#look at this mess of a post

[theoutcastrogue]

In a Roman Osteria, by Carl Bloch (oil on cavas, 1866)

A very popular genre painting (full resolution here) by the Danish painter Carl Bloch. Genre paintings have subject matters drawn from everyday life, rather than anything pompous, and often from life in the margins in particular: if you’re looking for rogues in European painting, this is where you’ll find them.

An osteria is like a humble tavern, primarily for wine, and maybe to grab a bite and socialise – one way or another. The concept arguably goes back to ancient Rome, and there’s something more or less like it wherever wine is made, but Italy’s oldest osterie, in Brindisi and Bologna, are from the 1400s. It’s a fitting setting for a genre painting.

You can interpret it as you like, but my take is: “POV: you are sitting in an osteria in Rome drinking wine and exchanging suggestive glances with a young lady at the next table, when her friend takes wind of it and tells the young man accompanying them, and he turns around to look at you and he’s NOT happy; uh-oh, he’s got a knife.”

It doesn’t look like an Italian knife, it looks like a Spanish navaja. Designs could of course be similar, and ideas and techniques were borrowed back and forth, but there’s a decorative element which doesn’t show up in Italy (AFAIK), only in Spain and sometimes Morocco: those white discs on the handle are called ojos de perdiz (partridge eyes), they’re bone inlays and the “iris” is usually brass. It makes a nice contrast with the darker material of the handle, which is horn or wood.

As it happens, I have one that looks a lot like it:

Spain, c.1850

And here are a few more navajas with “partridge eyes”, made around the time In a Roman Osteria was painted. (All these are with a carraca, a ratchet; our Italian friend carries a simpler folding knife.)

Albacete, 1860

Albacete, 1866

Cádiz, late 19th century

Back to Italy, a similar decorative element can be found in one very special case. The lover’s knife or love knife (coltello d’amore) is an extremely fancy folding knife, dating to the 18th century, and given as a token of love or as an engagement gift. Among other decorations, it features occhi di dado (dice eyes), which are similar to ojos de perdiz but with a much larger iris, placed off-center. Kind of like googly eyes.

21st century version by the Colterellia Saladini, a very high-end cutlery; it’s their most expensive knife (EUR 1220, lol)

an atypical fixed blade knife, small (16 cm total) and humbly made, 19th century

The eyes are supposed to “ward off the jealous gaze of anyone looking at your lover”, and I think they look a lot like nazars. Italy does have its own apotropaic symbols, however the south (where these knives hail from) has had significant contact with both Arabic and Greek culture, where nazars are super common, so it’s not a terrible leap to assume there’s a connection. But that’s just my speculation.

In the series Suburra: Blood on Rome, the young Sinti gangster Spadino is carrying this exact knife (the Saladini one). Sadly in a different context, it’s a parental / wedding / coming-of-age gift, they just picked it because it’s so extra.

Spadino's mama: “you’re a man now, act like it”. Spadino: *fumes in gay*

[spaceistheplaceart]

more ford and mabel bonding because i said so :)

bonus ford under the cut:

[bigfatbreak]

they both got bonked for being silly.

[diabloii]

yes i can

[hinamie]

ṇ̵̛̱͌̅̃͛̔o̴̮̓̀͂́̃_̴̛̲́s̷͈̋̈́̄̋͠ị̶͔̗̐͐̐̒̕g̵̛̱̘̣̑͂ņ̴̰͔̘͇̏̒̓̇͠͝a̸̜̥̩̭͋̌ḷ̶͔̖͗͋͛͛̃͆

[aalghul]

once again thinking about jason as duke’s robin. he’s ~4 years younger than jason, and that puts him at 8-12 during Jason’s time as robin. that’s prime time to get attached to your local kid vigilante before your own life goes downhill.

and if we try to keep duke’s meeting with bruce in zero year + duke’s age (so he can remember the meeting and hold that conversation with bruce), he has to be around 8. if he starts following batman through the news at that time because of the mess that just happened, the robin he sees is probably jason. I’ve literally connected the dots

[chasiufan]

Nobody’s gonna buy ur 599$ marketable plushie stop tryna sell it to us -_-

[lilybug-02]

City of Tears. But Mini.

I wanted to make an atmospheric art piece with Dewi. And the City of Tears is one of the most sorrowing, beautiful, and grand places to do that. This is a lot of firsts for me regarding the architecture and lighting. The shadows cover a lot, and it may have been too much. I'm happy with how it turned out tho.

No idea how Dewi found his way into the City. Probably magic. Probably plot too :) But oh boy, he is experiencing childlike wonder in his raincoat!

This is a better show of the line detail I needlessly covered up in the final lol

[kettlefire]

Prepare for the unexpected. (DPxDC)

Everyone knew about the reign of Pariah Dark. Even those who did not dabble in those realms have heard the tale of the tyrant. A power-hungry man who ruled over the dead with an iron fist.

Following the rise of Pariah Dark, his realm had been effectively cut off from communication. Many mystics and magic users knew better than to open the door of nightmares that could arise if Pariah Dark's reach went further than his own realm.

Except, the universe had plans to bring the realm of the dead back into the cards.

A new opponent, one that had all of Earth's heroes scrambling for options. A being with powers of a god over weather, destruction was on the horizon. A world ending threat.

It's the only reason the Justice League was doing this. In a deep bunker, far from close civilization as a precaution, the heroes looked on with grim expressions.

The world was already being threatened. It would be destroyed regardless of what the league did. So it only made sense to make the last ditch effort. To summon someone strong enough to defeat the threat.

No one wanted to do it. No one wanted to be the one to pull the realm of the dead back to the living. The consequences were untold if this succeeded. If Pariah Dark was freed and defeated the threat, whose to say he won't want control?

That was a problem for later. For the aftermath. For now, the league could only watch on with bated breath as Constantine completely the summon ritual.

They watched on as the shadows in the room seemed to darken and grow. As the sigil sputtered to life with a glow that was growing increasingly brighter. A sudden gust of wind rushed through the room, the temperature began to drop with eaching ticking second.

And then it was all gone.

The room stood perfectly still. Just as it had been moments before. Nothing changed. No giant king standing before them, no sign that the ritual worked.

The room stood deadly still for another beat before the murmurs started. The team trying to make sense of the situation, figure out what went wrong.

Constantine swore up and down that this was the correct ritual, taking offense that they would even think the problem was on his end. It only made it better when it finally happened.

A loud sound ripped through the room, pulling everyone's attention back to the summoning circle. Just in time to see a tear appear in the space above the circle.

A thin tear that ran the length of eight feet. The fabric of the dimension seems to curl at the edges, pulling back to reveal a deep glowing swirl of greens. A dark gloved hand reached through, fingers curling around the edge of the tear, stretching it even further.

A portal. The ritual had worked, but there had been a delay. A delay that had every hero nerves on edge. Each team member tensed, weapons at the ready as they watched the being stretch the portal to the right size.

Then, a foot stepped out with a heavy thud. A dark boot that looked otherworldly despite its similarity to mortal clothing. A deep black that seemed never-ending. A second foot quickly followed before a full body emerged from the portal.

Not many people in the room have ever seen Pariah Dark, let alone know what to expect. Based on what Constantine and Zatara had said, this wasn't Pariah Dark.

A man had stepped out of the portal, standing at almost seven feet tall, and built like a brick house. One glance at the glowing white hair, deadly red eyes, and shard teeth was enough to know this being was not to be messed with.

But there was no giant show of armor or royal garbs. There is no large crown at the top of his head or jewelry from the infinite realms laced around his neck.

Instead, the man stood before them in combat boots, worn-in ripped jeans, a graphic t-shirt, and a spiked leather jacket. Despite his almost normal clothing choice, the man's jacket seemed to be a never-ending depth of the dark night sky. If one was to look closely enough, the cosmos could almost be made out in the sea of darkness.

None of that would have prepared them for when the man spoke. His tone sounded more bored than anything as he took a step forward.

"Oh, so now you need the help of the dead." The man had spoken, running a hand through his hair. When Batman took a step forward to speak, the man raised a hand. Immediately commanding silence in the single gesture. "I'm on babysitting duty and have yet to have a cup of coffee. I'll be right back."

Just like that, both the man and portal vanished into thin air. Leaving behind a group of stunned heroes. Not only was the man not Pariah Dark, but he was also supposedly babysitting.

"Did that just-"

The Flash had been the first voice to speak up, his eyes trained on where the man had once stood. Except he had barely made it through the first few words before the man was suddenly back.

The man that now had a child hanging off his shoulders and another teen being held up by his scruff. Unlike the man, these kids looked human.

Too human for Bruce's liking. The dark black hair and bright blue eyes had every heroes eyes flickering to Batman for just the briefest moment.

"This isn't fair! I'm not even the king. Why do I have to be here!" The teenager had been complaining the moment the man had reappeared. Arms crossed tight over his chest and seemingly used to being held dangling. "Besides, who brings kids to a show down! Wait til I tell mom about this."

"Aw, come on, Danny. This is gonna be fun!!" The younger girl seemed in much better spirits than the teen, Danny. She had climbed up the large man, sitting on his shoulders and resting her arms on the mess of glowing hair. "It's like take your kids to work day! Ooo, Dan! Can we fight too!?"

Unlike the two kids, the man looked purely exhausted and annoyed. The man, Dan, dropped Danny like a sack of potatoes as he took a long drink from the travel cup in his hand.

It didn't take a genius to recognize the look of an exhausted parent in Dan's expression. A look many of the league members were well acquainted to. A look that even had Batman grimacing with sympathy.

"Can it, little shits. You two were grounded, remember." Dan had growled at the kids before shifting his focus back on the team of heroes before them. His glowing eyes set in a deadly glare. "Pariah Dark isn't coming, and he never will. He's been dethroned and banished. We're the best you've got."

A summoning that started with a group of on edge and scared heroes looking for the ghost king, ended in a way no one expected.

No one was even sure if it made any sense. They weren't sure if they should feel hopeful or in despair.

Because truly, what was a ghostly man with two seemingly human children against a godlike foe with the control over the weather?

The unspoken question of power and ability seemed to vanish following Dan downing the metal travel cup of coffee, and crushing it in his fist.

He tossed it to the side, straighting up his posture as he looked over the heroes. Dan might not be a hero, but he's been playing family for too long.

An almost feral, bloodhungry grin spread across the man's face, sharp fangs on full display. The look made the man suddenly look even less human. He looked closer to a demon from the pits of hell rather than the exhausted parent he looked just a few seconds ago.

"Point me in the direction of this bastard. It's been too long since I let loose and had some fun."

[karda]

┐(´ー｀)┌

[sbeana]

the pool scene

[mumblesplash]

reel life

[barawrah]

i want us both to eat well

[musubiki]

.🖤🔄🤍.

[starridge]

were you the og banana twink bill artist???

of specifically that design yeah o7 but not tumblr sexyman bill if thats what you mean

[peachysunrize]

any sort of body shaming, mocking, and joking about either actors’ appearance will be deleted and you'll be blocked & reported.