the Polish Romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz published his masterpiece, Pan Tadeusz, often considered one of the last great epic poems in European literature. Written in Paris, the 12-part saga captures the spirit of Poland at a time when much of its territory was partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Set during the years 1811 and 1812 in a Lithuanian village, the narrative focuses on a feud between two prominent families, complicated by the love between Tadeusz and a daughter of the rival family named Zosia. A revolt against the local Russian garrison brings the families together, inspired by a shared passion to restore Poland to its former glory: “When talk was to raise Poland again from this rubble.” Required reading in Polish schools, Pan Tadeusz has been translated into many languages and adapted into TV and film versions, most recently in 1999 by Polish director Andrzej Wajda. Mickiewicz writes with great feeling, expressing his love and longing for all aspects of Polish life from the landscape , to the food , to even the wildlife . Early concepts by artist Olivia Huynh Location: , , , , , Tags:
27.06.2019 01:02 Date: June 27, 2019 Early sketches and drafts of the illustrations below. England – Norway – Location: Tags:
25.06.2019 08:39 Date: June 25, 2019 Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
25.06.2019 00:30 Date: June 25, 2019 Today’s Doodle honors the history and culture of Slovenia, a central European nation that stretches from the Adriatic Sea to the Alps. Also known as Dan državnosti, or Statehood Day, Slovenia’s National Day takes place each year on June 25th to commemorate the country’s declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. The historic declaration followed a national referendum, which saw an overwhelming 94.8% of Slovenian citizens voting in favor of establishing an independent nation. As President Borut Pahor once said, “We gained independence for ourselves, not against others.” Festivities center around Republic Square in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital city, including a flag-raising ceremony and speeches by political leaders in front of the Parliament building. Many citizens use this day as a chance to visit the countryside and celebrate the start of the summer holiday season. Srečen Dan državnosti! Location: Tags: , , ,
24.06.2019 20:01 Date: June 25, 2019 It’s been exactly 103 years since Bangkok Railway Station, unofficially known as Hua Lamphong, first opened its doors to passengers. Although the Bang Sue mega station will eventually become the capital's main rail transport hub, Hua Lamphong holds the title as Bangkok’s oldest train station—whose ornate neoclassical design, featuring a vaulted iron roof with stained glass windows, evokes a time when trains were the ultimate mode of transportation. During his 1907 tour of Europe, King Rama V was so impressed by the Frankfurt Train Station that he commissioned a similar building for his own country. The Italian architects Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti echoed certain details of the German station in their design, from the half dome façade, to the open-air passenger galleries, to the giant clock on the front gable. For more than a century, Hua Lamphong has been the entry point to Bangkok for millions of visitors. The station connects with the MRT underground system, and you can also catch both rural commuter lines and the luxurious Orient Express from here. The State Railway of Thailand accommodates some 200 trains a day, with over 27,000 passengers, and will eventually also be a railway history museum. Happy Anniversary, Hua Lamphong! Early concepts by artist Alyssa Winans Location: Tags: , , , , ,
24.06.2019 18:00 Date: June 25, 2019 Early sketches and drafts of the illustrations below. China – Italy – Japan – Netherlands – Location: , , , Tags:
24.06.2019 02:40 Date: June 24, 2019 Today’s Doodle celebrates Argentine novelist, painter, and atomic physicist Ernesto Sábato, who devoted himself to literature and became one of Argentina’s most respected authors. Born in a small town near Buenos Aires on this day in 1911, Sábato studied and obtained a PhD at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, and then earned a scholarship to study cosmic radiation alongside scientists splitting uranium atoms at the Curie Institute in Paris. After continuing his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he returned to Argentina. During his time in Europe, Sábato’s interactions with surrealists such as Wilfredo Lam and André Bretón stirred philosophical questions in his mind, which eventually led him to steer his focus away from science and instead devote himself to literature. While teaching at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, he began contributing to the newspaper La Nación, stating political views that led to him losing his teaching post. His 1948 novel El túnel was the first to earn him international acclaim. All three of Sábato's novels have been translated into more than 30 languages. There may have been more, but Sábato had a habit of burning his manuscripts. “It may be because I considered that all my work was imperfect, impure, and I found that fire was purifying,” he once said. He nearly burned his second novel Sobre héroes y tumbas after working on it for many years. His wife convinced him to change his mind, and the work is widely considered one of his masterpieces. In 1984, Sábato received the prestigious Cervantes Prize in recognition of his literary accomplishments. Aside from award-winning novels, Sábato’s essays on political issues inspired reforms in his homeland, leading some to call Sábato “la voz de la conciencia Argentina," or “the voice of Argentina’s conscience.” Doodler Up Close Today’s Doodle was created by Doodler Kevin Laughlin. Below, he shares some thoughts on Ernesto Sábato and the inspiration for his Doodle: Q: Ernesto Sábato was a master of two disciplines. What part of his story do you find most inspiring personally? A: I was captivated by Sábato's novel, El túnel—not only by its dark and dreamy atmosphere, but in the way it explores an artist's relationship with his audience; oddly reflective of the Doodle process. Q: Which aspect of his life and/or work did you focus on for this Doodle? A: I drew the most inspiration from Sábato's fiction, where more explicit imagery can be adopted for the purposes of illustration. Q: What medium do you like to use for your illustrations? Did you do anything different on this one from a technical standpoint? A: Digital paint! One can do remarkable things with it these days. I don't often get the chance to make dark or atmospheric Doodles that suggest a narrative, but this topic was apt for such an execution. Q: Sabato was known for sometimes burning his manuscripts, one of which was saved by his wife and is widely considered his greatest work. Can you relate to that perfectionist impulse at all? A: Ah, Ernesto and I are very much alike in this regard... though many of my childhood drawings perished by water, rather than fire. I had a regular habit of condemning my least favorite artworks to be flushed down the toilet. Sometimes I find myself idly wishing I could see those drawings again. Early concepts Location: , , , Tags:
24.06.2019 00:32 Date: June 24, 2019 Early sketches and drafts of the illustrations below. Canada – Spain – Sweden – USA – Location: , , , Tags:
23.06.2019 09:31 Date: June 23, 2019 Location: Tags: , , ,
23.06.2019 01:10 Date: June 23, 2019 Early sketches and drafts of the illustrations below. Brazil – Cameroon – England – France – Location: , , , Tags:
