March 5 is the birthday of Italian painter GIOVANNI BATTISTA TIEPOLO (1696-1770).

Tiepolo "was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school. He was prolific, and worked not only in Italy, but also in Germany and Spain." (Wikipedia)

To see examples of Tiepolo’s art, CLICK HERE.

March 5 is the birthday of American illustrator HOWARD PYLE (1853-1911).

“Be it known that the spiritual world in outward appearance is entirely similar to the natural world.”

Pyle is best known for illustrating children's classics like THE MERRY ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, but he also trained a generation of great American illustrators like N.C. Wyeth and Jessie Willcox Smith.

To see examples of Pyle’s work, CLICK HERE.

March 5 is the birthday of Brazilian guitarist and composer HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959).

"The music of Bach is without doubt the most sacred gift to the world of art."

Villa-Lobos "was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and classical guitarist described as 'the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music.' Villa-Lobos has become the best-known South American composer of all time. A prolific composer, he wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works, totaling over 2,000 works by his death in 1959. His music was influenced by both Brazilian folk music and stylistic elements from the European classical tradition, as exemplified by his Bachianas Brasileiras (Brazilian Bach-pieces) and his Chôros. His Etudes for classical guitar (1929) were dedicated to Andrés Segovia, while his 5 Preludes (1940) were dedicated to his spouse Arminda Neves d'Almeida, a.k.a. "Mindinha". Both are important works in the classical guitar repertory." (Wikipedia)

March 5 is the birthday of Italian poet, film director, writer, screenwriter, actor and playwright PIER PAOLO PASOLINI (1922-1975).

"The cinema is an explosion of my love for reality."

Pasolini "is considered one of the defining public intellectuals in 20th-century Italian history, influential both as an artist and a political figure ... He wrote and directed the black-and-white The Gospel According to Matthew (1964). It is based on scripture, but adapted by Pasolini, and he is credited as a writer. Jesus, a barefoot peasant, is played by Enrique Irazoqui ... Pasolini was murdered on 2 November 1975 at a beach in Ostia. Almost unrecognizable, Pasolini was savagely beaten and also run over several times with his own car. Multiple bones were broken and his testicles were crushed by what appeared to have been a metal bar. An autopsy revealed that his body had been partially burned with gasoline after his death. The crime was long viewed as a Mafia-style revenge killing, one that was extremely unlikely to have been carried out by only one person." (Wikipedia)

March 5 is the birthday of Italian illustrator and painter GUERRINO BOATTO (1946-2018).

"For most of his career, Boatto worked predominantly with airbrush, finishing with pastels, markers or oil ink. During the course of his career he largely abandoned commercial airbrush works in favor of more artistic ones. Boatto's illustration work is generally considered to be in the hyperrealistic style." (Wikipedia)

To see examples of Boatto’s art, CLICK HERE.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: On March 5, 1868, Arrigo Boito's MEFISTOFELE had its premiere at La Scala in Milan.

In 1989, the San Francisco Opera mounted a now famous production starring Kansas native Samuel Ramey in the diabolical title role.