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The Culturist

@the_culturist_1.6M followers

"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." An independent culture publication — read / support us here 👇

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1Aug 21, '24Is this the image of Jesus of Nazareth? New X-ray analysis just revealed the Shroud of Turin, Christ's alleged burial cloth, to be 2,000 years old. So here's what we know — and why29.4×54.8M144k17k57k
2Dec 6, '23The most breathtaking church from every country in Europe 🧵 1. Germany: Cologne Cathedral, Cologne (1880) 🇩🇪24.7×46M238k18k32k
3Jun 25, '23Does humanity have any greater architectural legacy than the Gothic cathedrals of Europe?24.3×45.3M178k14k5.2k
4Jul 30, '24Da Vinci's Last Supper is a keystone of Christian art. It inspired centuries of awe and speculation — over its subtle symbols and concealed messages. But there's something hidden t22.7×42.2M108k16k42k
5Mar 31, '24This is where Jesus is said to have been buried — and then resurrected. But is it the real tomb? How do we know? Well, in 2016 it was opened for the first time in centuries... (thr22×41M99k9.9k34k
6Sep 3, '24This 600-year-old painting is one of the most mysterious in history. That mirror at the back is just 3 inches wide — yet it reflects the entire room in immense detail. Look closer 21.4×39.9M247k29k63k
7Feb 17, '24A thread of lesser-known architectural wonders that we lost over the ages (and what happened to them)... 🧵 1. Old London Bridge - the longest inhabited bridge in Europe20.3×37.7M190k19k44k
8Mar 27, '24Why did America destroy its own cities? A thread... 🧵19.2×35.7M127k9.4k27k
9Feb 20, '24Towns and cities with the best views from above (thread): 1. Centuripe, Italy 🇮🇹18.5×34.4M216k17k39k
10Dec 20, '23The most breathtaking church from every state in the US - a thread 🧵 1. New York: St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC (1878)18.1×33.6M160k11k18k
11Jun 11, '24Hell has 9 descending circles — each corresponding to how severe your sins are. The deeper you go, the worse things get. This 700-year-old poem guides you through it... (thread) 🧵18×33.6M108k12k68k
12Nov 29, '23Europe's most picturesque towns and villages - a thread 🧵 1. Freudenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 🇩🇪17.7×32.9M153k12k47k
13Feb 1, '24This is what great American cities looked like a century ago (thread): 1. Buffalo, New York (1908)17.3×32.1M122k8.5k17k
14Dec 22, '23The world's most beautiful towns and cities at Christmas - a thread 🧵 1. Dresden, Germany 🇩🇪16.8×31.3M130k13k26k
15Jun 19, '24Why do American cities feel less "alive" than their European counterparts? It's because of something called the "missing middle". A century ago, American cities looked completely d15.9×29.6M88k10k31k
16May 23, '24What treasures are kept inside the Vatican? Some of mankind's most precious artifacts have been living there for centuries. But they're nothing compared to what's underneath the Va15.6×29M86k9.9k26k
17Jul 24, '24Reminder that Argentina was once as rich as the US and Buenos Aires was "the Paris of South America". So what happened? Here's how it looked — and what it teaches us... (thread) 🧵15×28M117k15k35k
18Apr 18, '24This is what American cities looked like a century ago. Everything you see here was demolished. Why? This is what happened... (thread) 🧵14.9×27.7M81k8.7k24k
19Jul 12, '24In 1963, a man noticed his chickens disappearing through a hole in his basement. He knocked through the wall, revealing what is hard to believe: a 20,000-person city, deep below gr13.7×25.5M147k19k50k
20Jul 19, '24Why did past societies build so much "useless" beauty everywhere — and why did we stop? It might be a measure of a culture's health... (thread) 🧵13.4×24.9M240k27k39k
21Mar 2, '24Great paintings that inspired iconic movie scenes... 🧵 (continued) 1. “Fallen Angel”, Alexandre Cabanel // “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith”, directed by George Lucas13.3×24.8M201k17k32k
22Aug 11, '24The Trevi Fountain is a symphony in stone. But there's a lot more than meets the eye — have you ever wondered what's behind it? Its hidden details hold the key Rome's power and pro13.2×24.6M50k6.3k20k
23May 13, '24This church has been under construction for 124 years. In 2026, it will become the tallest in the world. It isn't funded by the state or even the Church — it's being built entirely13.1×24.5M104k9.9k17k
24Mar 19, '24This building is nearly 2,000 years old. How can something so ancient, of such scale, still be standing? The answer might surprise you... (thread) 🧵13×24.2M76k7.8k15k
25Jul 5, '24You've seen this before: Mont-Saint-Michel — the Wonder of the Western World. But did you know it has a twin, 200 miles away, also named after St. Michael? That's where things get 12.7×23.7M83k11k46k
26Jun 25, '24Many of Europe's greatest architectural wonders were lost to history — or willingly demolished. Here are some you haven't heard of... 🧵 1. Neue Elbbrücke Bridge: torn down to add 12.2×22.8M75k6.3k18k
27Aug 13, '24Today in 1521, Spanish forces captured Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), thus ending the Aztec Empire. They had discovered a city of unimaginable wealth and beauty — but harboring a dark11.6×21.5M76k10k26k
28Apr 4, '24Why did America demolish the world's most beautiful train station? And what it says about us... (thread) 🧵11.1×20.7M62k5.5k11k
29Apr 15, '24America built some of the world's greatest architecture... and then demolished it. A thread of wonders that were lost (and why)... 🧵 1. Cincinnati Library: replaced by a parking g10.4×19.4M94k12k22k
30Dec 10, '23America was supposed to be Art Deco. Marvels of American Art Deco design - a thread 🧵 1. Union Terminal, Cincinnati, OH (1933)10.1×18.8M75k6.6k12k
31May 31, '24800 years ago, Italy had a city of skyscrapers — it's known as the "Manhattan of the Middle Ages". So what happened to them all? 🧵9.9×18.5M71k6k17k
32Sep 24, '24This 500-year-old portrait may seem ordinary, but it's one of the most mysterious in history. There's so much detail that you can read every musical note on this small page. But lo9.9×18.4M89k17k33k
33Apr 22, '24Yesterday, Rome turned 2,777 years old. You know the Colosseum already — so these are its lesser-known wonders... 🧵 1. Andrea Pozzo's "3D" ceiling:9.4×17.5M102k11k22k
34Apr 25, '24How much human knowledge has been lost to history? Well, this ancient wonder was razed by the Mongols in 1258 — it's said the Tigris River ran black with ink. Here's what was insid9.4×17.5M51k7.1k18k
35Jan 26, '24France has over 40,000 castles (and châteaus) - more than any other country. These are the most breathtaking 🧵 1. Château de Pierrefonds, Oise (14th century)9.3×17.4M100k10k25k
36Mar 29, '24Why are there thousands of paintings of Jesus and Mary, but none of Muhammad? How art became a gateway to the divine... (thread) 🧵9.2×17.1M53k5.2k15k
37Feb 29, '24The world's most beautiful (and unique) villages... 🧵 1. Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland 🇨🇭9.1×17M140k14k33k
38Apr 29, '24Prague is probably the world's most beautiful city. Here's why... (thread) 🧵9.0×16.7M111k7.1k15k
39Jul 4, '24This is what American cities looked like a century ago (and what happened to them)... 🧵 1. Saratoga Springs, New York (1915)8.7×16.2M60k5.4k14k
40Aug 26, '23America was supposed to be Art Deco - a thread of 10 iconic Art Deco designs 🧵 1. "Mercury" - a streamliner passenger train which operated between 1936 and 19598.5×15.8M89k9.6k14k
41Feb 15, '24The Pyramids of Giza are enigmas that may never be solved. We've found thousands of hieroglyphs across Egypt - not one mentions how they were built or how the ancients cut stone. 18.4×15.7M57k6k12k
42Feb 5, '24Reminder that the US built some of the greatest train stations ever seen. These are the most beautiful (thread) 🧵8.2×15.3M59k4.9k8.6k
43Apr 21, '24How did a 23-year-old produce sculptures like this? Not only that — he saved Christian art in the process. Here's how he did it... (thread) 🧵7.9×14.8M66k7.3k12k
44Apr 2, '24How is it that one person can produce all of this? That person lived 500 years ago — so why hasn't humanity produced another talent like him in all the time since? 🧵7.6×14.2M68k6.7k8.4k
45Jan 5, '2415 of the most unusual and spectacular churches around the world ⬇️7.5×13.9M73k6.6k12k
46Aug 14, '24On this day in 1880, Cologne Cathedral was finally completed — 632 years after work began. But do you ever wonder why it was built? Well, an extremely curious treasure is kept insi7.3×13.6M65k6.6k15k
47Apr 10, '24Whenever they tell you it can't be done in the modern age, show them Dresden. Everything you see in the bottom image was rebuilt in the last 20 years... (thread) 🧵7.2×13.5M69k5.8k8.2k
48Jan 15, '25The 12 Apostles risked their lives to spread Christianity across the globe. All but one were murdered for doing so — brutally. Here's what happened to them, starting with Judas... 7.2×13.5M66k9.4k36k
49Jul 9, '24The world's (second) oldest Christian country is not in the Middle East or Europe — it's Ethiopia. There are centuries-old churches there that most people don't know about. These w7.2×13.4M81k9.7k18k
50Oct 20, '23A thread of 20 ancient sites and wonders brought to life by virtual reconstructions 🧵 1. The Colossus of Rhodes, Rhodes, Greece (c.280 BC)7.1×13.1M43k7.3k10k
51Mar 12, '24This painting is over 500 years old, but looks like it could have been made yesterday. It might seem like an acid trip - it's actually the greatest warning about sin ever painted..6.7×12.5M68k8.7k21k
52Feb 19, '25Every aspect of life is being stripped of color. Many have noticed this trend — but why exactly is it happening? Something deeper is going on… (thread) 🧵6.3×11.6M77k9.2k31k
53Dec 15, '23The most astonishingly lifelike sculptures ever produced - a thread 🧵 1. “David”, marble - Michelangelo (1504)6.3×11.6M67k7.8k9.3k
54Mar 15, '24Where did this depressing architecture come from? Is it really designed to demoralize us as @TuckerCarlson says? A thread... 🧵6.2×11.6M55k6k9.9k
55Mar 4, '24Art Deco skyscrapers were the ultimate expression of American optimism. These are the best: 🧵 1. The American Radiator Building, NYC (1924)6.2×11.5M72k6.3k12k
56Mar 14, '24Over 1,500 years ago, this church was hewn into a vertical cliff face 650 feet above ground - and it's still in use today. A thread of churches in astonishing places... 🧵6.2×11.5M53k5.7k13k
57Mar 28, '25Reminder: Tolkien hated Disney. He called them "hopelessly corrupted" and knew they'd ruin any story they touched. Why? Tolkien's storytelling philosophy was profoundly different… 6.1×11.4M68k9k22k
58May 22, '24Reminder that Socrates was executed for "corrupting the youth" — by teaching them to think for themselves. Here's what he said... (thread) 🧵6.0×11.2M48k7.5k14k
59May 15, '24This aqueduct has stood for 2,000 years. There is no mortar holding it together — the stones are held in perfect balance by nothing but gravity. So what are the other best-preserve5.9×11M41k4.3k6.6k
61Feb 13, '25This mosaic is the biggest discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls. The earliest "Jesus is God" declaration from 230 AD — and it's just the start of what we've found. Mega thread of a5.7×10.7M93k13k29k
62Nov 16, '23The mightiest castles ever built - a thread 🧵 1. Château de Pierrefonds, Oise, France 🇫🇷5.6×10.4M68k6.2k16k
63Nov 27, '23Germany was once home to some 25,000 castles (and palaces), roughly half of which still exist today. These are the 15 most breathtaking examples 🧵 1. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavari5.6×10.4M42k4.1k10k
64May 2, '24America was supposed to be Art Deco. Here's how an age of optimism sparked a golden age of design. And why it's coming back... (thread) 🧵5.5×10.2M58k5.3k12k
65Jan 17, '24The world's most enchanting bookstores (thread) 🧵 1. Livraria Lello, Porto 🇵🇹5.4×10M53k5.2k9.6k
66Nov 19, '23Only one sculptor in history ever came close to Michelangelo. In some peoples' eyes, his technical mastery even surpassed the Renaissance genius. The greatest works of Gian Lorenzo5.4×10M50k5.9k8k
67May 10, '24The most uplifting architectural revival happening today is in Budapest. The city is reclaiming its identity after decades of communist rule. Here's what's going on... (thread) 🧵5.2×9.7M74k6.6k7.6k
68Feb 25, '24A thread of monumental buildings that were planned but never realized... 🧵5.0×9.4M45k3.9k10k
69Dec 26, '23The world's most astonishing church (and chapel) ceilings - a thread 🧵 1. Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France 🇫🇷5.0×9.3M64k6.6k7.5k
70May 23, '23There are great sculptors, and then there are those whose abilities to transform stone border on the divine. These are 15 of the most astonishingly lifelike marble sculptures ever 4.9×9.2M58k8.7k8.1k
71Dec 27, '2310 masterworks of painting that inspired iconic movie scenes - a thread 🧵 1. “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt - “Shutter Island”, directed by Martin Scorsese4.8×8.9M73k8.4k15k
72Mar 21, '24Why did human beings stop building things like this? This looks like something from a medieval fairytale, but it's only about as old as the Eiffel Tower. And the inside is even mor4.7×8.8M41k3.4k5.4k
73Mar 26, '24Why does everywhere look exactly the same? The death of local architecture, and why it matters... (thread) 🧵4.7×8.7M44k4.5k8.4k
74May 26, '24Reminder that the world's largest mosaic was completed in 2020. This is the "new Hagia Sophia" — unveiled just months after the original was converted into a mosque. And it's the g4.6×8.7M44k5.2k8k
75Jun 24, '23"The mother art is architecture." Here are 10 examples of paintings that vividly imagine architectural wonders and impossibilities 🧵4.4×8.1M83k11k6.6k
76Dec 3, '23One iconic artwork from every country in Europe - a thread 🧵 1. Germany: "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" - Caspar David Friedrich (1818) 🇩🇪4.3×8.1M41k4.5k10k
77Nov 18, '23Whenever they tell you it can't be done in the modern age, show them Dresden. What's been achieved in Dresden is the most inspiring architectural feat for decades. Everything you s4.3×8M56k7.7k4.5k
78Apr 23, '24A thread of Europe's most spectacular (and unusual) castles... 🧵 1. Hohenzollern Castle, Germany4.3×8M51k5k13k
79Mar 18, '24There is no rope in this image. This is carved from a single block of marble. The artist dedicated 7 years of his life to sculpt it - but what on earth inspired him to do that? A t4.3×7.9M44k5k6k
80Feb 2, '24I often post wonders from the distant past. What about the churches we still build today? These will surprise you (all built in the last 20 years)... 🧵4.3×7.9M45k4.5k6.5k
81Feb 19, '24Romanian castles are something straight out of a fairytale. These are the greatest of all... (thread) 🧵4.2×7.8M48k4.5k7.2k
82Jan 9, '25This is what angels look like according to the Bible. A thread explaining the 9 types, and why they say when they appear: "Be not afraid"... 🧵4.1×7.6M49k5.7k24k
83Nov 21, '23One masterpiece from each major movement of Western architecture - a thread 🧵 1. Classical Greek: The Erechtheion, the Acropolis of Athens, Greece (c.406 BC)4.0×7.5M41k4.4k6.2k
84Nov 22, '23How can something built 2,000 years ago still be standing today? The most enigmatic Roman engineering wonders - a thread 🧵 1. The Pantheon, Rome, Italy (c.128 AD)3.9×7.3M44k5.1k6.3k
85Apr 12, '24Why is there so much ugly public art these days? And why it matters... (thread) 🧵3.9×7.2M77k5.8k6.1k
86Feb 9, '24A thread of 21st century architectural revivals that will restore your faith in humanity: 🧵 1. Frauenkirche, Dresden, Germany3.7×6.9M41k4.1k5.5k
87Jan 31, '24An architectural fantasy in art is known as a "capriccio". These are the most vivid and imaginative examples ever painted (thread) 🧵3.7×6.9M60k5.8k9.5k
88Nov 3, '23This was built during what they told you were the Dark Ages.3.6×6.7M50k5.4k1.6k
89Apr 19, '23There is no rope in this image. This is carved from a single block of marble. Is there a person alive today who could do this?3.5×6.4M62k8.8k3.4k
90Jan 21, '24Reminder that The Lord of the Rings is a Christian story. Tolkien was forthcoming on this: “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work.” These a3.4×6.4M43k5.6k13k
91Feb 24, '24"Every high civilization decays by forgetting obvious things." - G.K. Chesterton The greatest apocalyptic paintings in history (thread):3.4×6.4M60k7.6k13k
92Aug 29, '23A thread of towns and cities that look spectacular from above 🧵 1. Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸3.4×6.4M48k4.8k7.7k
93Jul 23, '23Very few artists in history have mastered the art of carving translucent veils from solid stone. These are the 10 greatest examples ever sculpted 🧵3.4×6.3M47k6.1k4.6k
94May 20, '24Imagine being able to make stone translucent. When artists sculpted the impossible — a thread... 🧵3.1×5.7M67k6.4k6.9k
95Nov 1, '24Ancient Greek thinkers like Socrates and Plato hated democratic elections. They saw democracy as part of an endless cycle of regimes — destined to slip into mob rule. But Polybius 3.0×5.7M46k8.3k29k
96Jul 17, '23"Every high civilization decays by forgetting obvious things." - G.K. Chesterton 10 iconic paintings of apocalypse and destruction 🧵2.9×5.3M50k5.9k5.8k
97Jan 11, '24Staircases should be works of art - a thread 🧵 1. The grand staircase at the Palais Garnier, Paris 🇫🇷2.5×4.7M44k4.2k4.7k
98Feb 13, '24This is a hotel in Mexico City. Here's why it's aptly named the "City of Palaces"... 🧵1.8×3.4M42k4.4k3.7k
99Mar 6, '24Why does beauty matter? A thread...1.6×2.9M43k5.1k4.7k
100Mar 29, '24Annual reminder that in 1956, New York lit up with crosses on Good Friday. A powerful image of a city that is quite different today...1.2×2.3M44k4.7k2.3k
101Oct 16On this day in 1793, Marie Antoinette was guillotined by French revolutionaries. But what you think you know about her is a lie — the media turned her into history's greatest scape0.0×35k6019697

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