Il-Każin tal-arti

Imagine being this close to Vincent’s work every day! 🤩 That’s the reality for our conservator Kathrin, who is currently working on Van Gogh’s ‘Olive Grove’, painted in 1889 in Saint-Rémy (FR). Van Gogh was fascinated by the ever-changing colours of the olive trees, at different times of the day, and sought a way to capture their irregular growth. He managed to do just that, using swirling brushstrokes, bold outlines around the trunks, and stylised shadows. Kathrin is meticulously removing an aged varnish layer that was not applied by Van Gogh himself, but added during a restoration treatment almost 100 years ago. The yellowed and glossy layer of varnish lies like a warm filter over the originally rather cool and matt paint, changing its appearance. Did you know that a restoration like this can take up to a year? Kathrin told us that one of the best aspects of her job is ‘taking care of the collection’ and ‘getting to know a painting in a very different way by spending so much time with it.’ We want to thank Kikkoman's Kitchen for making this restoration possible.�#vangogh

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Did you know that the man behind the iconic Smiling Face logo, now worth millions, received only a small sum for the original design? In 1963, Harvey Ross Ball was hired by an insurance company to create an icon that would lift employee morale. In just 10 minutes, he designed a simple yellow face with a broad smile and dimples.

"I made a circle with a smile like a face on yellow paper because it was sunny and bright," the Worcester graphic designer later told the Associated Press. The company used the design on signs and buttons for employees, and it was an instant success, eventually spreading beyond the office.

However, neither Ball nor the insurance company registered the logo as a trademark. Years later, a French journalist named Franklin Loufrani officially registered it, calling it "Smiley" and creating a business around it, granting licenses to other companies.

Today, Smiley generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually, with brands like Zara and Fendi paying to feature the iconic smile on their products. Ball, however, never shared in the enormous profits that the logo eventually generated.

Credits: Dani

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