I've been in love with Jan Matejko's Stanczyk for several months now. I first came across it on Wikipedia possibly last year and I can't seem to shake it out of my head at the moment.



The painting doesn't look too special at first glance. Indeed, if wasn't for the story behind the painting, I wouldn't chance a second look.

The person on sitting the chair is Stanczyk, a Polish court jester. He, according to Wikipedia, "is the only person at a royal ball to become worried after the news that the city of Smolensk was captured by the Russians reaches the court."

I don't know about you but that's the wow factor for me - it definately captures human's foolishness and life's irony.

Any parallel to Malaysia? I hope not.