A Moment in Art History – Auguste Rodin’s “Adam” – Incomplete Perfection
When Auguste Rodin decided that Adam would be part of his Gates of Hell, he didn’t anticipate that the sculpture of the Biblical first man would never stand in a…
A Moment in Art History: “American Gothic” – The U.S.A.’s Most Iconic Painting?
Like many of you, I’ve found myself with a bit more time on my hands lately. Being a lover of art history, I decided to start a new video project,…
Whistler’s Mother – Do the Artist’s Intentions Matter?
Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 In my first Moments in Art History video, I talked about American Gothic, one of the most iconic paintings in American history. Whistler’s…
Hiawatha and Minnehaha – How Edmonia Lewis overcame prejudice to become a successful artist in the nineteenth century
Edmonia Lewis and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow There’s been a longstanding relationship between art and literature. From numerous works based on mythology to storybook illustrations to Millais’ Ophelia, artists have often…
The Mystery of Johannes Vermeer’s “Woman Reading a Letter”
Johannes Vermeer is best known for his paintings of serene domestic scenes, like “The Milkmaid” and “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” The paintings are excellent examples of the delicacy and…
The Hidden Meaning of Velazquez’s “Las Meninas”
The Painting Diego Velazquez’s “Las Meninas” is one of the world’s most iconic and well-known paintings. Painted in the mid-17th century, the work is a masterful example of the Spanish…
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte – A look at Georges Seurat’s masterpiece and its predecessor
“Art is harmony. Harmony is the analogy of contrary and of similar elements of tone, of color and of line, conditioned by the dominate key, and under the influence of…
Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer – The Woman in Gold”: The painting at the center of a Nazi controversy
Gustave Klimpt’s painting “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer – The Woman in Gold” has a long and complicated history, involving Nazis, legal battles, and finally, a new home in New York….
Vincent Van Gogh
“The emotions are sometimes so strong that I work without knowing it. The strokes come like speech.” – Vincent van Gogh This spring, I finally read Irving Stone’s biographical novel…
Henri Matisse
“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse Henri Matisse was born on December 31, 1869, in the small town of Le Cateau-Cambrésis in northern France. His father was a grain merchant, and…