Essay

Raphaelle Peale, A Dessert, 1814.
Reframed: Feasts Depicted Throughout Art History
Museum-goers, this author included, are often guilty of walking past still life paintings of food, dismissing them as dull and anodyne. Yet, taking in the context of when they were created, these…
Giorgio Vasari portrait
6 Art Historians Who Shaped Our Understanding of Art
So much of what we know about art comes from art historians, but how much do we know about the art historians themselves?
close up of Sandro Botticelli's Portrait of a Young Woman
The Jewelry of the Renaissance: The Medici Gem Collection
In the second installment in our series on jewelry’s place in art history, we’re exploring jewelry collecting in the Renaissance, a time when jewels were considered as valuable to possess and display…
Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, Franceso Melzi, 1510-1511. Charcoal, white chalk, and chalks of various colors on prepared paper. Ambrosian Library.
The Surprising Muses of Leonardo Da Vinci
When we think of Leonardo da Vinci’s most notable works, it would be easy to assume the women behind the Mona Lisa or Lady with an Ermine were his muses. One may therefore be surprised to discover…
Still from INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK | Official Trailer.
Archeology in the Movies: What Hollywood Gets Right and Wrong
Indiana Jones is a terrible archeologist. Yet, despite the films having next to nothing to do with actual archeological work, he is somehow the most famous icon of the field. Those within the field…
 Benjamin West, The Battle of La Hogue, c. 1778. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
History Painting: An Art Genre or the Manipulation of Truth?
Much as the late nineteenth-century American myth of Manifest Destiny was used to justify westward expansion, many history paintings worked to shape and uphold stories of superiority and inferiority…
Features many repeated words, each circled. Also an arrow and a face.
The Doodle: Art by Famous Non-Artists
Even though Dostoevsky’s drawings feel like a byproduct of his writing process and Plath’s more like an independent form of expression, both still seem linked to an abundance of creativity and the…
Howard University, Washington D.C. - Founder's Library
7 Notable Artworks and Artists Associated with Howard University

Ranked as one of the best Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in America, …

"Sorrow" from The Path of Life Garden, 2017.
6 Sculpture Gardens To Visit In New England This Summer

Sculpture gardens are outdoor spaces that unify art and nature…

A scene from Beyond the Visible-Hilma AF Klint, a film by Halina Dryschka.
Five Female-Driven Films That Celebrate Women in the Arts

While audiences have always loved a good biopic, finding the stories of artists and other changemakers particularly fascinating, …

"Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1" (1871), Whistler's Mother
8 Artists Who Painted Their Mothers As Muses and Metaphors

When American painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s (1834-1903) portrait of his mother…

"Perspective", 1923. Painting by Tamara de Lempicka.
Artist Tamara de Lempicka-Inspired Musical Nominated For Tony Awards

Once known for her stylized portraits of the wealthy and…

An example product of art therapy. Leire Markinez Calvo's painting based on her feelings. 2021.
An Introduction to Art Therapy: Its History and Practice

Art has been used as an outlet for the expression of emotions…

Aerial view of Arena in Verona, Italy. 2022. Photograph by © Arne Müseler.
Beyond Pompeii: 10 Ancient Ruins to Visit in Italy

With a robust food culture and deep, rich…

Jerry Saltz with Sharon Stone during their talk during the Vulture Festival in November 2023.
Art Critic Jerry Saltz Doesn’t Care That He’s Controversial
We take a look back at some of the controversial battles that art critic Jerry Saltz has had with various artists.