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 →
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: 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: 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 →
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 →
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 →
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
Video: In Search of Forgotten Colors
Many artistic techniques of the past have unfortunately been lost to history. This video from the Victoria and Albert Museum details the quest of a 5th generation Japanese dye maker to recapture the colors of the past. link to In Search of Forgotten Colors
Website: Rise Art-Art Guides
Rise Art offers works of art for sale, but the guide side of the website provides information on art basics, art history, and art news. It's a good place to find out more about composition, and it has up to date information on a number of artistic topics. link to Rise Art-Art Guides
Article: British Library-The Middle Ages
The British Library is an excellent source in general, and their Middle Ages project gives a good amount of information on the period--primarily though a look at a number of illuminated manuscripts. Links are provided to multiple articles, and you can view a number of interesting items (with descriptions from their collection. This is part... Continue Reading →
Article: How the Art World is Responding to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Wars destroy people's lives and homes, and they also destroy their art and culture. This article from Architectural Digest provides an insight into how the art world (both inside and out of Ukraine) has tried to respond. link to How the Art World is Responding to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine