Acuarelas de Turner.

Lago Lemán, con el Dent d´Oche, desde lo alto de Lausana,

1841

Grafito y acuarela sobre papel. 

Todos alguna vez hemos podido percibir una sensación de sobrecogimiento al contemplar alguna de las grandes obras del ingenio humano. No hay duda de que estar frente a frente de las Pirámides de Egipto o de un gran rascacielos, por ejemplo, nos produce ese tipo de emoción. Sin embargo, para los amantes del arte, resulta incomparable la emoción de contemplar de cerca una obra maestra, fruto del trabajo y de la inspiración de alguna mente brillante. 

The French and Indian War (part 5).

James Wolfe. Portrait attributed to Joseph Highmore.

Photo by: Bonhams {{PD-US}}

What could be crossing James Wolfe´s mind, while he sailed to Quebec, on June 1759? His health was not one his strenghts, everybody knew that. Even, is quite posible that between his men were crossing bets on his death. Would he die on combat… or of disease? He sure knew that, but it was not something to keep him sleepless. After all, since he was sixteen, he knew very well the risks of combat. Not for nothing he earned to be Liutenant Colonel, being twenty one years old (1748). He just seemed to compete with himself. The only thing that mattered was to fulfill his duty, and to do it soon.

The French and Indian War (part 4).

Lake George. Photo: Daderot.

Albany Institute of History and Art, New York, USA. 

It sure was quite a view, to stare at the Lake George, on that summer evening, with all its warm shades. Across the mirror of the surface, a myriad of canoes, with thousands of Red Skins, dressed and painted for war. Next, to fill the scene, hundreds of sailing or rowing boats slowly plowed through. They were the regular forces and militians of New France. All they came for a date which would end in drama: the assault of Fort William Henry, over the south coast of the lake.

The French and Indian War (part 3).

Physical Map of the World. Source: CIA, 2004.

Geopolitics at the present, is a very complex matter, without any doubt. Sometimes, the international equilibrium may seem more and more fragile. Nonetheless, this troubled present, for sure is the result of centuries of learning. Among several factors, diplomacy has played one of the most important role, along history. To find good allies in the right moment, often has been the difference between a victory, or annihilation. There have been many reasons for establishing alliances… from economics, to family ties; even for revenge! One thing is clear: not always it was for noble causes, sometimes very dark alliances have occurred.

The French and Indian War (part 2).

Ohio region. By Nikater.

Two mighty nations struggled for the control of vasts territories in North America. They had fought for many years, and even had signed some peace agreements. Nonetheless, by the half of the 18th century, a definitive clash was imminent. The British policy of leaving those colonies to their fate, in some extent, was not possible anymore. They were facing the risk of losing those highly profitable possessions for the crown. At the same time, a continued growth of those colonies, was exerting an expansive westward pressure. But those were lands that France was marking and occupying as their own.

The French and Indian War (part 1).

The Dragon Fountain, Versailles Palace. By Israel Silvestre
1676. Source: Library of the Congress, USA. {{PD-US}}

On a cold day of February, in the Year of the Lord of 1763, there was a meeting near to Paris, at the fancy halls of Versailles. A group of representatives had attended, to sign a treaty for a peace agreement, between the most powerful nations of those days. As outrageous as it may seem in the present, they were sharing out the territories of distant countries... as if were the spoils of war. They saw those lands as their properties, all the legal rights included. A few days later, they signed another treaty. Those agreements meant the end of a great confrontation, considered by many, as the First World War. It was the Seven Years War. 

Lope de Aguirre Biografía Corta (Parte II)

 Muerte del virrey Blasco Núñez de Vela.
Batalla de Iñaquito. 1554.
Fuente: Historia General de las Indias.
{{PD-US}}

De Lope de Aguirre se han contado muchas historias… Se dice que en una ocasión fue condenado a sufrir azotes en una plaza. A un hombre como él, hubiese sido mil veces mejor matarlo, que humillarlo de manera pública. Durante tres años persiguió silencioso al responsable de ese castigo y no descansó hasta hundir su daga en él. Sin embargo, es muy posible que el resentimiento se mantuvo anidado en su corazón por el resto de su vida. Luego de sobrellevar la azarosa vida de un fugitivo, apareció en la ciudad de Cusco, en 1552, participando en una rebelión contra el virrey. Entonces fue implicado en el asesinato del gobernador Pedro de Hinojosa. A raíz de ello, fue condenado a muerte, pero poco después le sería conmutada la pena, a condición de apoyar la causa del virrey, durante la revuelta de Hernández Girón. Al fragor de esos combates resultó herido gravemente en una de sus piernas. Así, le tocó encarar la madurez baldado y pobre, lleno de rencores; ¡un futuro nada prometedor, sin duda!