Friday links: chocolate, Van Gogh, and pre-Internet Vines

Photographer: Robert Howlett | Isambard Kingdom Brunel, builder of the Great Eastern | ca. 1857-1858 | George Eastman House, eastmanhouse.org

Some stories we’ve been reading this week:

• A sketch of Van Gogh has been discovered in an album of drawings by his friend, the French artist Emile Bernard. Other than self-portraits, there are very few depictions of Van Gogh, so this represents a remarkable find. Take a look.
• Two years ago, Vine’s six-second video-sharing became a huge hit. But the British were doing it since 1868.
• When Chocolate first arrived in Europe in the 17th century it was thought more of as a drug than as a food. (Here at Artstor we prefer to think of it as lunch.)
• The benefit of living next door to a farmer? Free eggs. The benefit of living next door to an artist?
• Kind of depressing but fascinating nonetheless: the Museum of Stolen Art.

• New York Magazine‘s senior art critic Jerry Saltz loves contemporary art, and writes about it almost exclusively, so you might be surprised by what he considers the most powerful artwork he has ever seen.
• How do you read ancient scrolls so fragile that they crumble if touched? An Italian scientist might have an answer.
• Having trouble coming up with creative ideas? A recent study concludes that spending a few minutes pondering your various identities—student, teacher, employee, blogger (ahem)—can lead to more creative insights.