Learning about art history can be intimidating as it is, but add in the variety of terms borrowed from Italian or French and it can feel like a whole other language (literally!). The term ‘chiaroscuro’, translating to “light-dark,” comes from the Renaissance period when delicate modeling of figures, first in drawing, were created by firstContinue reading “Art History Basics: ‘Chiaroscuro’”
Tag Archives: art
Reframing History: Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham
Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham is considered by some to be the United Kingdom’s first female architect and a major patroness of architecture during the 17th century. Born into aristocracy in 1632, Lady Wilbraham married Thomas Wilbraham, the heir to the baronetcy of Wilbraham in 1651. During their honeymoon, the couple traveled throughout Europe and Lady WilbrahamContinue reading “Reframing History: Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham”
Death and the Artist
If you know me in person, you know I love Halloween, but I also love the spooky, the macabe, and the mysterious. In the lead up to Halloween, I’ve been thinking a lot about the spooky stuff of art history. Death, witches, ghosts, and the occult are only the beginning to some of the insanityContinue reading “Death and the Artist”
The Father of Art History: Giorgio Vasari
Anyone who has studied Renaissance art history can’t escape one name: Giorgio Vasari. Often described as a “father” of art history, Vasari is best known for his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. This text, a foundation text of art history, is also the keystone of much of our knowledge (and misinformation!)Continue reading “The Father of Art History: Giorgio Vasari”
Exhibition Visit: “In America – A Lexicon of Fashion”
Last week, I was fortunate enough to see the new Costume Institute exhibition at the Met, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion during a members only preview and I have some THOUGHTS. As you probably already know, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a yearly exhibition curated by the Costume Institute and Vogue magazine centeredContinue reading “Exhibition Visit: “In America – A Lexicon of Fashion””
Museum Workers Unite!
In the wake of a difficult year for museums around the world along with numerous stories of toxic work environments at major museums, museum workers are coming together to advocate for their rights as workers. Over the past year, three major US museums have seen a push for worker unionization; the Guggenheim, the Whitney, andContinue reading “Museum Workers Unite!”
The Rejection of a Masterpiece Part 2
This is the continuation of The Rejection of a Masterpiece Part 1. You should definitely go and read that first if you want to understand what I’m talking about!
-Taylor
Behind the Mosque: The Appropriation of Mosques into Gothic Cathedrals in Reconquista Spain by Claire Sandberg
The construction of religious spaces within a society has long served as an important part in establishing authority and creating a community. As the Muslims conquered Spain, they constructed mosques to mark their authority and rule over the country, creating a Muslim community center. As the Christians reclaimed Spain through the Reconquista throughout the 13thContinue reading “Behind the Mosque: The Appropriation of Mosques into Gothic Cathedrals in Reconquista Spain by Claire Sandberg”
Judith Leyster, A Great Woman Artist?: Leyster’s Self-Portrait (1630-33) and The Influence of Feminist Scholarship
Judith Leyster is the most discussed female painter from the Dutch Baroque period, her Self-Portrait considered one of Leyster’s most prominent works due to its technical skill and content. However, Leyster’s Self-Portrait was not always considered a self-portrait. Following Leyster’s death in 1660, the work was misattributed to Frans Hals for over three centuries untilContinue reading “Judith Leyster, A Great Woman Artist?: Leyster’s Self-Portrait (1630-33) and The Influence of Feminist Scholarship”
Exhibition: The Medici: Portraits and Politics, 1512-1570
When I hear around an upcoming art exhibition, there are few words that get me as excited as “Medici” and “portraits” in the same sentence. The Medici family were the heart of the Italian Renaissance in Florence, serving as major patrons for the arts and supporting many of the most successful artists of the era.Continue reading “Exhibition: The Medici: Portraits and Politics, 1512-1570”
Renaissance Reframed 