Weaving silk is a delicate process. This video showcases companies in France that weave silk using traditional methods. link to Shimmering Silk from France
Video: Shimmering Silk from France
Author: Dr. Hawley
I'm a Humanities professor at PHSC, and I've decided to put a blog together to help my students do research in their humanities and art appreciation classes.
Article: How the Mona Lisa Escaped Destruction During World War II
Unfortunately, a great deal of art that existed before World War II was destroyed before the war was over. The Louvre was not willing to let that happen to their collections. Particular attention was given to ensuring the survival of the Mona Lisa. This article from Mental Floss details the work done to save the… Continue reading Article: How the Mona Lisa Escaped Destruction During World War II
Object: Album of Tournaments and Parades in Nuremberg
Are you interested in the age of chivalry and knights in shining armor? If your answer is "yes," then you should check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Album of Tournaments and Parades. This is a 112-sheet manuscript that shows knights and shining armor as they appeared before competing in a special kind of tournament… Continue reading Object: Album of Tournaments and Parades in Nuremberg
Video: A History of Pearls
Pearls have been important in many times and in many places. This video from the Victoria and Albert museum details just a bit of that history. link to A History of Pearls
Article: 10 Facts About Guernica by Pablo Picasso
In 1937, Pablo Picasso painted Guernica to illustrate his reaction to the Nazi bombing in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. This work is part of a long tradition of artists reacting to current events in general and war in particular. Visuals of this type often have a significant impact on their viewers and help… Continue reading Article: 10 Facts About Guernica by Pablo Picasso
Video: How Was It Made? Silk Painting
Paintings don't have to be done on a canvas. Wood, fiberboard, and even silk are options when creating amazing works of art. This video from the Victoria and Albert Museum shows how a silk painting was made by recreating a historical Chinese work. link to How Was It Made? Silk Painting
Article: Refashioning the Lavoisiers
For those studying 18th Century painting, this article showcases how the culture influenced the art. Specifically, the article focuses on a particular painting of Jacques Louis David, and it presents a forensic examination of its makeup and history. link to Refashioning the Lavoisiers
Article: “Can One Man Save the World” Song About Zelensky Takes the Internet by Storm
Musicians, artists, and other creators of the Humanities often respond to current events in their work. In this article, Newsweek discusses the internet's response to John Ondrasik's (Five for Fighting) song about the impact that the President of Ukraine is having on the world. link to "Can One Man Save the World" Song About Zelensky… Continue reading Article: “Can One Man Save the World” Song About Zelensky Takes the Internet by Storm
Article: Saint Patrick: bishop and patron saint of Ireland
The Encyclopedia Britannica's website provides information on a huge variety of topics. In this case, they provide information on the truth of the life of Saint Patrick. It's a more complicated story that one might expect. He is definitely involved in Ireland, but most of the rest of his life and accomplishments are shrouded in… Continue reading Article: Saint Patrick: bishop and patron saint of Ireland
Article: A Monumental Loss: Here Are the Most Significant Cultural Heritage Sites That ISIS Has Destroyed to Date
In this article from 2017, ArtNet details the destruction (that was at that time still ongoing) of cultural heritage sites by ISIS. Stories like this show the destructive affect of war on art and culture (in addition to its painful consequences for people's lives and families). link to A Monumental Loss...
Video: How Was It Made? Micromosaics
When most of us think about mosaic art, we probably imagine something fairly large. Micromosaics take the mosaic artform and miniaturize it. In this video from the Victoria and Albert Museum, you can see how a micromosaic is made as they recreate a historical example. link to How Was It Made? Micromosaics
Video: Caravaggio: His Life and Style in Three Paintings
The National Gallery in Britain has produced a number of videos on different topics in Art and Art History. This video deals with Caravaggio's life, his "The Supper at Emmaus," and two of his other works. Caravaggio's great skill as a painter is undeniable, and his life is a very interesting one. This may be… Continue reading Video: Caravaggio: His Life and Style in Three Paintings
Website: Architectural Digest
Are you researching an architectural topic (particularly a contemporary one)? If so, you may find something interesting on the website of Architectural Digest. Their search function can be a little awkward, so you may have to do a bit of a manual search. Their articles may be a little hard to find, but they are… Continue reading Website: Architectural Digest
Article: Language matters: What learners need to know about Ukrainian
Duolingo offers both free and paid online language classes in numerous languages. As such, they know a great deal about how language works and what hidden messages it can contain. In this article from their blog, Duolingo explains the differences between the Ukrainian and Russian languages and talks about how language can be political. This… Continue reading Article: Language matters: What learners need to know about Ukrainian
Website: My Modern Met
This website has so much information that it can get a little overwhelming, but luckily it also has a really effective search function. If you are looking for anything from humanities to art history to artistic techniques, My Modern Met may have what you need. link to My Modern Met
Humanities Scholars 