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Apr 23, 2024 17 tweets 8 min read Read on X
The Greatest Minds to Have Ever Lived (A Four-Part Series) - Part 3.

Here are luminaries who have laid the foundations for the arts, philosophy, and the sciences that shaped our world, some even at cost of their lives.

Let's look at how they were immortalized in art.🧵 Credit: https://memoirsofeinstein.blogspot.com/p/home-page.html
"Fables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fancies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing." - Hypatia

Hypatia was an influential Hellenistic Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician in Alexandria. Her teachings and works, although largely lost, contributed to the development of mathematics and philosophy.Hypatia by Julius Kronberg, 1889
By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, h"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection."
- Michelangelo

Michelangelo, an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance, is celebrated for his immense artistic versatility and detail in works such as the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the statue of David.By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125633750
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
- Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein, a renowned theoretical physicist, developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics. His famous equation, E=mc², has had a profound impact on the scientific understanding of energy and mass.The famous image of Einstein taken by United Press photographer Arthur Sasse in 1951
Fibonacci (Leonardo of Pisa) was an Italian mathematician who introduced the Fibonacci sequence to the Western world through his book "Liber Abaci." His work significantly influenced European mathematics.

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, typically starting with 0 and 1, and is famous for appearing in various natural phenomena, from the arrangement of leaves on a stem to the branching of trees and the spiral patterns of shells.Monument of Leonardo da Pisa (Fibonacci), by Giovanni Paganucci, completed in 1863, in the Camposanto di Pisa. By Hans-Peter Postel - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1739679
"To play without passion is inexcusable!" - Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer and pianist, is regarded as a crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music. He is known for his innovative compositions, including the Ninth Symphony and the Moonlight Sonata.Beethoven with the manuscript of the Missa solemnis Credit: Joseph Karl Stieler - Google Arts & Culture
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." - Marie Curie

Marie Curie, a pioneering physicist and chemist, was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields - physics and chemistry - for her work on radioactivity.Marie Curie Monument in Lublin This file was created and uploaded by User:SzaterTen plik został stworzony i dodany przez Wikipedystę:SzaterSzater Wikimedia CommonsPolska Wikipedia - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2898616
Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk and scientist, is now known as the father of modern genetics for his research on the inheritance of traits in pea plants. His work laid the foundation for the modern understanding of genetics and heredity. In 1910, this statue of Mendel was erected "by the friends of science." It orginally stood in Mendel Square in Brno. The statue now stands in the garden at the Mendelianum, the Mendel Museum, in Brno. Credit: https://dnalc.cshl.edu/view/16183-Gallery-4-Statue-of-Gregor-Mendel.html
"Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise."
- Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. His theories have profoundly influenced the humanities and social sciences.Photographic portrait of Sigmund Freud, signed by the sitter ("Prof. Sigmund Freud") By Max Halberstadt - https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=6116407, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64082854
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right." - Henry Ford

Henry Ford was an American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company, and the sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T revolutionized transportation and American industry.Time magazine, January 14, 1935
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration."
- Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was known for his groundbreaking contributions to the development of alternating current (AC) electrical systems, including the AC motor and transformer, which have had lasting impacts on electrical power distribution.Room 3327 of the Hotel New Yorker, where Tesla died
"The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between." - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Perhaps the most influential composer from the classical era, Mozart is known for his mastery across all musical genres of his time. His extensive body of work, including operas, symphonies, and chamber music, remains popular and influential.Mozart family, c. 1780 (della Croce); the portrait on the wall is of Mozart's mother.
"That brain of mine is something more than merely mortal; as time will show." - Ada Lovelace

An English mathematician and writer, Ada Lovelace is often considered the first computer programmer for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She theorized a method for the engine to repeat a series of instructions, a process known as looping.Portrait of Ada by the British painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1836)
"Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated." - Rosalind Franklin

Rosalind Franklin was an English chemist who is often overlooked but whose work on X-ray diffraction was critical in the discovery of the DNA double helix. Her photographs of DNA allowed Watson and Crick to create their famous model of DNA.Credit: Rosalind Franklin, 1953 is a photograph by Illustration by Jody Hewgill for TIME
Elizabeth I, the Queen of England and Ireland, is celebrated as one of the greatest monarchs for her adept governance and the establishment of the Elizabethan Age, a period marked by the flourishing of English drama, led by playwrights such as Shakespeare, and the expansion of global maritime power.

Her political acumen in navigating complex domestic and international challenges, including religious divisions and threats from powerful adversaries like Spain, solidified her legacy as a shrewd and effective leader.Portrait commemorating the defeat of the Spanish Armada, depicted in the background. Elizabeth's hand rests on the globe, symbolising her international power. One of three known versions of the "Armada Portrait".
"Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world." - Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur, a French biologist, microbiologist, and chemist, is renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization. His work in disease prevention has saved countless lives.Louis Pasteur in his laboratory, painting by A. Edelfeldt in 1885
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More from @CultureExploreX

Mar 18
Most people think Baroque architecture is just gold, curves, and excess.

But it is much more than that—Baroque pushed architecture to the limit, even defied gravity.

Here are some gems you haven't heard of. 🧵👇 Doria Pamphlij, Rome
1. Melk Abbey, Austria

Perched above the Danube, this abbey is Baroque perfection.

A dazzling library, gilded halls, and frescoes so intense they seem to pulse with light. A true masterpiece of Austrian Baroque.
2. Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, Rome, Italy

Borromini at his strangest.

A star-shaped church with a corkscrew dome that twists into the sky. The floor plan alone is a puzzle that architects still marvel at.
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Mar 17
You’ve seen statues before, but have you ever felt one stare back at you?

There’s a sculpture so lifelike, so hauntingly real, that people swear it breathes.

The secret? A lost technique from centuries ago… 🧵👇 The Veiled Christ - Detail of Jesus’s head and veil. Photo by David Sivyer/Flickr - CC BY-SA 2.0.
It’s called The Veiled Christ, and it looks like marble turned to silk.

Carved in 1753 by Giuseppe Sanmartino, it depicts Jesus lying beneath a translucent shroud.

But here’s where it gets crazy… The Veiled Christ at the Sansevero Chapel in Naples, Italy
The veil isn’t separate.

It’s not an add-on. It wasn’t draped over after.

Sanmartino carved the entire sculpture—veil and all—from a single block of marble.

And some people believe… he had supernatural help. Credit: YouFine
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Mar 15
A temple that floats on the side of a sheer cliff.

No scaffolding. No modern tools. Just ancient engineering genius.

For 1,500 years, China’s Hanging Monastery has survived earthquakes, wars, and time itself.

But its real secret? That’s even crazier…🧵👇 Image
The Haning Monastery is a miracle of architecture.

246 feet above ground, it’s been hanging there since the year 491.

One question baffles everyone who sees it:

How has it not fallen?
The monastery clings to Mount Heng in China’s Shanxi Province, built into a vertical rock face.

It looks impossible—like something out of a fantasy novel.

Yet it’s real. And people still visit, pray, and meditate inside. Photo by G41rn8 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Mar 14
This famous painting hides a chilling secret. For 400 years, no one noticed.

But once you see it… you can’t unsee it.

Let’s uncover the mystery. 🧵👇 Jean de Dinteville, French Ambassador to the court of Henry VIII of England, and Georges de Selve, Bishop of Lavaur.  Painting: Hans Holbein the Younger's The Ambassadors at the National Gallery, London
At first glance, "The Ambassadors" (1533) by Hans Holbein the Younger looks like a typical Renaissance portrait.

Two wealthy men, luxurious details, symbols of knowledge. A celebration of power.

But there’s something hidden. And it’s disturbing. Cropped version of the painting
Look at the bottom of the painting. Do you notice that strange, stretched-out shape between their feet?

For centuries, people dismissed it as an odd brushstroke. A mistake, even.

But then someone looked at it from an extreme right angle… and everything changed. The anamorphic skull as restored in 1998, viewed here at an oblique angle Photo by By JimKillock - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
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Mar 12
Rome, 1600s. The Catholic Church is under attack.

Protestants are smashing Christian art across Europe.

Then, a movement emerges—bold, theatrical— that fights back.

Here's how Baroque art saved Christian art forever... 🧵👇 Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore - Rome  One of four papal basilicas in Rome, located in Piazza dell'Esquilino, on top of the hill of the same name, on top of Cispio, between Rione Monti and Esquiline. It is the only basilica in Rome that still retains the original structure of the Basilica, despite later additions...  Credit: Kabubi on pinterest pin/511791945174879103/
Protestant Reformers rejected sacred images.

Rationalists were dismissing the divine.

The Church knew beauty was power. If it could overwhelm the senses, it could capture souls.

And then comes the Baroque: grandeur, movement, drama.
A visual argument that faith wasn’t just rational—it was something you felt.

No more distant, static figures. No more rigid compositions.

Baroque artists made heaven invade earth.

Ceilings dissolved into divine visions. Borghese Gallery, Rome! Credit: Evelyn M
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Mar 11
Some ruled empires. Some changed laws. Others sparked movements that still shape our world.

Here are 20 of the most influential women in history—whose impact still defines our lives today. 🧵👇 Queen Eleanor by Frederick Sandys, 1858 in National Museum Cardiff
1. Mary, Mother of Jesus (1st century BC–1st century AD)

Her role in Christianity has influenced billions for over 2,000 years.

Revered in Christianity and Islam, her presence in religious and cultural history is unmatched. Madonna of the Book by Sandro Botticelli in Milan in the Poldi Pezzoli Museum.
2. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (555–620 AD)

She wasn’t just the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad—she was Islam’s first believer.

A powerful merchant, she used her wealth and influence to protect the early Muslim community.

Without her, Islam may never have survived its earliest days.A fictive medal of Khadijah seen in Promptuarii iconum insigniorum - 1553  By Published by Guillaume Rouillé (1518?-1589) - "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum", Public Domain
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