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The tomb of Philippe Pot is a life-sized funerary monument commissioned by the military leader and diplomat Philippe Pot. Pot was a godson of Philip the Good and became a knight of the Golden Fleece; he later served the French king, Louis XI, who appointed him grand seneschal of Burgundy, and Louis's son Charles VIII. His effigy shows him recumbent on a slab, his hands raised in prayer, wearing armour and a heraldic tunic. Pot commissioned the tomb when he was around 52 years old, some 13 years before his death in 1493. The inscriptions written on the sides of the slab emphasise his achievements and social standing. The tomb is made of limestone, paint, gold and lead. Although its sculptor is unrecorded, art historians generally cite Antoine Le Moiturier as the most likely designer. The monument was stolen during the French Revolution; since 1899 it has been in the Louvre, where it is on permanent display. The tomb underwent a major restoration between 2016 and 2018. (Full article...)

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On this day

October 30

Monument to the Gozo luzzu disaster

1938 – CBS Radio broadcast the radio drama The War of the Worlds, causing panic among some listeners who believed that an actual Martian invasion was in progress.
1948 – A luzzu (Maltese fishing boat) overloaded with passengers capsized and sank in the Gozo Channel off Qala, killing 23 of the 27 people on board (monument pictured).
1991 – The Madrid Conference, an attempt by the international community to revive the Israeli–Palestinian peace process through negotiations, convened.
1993 – The Troubles: Three members of the Ulster Defence Association opened fire in a crowded pub during a Halloween party, killing eight people and wounding nineteen others.
2002 – After his terminal-cancer diagnosis, Warren Zevon made his last public appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, giving the advice to "enjoy every sandwich".

Miloš Trifunović (b. 1871)
Dave Gallaher (b. 1873)
Gustav Ludwig Hertz (d. 1975)
Jam Master Jay (d. 2002)

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Today's featured picture

Anna Bartels (1869–1950) was a Swedish operatic soprano and mezzo-soprano. She made her debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1897 in the title role of Friedrich von Flotow's Martha. Engaged by the company for the next 20 years, she appeared in many Swedish premieres, such as Musette in Puccini's La bohème (1901), Marianne in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier (1920) and La Ciesca in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (1920). Other works in which she appeared include The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni and Carmen. Bartels is also remembered for her appearances in concerts and lieder recitals. She was awarded the Litteris et Artibus medal in 1923 for her contributions to Swedish culture. This 1901 photograph by the Swedish photographer Ferdinand Flodin shows Bartels in her role as Musette.

Photograph credit: Ferdinand Flodin; restored by Adam Cuerden

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