For students of the humanities…
The place of women in art expanded through the Early Modern Period. In this article from MOMA magazine, these changes are discussed through the lens of the art of Käthe Kollwitz. link to Käthe Kollwitz’s Self-Portrait en face
Painted portraits aren't as popular as they used to be, but they can still excite interest and comments. This article from Hyperallergic discusses the controversy over a new royal portrait. link to Critics Roast Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Official Portrait
Rosa Bonheur was a remarkable 19th Century French artist. She specialized in realistic depictions of animals, and her art was celebrated around the world. Unfortunately, her art has been largely forgotten in her home of France. This article from Smithsonian Magazine discusses efforts to rediscover her art and career. link to The Redemption of Rosa… Continue reading Article: The Redemption of Rosa Bonheur
Have you ever doodled in the margins of something you're writing? If so, then Medieval snail fights might interest you--yes, I said snails. The knight vs. snail motif is a recurring one in the margins of Medieval manuscripts, and researchers have yet to figure out why. However, this article from Smithsonian Magazine gives an interesting… Continue reading Article: Why Were Medieval Knights Always Fighting Snails?
If you are interested in Old English or the Middle Ages, then this may be the site for you. Although many of the resources require payment, there are a couple of interesting free options: the Old English word of the day and links to Medieval Resources. link to Old English Wordhord
What did the past smell like? This is a question that this article from Smithsonian Magazine tries to address. While it focusses on the attempts to recreate Cleopatra's perfume, it also talks about the importance of scent to culture and ways that we might recapture the scents of the past. link to Scientists Recreate Cleopatra's… Continue reading Article: Scientists Recreate Cleopatra’s Favorite Perfume
Unfortunately, the degree to which women were involved in Medieval art and bookbinding has been lost to history. This article from ScienceAdvances details a discovery in the teeth of the remains of a Medieval nun that suggests women may have been more involved in the medieval arts than had previously been thought. Link to Medieval… Continue reading Article: Medieval women’s early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculus
This article from Smithsonian Magazine showcases the breadth of the influence of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. After saving an carved stone panel from looters, archeologists uncovered evidence that the Neo-Assyrian culture interacted with the Arameans in what is today Turkey. link to Ancient Rock Art Depicting Divine Procession...
As a long time student (and now teacher) of the Humanities, I know how difficult it can be to find sources. So, I decided to put this blog together to help my students (and anyone else who's interested) more easily find sources for their research. Keep in mind, however, that there are many different types… Continue reading A Few Notes on Using These Sources
While I suggest you browse (or use the search function and/or tags) through the entries to find the websites and videos that are most relevant to your research, I thought it might be helpful to provide a list of links for quicker access. Please note that this list only contains the websites and videos on… Continue reading Table of Contents: Websites and Videos
When it comes to Modern Art, it sometimes makes more sense if you can see how an artist made his or her particular works. In this YouTube playlist from the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), you can watch artist and conservator Corey D'Augustine show you how painters such as Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and… Continue reading Video: MOMA In the Studio
Art can be lost to the world in many different ways. War, natural disasters, deliberate destruction, and theft are just a few of those ways. One of the most brazen examples of art theft in history is the Gardner Museum Theft. Early on a March day in 1990, thirteen works of art (mostly paintings) were… Continue reading Article: Gardner Museum Theft: an active and ongoing investigation
The place of women in art has been hotly debated for centuries (if not longer). This article from Hyperallergic attempts to redress that by examining represenations of women in Medieval art. link to Tracing the Lives of Women in Medieval Manuscript Illustrations
The Art Story is a website that presents articles on many different artists. It's format is both informative and fun as it shows the progression of their careers through the selection of artwork from various points in their careers. If you need to research an artist, this is a great place to begin to get… Continue reading Website: The Art Story
Unfortunately, not all art is valued all of the time. In Italy, the traditional villages and their traditional way of life were seen as old and tired in the first half of the twentieth century, and many people moved to the city for a faster-paced, hopefully more lucrative life. Things are changing now, and Italy… Continue reading Article: How Italy Is Bringing Its Rustic Villages Back to Life
Humanities Scholars 