Last year, a man bought a Chinese bowl for $35 at a yard sale in Connecticut. In March 2021, the very same bowl went for auction at Sotheby’s and was sold for $721,800.
art history
The often-contentious relationship between artists and those who write about art is as old as culture itself. The art critic’s job is to rationalize what is inherently an irrational pursuit.
If you have a bent for the occasional musical throwback, you may wonder why Prince wouldn't sing about “Red Rain.” At least the aforementioned title could boast an alliterative appeal. Alas, the…
The easy answer is Isaac Newton, but of course, the real answer is more complicated. Though Newton might be better known for his writings on and experiments with gravity and the laws of motion, his…
The ArtCurious podcast continues to be a hit, and now, Jennifer Dasal has parlayed its extraordinary success into a book of the same name, available in September.
The embodiment of classical femininity, the goddess Venus has taken many forms throughout art history.
For six weeks in 2011, visitors to room 20 of the Parisian Musee d'Orsay didn't know what to look at first—Gustave Courbet's L'Origine du Monde (1866), or the woman copying it at a nearby…
While the word “muse” is often used to describe an inspiration or influence behind an artwork, it usually means we are either idealizing a woman or ignoring a female artist’s accomplishments.
On-site research was put on hold abruptly in March around the world. Many students conducting their work while on fellowship-funded research years had to return home, their research paused awkwardly…
This video attempts to answer an age old question: Does art have to be beautiful? See how Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist helps answer that question.
Here are 10 artists whose work transcends a momentary Valentine’s Day infatuation to become celebrated odes to love.
Performance art relates to artworks that are created through actions performed by the artist or other participants, which may be live or recorded, spontaneous or scripted.
Art historians use careful observation and description to begin their analyses of a work of art. Here, Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker take a close look at Henry Moore's sinuous…
Sister Corita Kent was a master printmaker and teacher, and her rules for artists and teachers are legendary - let’s break them down.
One of the most popular and most unlikely art historians the world has known died yesterday at the age of 88. Wendy Beckett, better known as Sister Wendy, brought great art to the masses through her…
