David Douglas Duncan, Cover photograph for This is War!, 1951
Earlier this month, David Douglas Duncan, one of the most influential photographers of the 20thcentury, passed away at the age of 102. His career as a photojournalist began auspiciously when he was a college student and he photographed a hotel … Continue reading
Gerrit Dou, The Young Mother, 1658, oil on panel, 28.9” x 21.8”, Mauritshuis, The Hague, Image in the Public Domain via Wikimedia.
During the Dutch Golden Age, artists specialized in different subjects in order to compete in the new art market. Early in the 17th century, artists developed specializations within their specialization to carve out a market niche for themselves. Within the … Continue reading
Eva Hesse, Sans II, 1968, fiberglass and polyester resin, 38
Eva Hesse was an artist at the center of the Post-Minimalist art movement. There are many “Post-” art movements in the history of art, which simply is a way of describing art that expands upon some of the achievements of … Continue reading
Gentile da Fabriano, The Adoration of the Magi, 1423, tempera paint and gold on panel, 80
Epiphany, the church festival that celebrates the visit of the three Wise Men twelve days after the birth of Jesus, was for centuries the most important festival of the Christian year because it is the event that marks the revelation … Continue reading
Grandma Moses, Christmas at Home, early 20th century, Photo via Wikiart.com
Nothing conveys holiday warmth like a Christmas scene by Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses, 1860-1961). It wasn’t long after she began her painting career in her late 70s that this self-taught artist attracted the attention of Hallmark Cards, Inc. … Continue reading
Jan Pogorzelski, Hanukkah Converter Lamp, 1893, Silver, 26¾” x 18” x 8¼”, Jewish Museum, New York, Photo courtesy of the Jewish Museum
The converter lamp became popular in Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland in the middle of the 19th century. These upper portions of menorah lamps could be inserted into candlesticks that people already owned. The firm of Jan Pogorzelski in Warsaw … Continue reading
Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Mama, Mummy and Mamma (Predecessors #2), 2014, Photo by the New Church Museum, Cape Town, South Africa.
The artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby was one of three artists who won the 2017 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. This generous grant is awarded to “talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity … Continue reading
Carl Frederik Reuterswärd, Non Violence, 1985, bronze, Plaza at the United Nations, New York.
When you visit the United Nations headquarters in New York City, the first thing you will see is a large bronze sculpture entitled Non-Violence created by Carl Frederik Reuterswärd. The Swedish artist sculpted the work of art at the request … Continue reading
Attributed to Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c. 1655, oil on panel, 2' 5
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by William Carlos Williams (1962) According to Brueghel when Icarus fell it was spring a farmer was ploughing his field the whole pageantry of the year was awake tingling near the edge of … Continue reading
Edward Hopper, Automat, 1927, oil on canvas, 28” x 36”, Des Moines Art Center, IA, Artwork in the Public Domain via Wikipedia.
American artist Edward Hopper was born on this day in 1882. His easily recognizable style did not change for most of his long career that began in 1895 and continued until his death in 1963. Hopper mostly painted scenes that … Continue reading
Sharin Neshat, Video still from Rapture, 1999, Photo via Gladstone Gallery, New York, NY.
Born in Qazvin in Iran and educated in Berkeley, CA, Sharin Neshat creates images of the strong contrasts between Western and Islamic society as an invitation to open a dialog between the cultures. Neshat left Iran in 1975 to attend school and didn’t return … Continue reading
Nina Katchadourian, Photograph from “Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style,” from Seat Assignments, 2010 and ongoing, Photo by Sally Coleman.
If you are in Austin, TX anytime before June 11th, I highly recommend you visit the exhibition, Nina Katchadourian: Curiouser at the Blanton Museum of Art. Expertly curated by Veronica Roberts, the show allows you to view the world as … Continue reading