For students of the humanities…
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...
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
This website presents a great variety of information on many subjects, including psychology, art, history, art history, etc. They've got a fairly comprehensive list of tags, and their search engine is very responsive. This is a great place to search for a topic or to do your initial research. link to The Collector
There are several old sayings about history and its tendency to repeat. This article deals with paintings that showcase disease. Historical ailments, and the art that commemorates them, seem a little more relevant now that we've seen the affects of the Coronavirus. link to Plague in Art: 10 Paintings You Should Know in the Times… Continue reading Article: Plague in Art: 10 Paintings You Should Know in the Times of Coronavirus
Have you ever heard of Pysanky Easter Eggs from Ukraine? Did you know that some Christian traditions place Easter on a different date than the one usually celebrated in the West? This article from Time explains these topics and more. link to The History Behind the Ukrainian Tradition of Decorating Pysanky Easter Eggs
The Venus of Willendorf got its name from the place in Austria where it was found. However, this new article from Smithsonian Magazine, presents that theory that the Venus may have actually been made in Italy and transported to Austria by a group of hunter-gatherers. link to 3-D Scans Show 30,000-Year Old Stone Sculpture...
Are you interested in pottery, painting, or the Greeks? If so, then you should check out this great article from the Metropolitan Museum Journal. It discusses the often undervalued culture and art of the Greek Geometric Period. In particular it focusses on one specific Greek krater (wine vessel and/or grave marker). To download the article,… Continue reading Article: “Ships on a ‘Wine-Dark Sea’ in the Age of Homer”: Metropolitan Museum Journal, v. 35 (2000)
While Greek kraters could be used as communal vessels to dilute (with water) and serve wine, in the Geometric Period, they were also used as grave markers. This exquisite example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcases the deceased surrounded by mourners. It also shows a group of soldiers and horses. Note the stylized nature… Continue reading Object: Terracotta krater
Those who care about art face difficult choices when war strikes. In Ukraine, museum staff and art lovers have had to decide what they can do to protect their country's artistic and cultural heritage from destruction. link to "Cultural Catastrophe": Ukrainians Fear for Art and Monuments Amid Onslaught
Weaving silk is a delicate process. This video showcases companies in France that weave silk using traditional methods. link to Shimmering Silk from France
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
Humanities Scholars 