The Blue Marble (painting by Dagmar Dahle)
"My Blue Marble paintings are based on one of the most widely distributed photographs of all time, taken in 1972 by the astronauts of Apollo 17, the last manned lunar mission. It is one of the few photographs to show the entire earth, with the sun conveniently lighting the face of planet Earth and with Antarctica at the top as the astronauts saw it. Rare, because it was taken by the human hand (subsequent photographs of the entire planet are usually composites from unmanned satellites), this iconic photograph has been widely used by environmental organizations to show the earth as isolated, beautiful, and vulnerable. Yet, humans are, and have long been, looking for an Earth-like twin." (Dagmar D.) [photo: Paul Litherland]