Rembrandt’s Storm

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I’m
featuring
this painting
because it is

LOST

!

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It
was
stolen
from the
Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum
over thirty years ago

REWARD
$5,000,000

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Since
no one
has claimed
such a large reward
after so many years,
we have to assume
that not many
people are
seeing it
.

Losing an original work
by a renowned artist is truly
a loss, but what makes this loss
easier to bear is the fact that
it lasted long enough to
enter the digital age,
where it could be
scanned for
all to
see
.

The
Image
Survived

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The fact that
the painting was
digitized allows anyone
with access to the internet
to see the image; now,
worldwide, and for
years to come
.

like the
image above!

Rembrandt’s
original painting
has value, but what I’m
thinking about today is
how fortunate we are
that the image is
still accessible
.

It is likely
that it will last
forever in some form
or another, as long as
we stay technically
competent as
a society
.

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How
many
artworks
didn’t make it
?

How many
original images
have faded away
forever because there
was only one copy made,
and it no longer exists
?

Over the course of time,
how many creative expressions
have ceased to exist as soon
as the last person who
remembered them
ceased to exist
???

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I’m writing
this in the year that
“Non-Fungible Tokens”
were enabled for
the masses
…

an
NFT
is a digital
copy of something
that has been encrypted
into a form that can’t
be hacked
.

This
technology
makes it possible
to have a secure
crypto-currency,
for example
.

like
BitCoin
or Ethereum

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After
the NFT
technology
was proven to be
secure, it became a
way to encrypt other
forms of digital works
like songs and
photos
.

An
artist
can convert
a work to an
NFT and sell it,
including all the
rights to the
work
.

An
owner
can enforce
the copyright,
demanding that
all other forms be
destroyed or
removed
.

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Compare
these two thoughts:

“The loss of Rembrandt’s
original painting is tragic,
but at least the image
of it is available
to all”

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“I own the image
of Rembrandt’s painting,
and I have decided to give it
to my daughter as a birthday
present. It is my gift to her.
No one else can see it.”

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The
fact that
we now have the
technology to remove
images from public view,
for private financial gain,
is worth thinking about

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Google Arts & Culture
hosts a high resolution
scan of this painting,
as well as many
others
:

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Let’s hope that the
“owner” of this work
is never empowered
to convert it to
an NFT for
profit
!!!

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If you’re interested
in learning more about
the theft of this painting,
there is a 6-part documentary
series about it on Netflix,
“This is a Robbery”
.

If you don’t have access to
Netflix, there is a podcast
series about it called
“Last Seen”
:

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Have YOU
seen this
Painting

???

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One day
Jesus said
to his disciples,
“Let us go over to the
other side of the lake.”
So they got into a
boat and set out. 
As they sailed,
he fell asleep
.
A squall
came down on the
lake, so that the boat
was being swamped,
and they were in
great danger
. 
The
disciples
went and
woke him,
saying,
“Master, Master,
we’re going to drown!”
He got up and rebuked
the wind and the raging
waters; the storm
subsided, and
all was calm
. 
“Where is
your faith?”
he asked his
disciples
.
In fear and
amazement
they asked
one another,
“Who is this?
He commands
even the winds
and the water,
and they
obey
him.
“

Luke 8:22-25

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thanks for visiting
come back soon

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