For students of the humanities…
As the February 2023 Turkey earthquake reminded us, there are many irreplaceable cultural treasures in earthquake zones (in addition to the even more precious and irreplaceable humans) around the world. The Hagia Sophia is one such treasure, located in Western Turkey. This article from Nature discusses Hagia Sophia's durability in the face of natural disasters… Continue reading Article: Hagia Sophia: Shaken, not stirred
Even though it's not as famous as oil paint, tempera paint was a very popular medium in the Italian Renaissance. Traditionally made by combining egg with pigment, tempera is a bit more forgiving than watercolor, but much more delicate than oils. For this reason, it has been the medium of chose for many artistic masters… Continue reading Article: Italian Renaissance Art: Tempera Painting
Do you ever wonder how ancient Roman concrete buildings still look amazing, while our concrete sidewalks quickly crack? If so, then this article will help answer your questions. The Smithsonian talks about the innovations the Romans included that has allowed a number of their concrete structures to survive through to today. link to "Self Healing"… Continue reading Article: “Self Healing” Concrete May Have Preserved Ancient Roman Structures
This article from Hyperallergic discusses the art of Ha Chong-Hyun (one of the leading figures of South Korea’s Tansaekhwa Movement). If you've never heard of this movement, this is a great way to get started exploring it. Ha Chong-Hyun showcases art that uses unusual materials (like barbed wire) and paint that is pushed through fabric.… Continue reading Article: What Ha Chong-Hyun’s Painting Confirmed for Me
Be careful when you clean out your garage. That dusty old painting could be worth a lot of money. This article from azcentral.com discusses the possible fortune an Arizona man may have found in his garage. The painting will be going up for auction, so how much it is actually worth remains to be seen.… Continue reading Article: Painting Pulled from Arizona Garage may be a Jackson Pollack worth $10 million
Printmaking can be a bit of a complicated and confusing process to study. If you need more information on printmaking--in particular lithography and relief printing--then you may find this article helpful link to Lithography and Relief Printing
Science and art can come together in surprising ways. This article from the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcases how scientific analyses can tell us more about art that has captivated the world. In this case, the art being examined is The Great Wave/Under the Wave off Kanagawa. Also included in this article is a discussion… Continue reading Article: The Great Wave: Anatomy of an Icon
Are sea monsters real? Can someone "release the Kraken"? History and literature are filled with a myriad of stories about deadly beasts that sink ships and eat people. This article presents a theory that may explain as least some of the (less deadly and dangerous) stories. link to The Kraken: when myth encounters science
There have been two Elizabethan Ages in British history. The first took place in the 16th Century, and the second ended with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022. In this article, Sky News tries to put the most recent Elizabethan age into some kind of context as a great portion of… Continue reading Article: Queen’s own words perhaps best sum up the legacy of her Elizabethan age
Queen Elizabeth II reigned for more than 70 years until her death in 2022. This (the longest reign of any British monarch) gave artists more than enough time to depict her in a number of different ways. Some of the images are official (on things like coinage) and some are less so. Thi article from… Continue reading Article: Picturing the Queen: How artists portrayed Queen Elizabeth II through her reign
Time can be unkind to art, and this was particularly apparent during World War II. Many amazing (and culturally significant) works of art were destroyed in a conflict that leveled cities and destroyed countless lives. Additionally, beyond horrific human cost, World War II was the largest art heist the world has ever seen. Although it… Continue reading Article: The True Story of the Monuments Men
There are many paintings that have been lost to time. Sometimes the art world is lucky enough to get one of them back--or at least to find out what happened to it. This article discusses the case of a painting (this one by English avant-guard artist Helen Saunders) that was found underneath another painting during… Continue reading Article: Lost Vorticist Masterpiece Found Hidden Beneath Another Painting
Color is an essential part of art, and blue is a color that is both commonly used and important. In this article from Smithsonian Magazine, they discuss the discovery of the source of Cobalt Blue, as well as the creation of Prussian Blue. The development of these colors for artistic uses increased the variety of… Continue reading Article: Creating a Full Palette of Blues
Sculptress Edmonia Lewis created amazing works despite the racism and sexism prevalent in the art world of the 19th Century. This article from Smithsonian Magazine details the challenges she faced in getting her college degree, and her college is now trying to at least partially right a wrong that was made more than 150 years… Continue reading Article: After More Than 150 Years, Sculptor Edmonia Lewis Finally Gets Her Degree
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
Humanities Scholars 