Though there was a major passing in the sports world Thursday, as our sweet, beautiful, edible Pop-Tarts Bowl Mascotleft the physical world, I think it’s important we honor their memory by moving forward with this final installment. So take a minute from sitting shiva to remember the best 20 posts from the year that was (plus a bonus for paid subscribers), and ensure the deceased pastry didn’t pass in vain.
Also, thanks for making 2023 so much fun - 2024 is going to be terrible, so drink up every last minute of this year and subscribe for access to future content to distract yourself from the miserable 366 days to come - it’s as easy as putting in your email directly below and totally free
20. Gabrielle d'Estrées and one of her sisters, Unknown artist, 1594, photo by @JayneKaminOncea
19. Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!), by Henri Rousseau, 1891, photo by @penningtonphoto
18. A Pointer and a Duck, by Arthur James Stark, mid-19th century, photo via @Brett_McMurphy
17. Marsyas, by Balthasar Permoser, 1680–85, photo by James Gill
16. Thor’s Fight with the Giants, by Mårten Eskil Winge, 1872, photo via @iamcardib
15. Oberon, Titania, and Puck with Fairies Dancing, by William Blake, 1786, photo by @DjcGallery
14. The Allegory of Femininity, by Marco Liberi, second half of the 17th century, photo via @nocontextcfb
13. Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian Salvaged, by Fra Angelico, 1438-40, photo by @kevindliles
12. Study Head of an Old Man, after Rembrandt, 1635-40, photo of @BillSimmons via @knicks_tape99
11. Flying Home: Harlem Heroes and Heroines, by @FaithRinggold, 1996, photo by @manufernandezap
10. The Dream, by Henri Rousseau, 1910
9. The Persistence of Memory, by Salvador Dalí, 1931
8. Sunburst, by Dale Chihuly, 1999, photoby Daniel Shirey
7. Tea, by Salman Toor, 2020, photo of @CoachBabersCuse via @SickosCommittee
6. The Dead Christ Mourned, by Annibale Carracci, 1604, photo of @JoeKlecker via @nocontextxctrack
5. Echo, by Robert Payton Reid, 1859, photo by @StephChambers76
4. Pointed and Round (Spitz und Rund), by Wassily Kandinsky, 1925, photo by Joe Murphy
3. Untitled Anthropometry (ANT 106), by Yves Klein, 1960, photo by @morryg
2. The Presentation of Her Portrait to Henry IV, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1622-25
1. The Murder of Caesar, by Karl von Piloty, 1865, photo via @CalicoJoeMLB
And a bonus image for paid subscribers - I did this personal favorite in May 2023, but the sports moment was from last year, so I’m calling it ineligible for the overall countdown and giving it a separate section.
