Image title: Hermann von Wedigh III (died 1560) Medium: Oil and gold on oak Date: 1532 Source: The Met Collection “ A passion for politics stems usually from an insatiable need, either for power, or for friendship and adulation, or a combination of both. ” — Fawn M. Brodie Papuan Shields and the Politics of Pattern Introduction: More Than Protection The fighting shields of Papua New Guinea stand as some of the most Read more…
Image title: The Crucifixion; The Last Judgment Medium: Oil on canvas, transferred from wood Date: ca. 1436–38 Source: The Met Collection “ The most important thing is transforming our minds, for a new way of thinking, a new outlook: we should strive to develop a new inner world. ” — Dalai Lama Pixel Prophets: How Neural Networks Are Inventing a New Visual Language Introduction: A New Era of Artistic Expression In darkened studios Read more…
Image title: The Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John Medium: Oil on canvas Date: ca. 1624–25 Source: The Met Collection “ Sports do not build character. They reveal it. ” — Heywood Broun Ultraviolet Saints: What Hidden Layers in Medieval Paintings Reveal Introduction: Shedding New Light on Old Masters For centuries, medieval paintings have captivated viewers with their rich symbolism, vibrant colors, and spiritual gravitas. But thanks to modern imaging technologies like Read more…
Image title: Heroic Landscape with Rainbow Medium: Oil on canvas Date: 1824 Source: The Met Collection “ When watching after yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself. ” — The Buddha After Eden: Eco-Criticism in Contemporary Landscape Painting Introduction – The Green Mirror Refracted From the earliest cave paintings to the sweeping vistas of Romanticism, the landscape has served as a canvas for humanity’s shifting relationship with Read more…
Image title: A Vase of Flowers Medium: Oil on wood Date: 1716 Source: The Met Collection “ Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. ” — Seneca the Younger ‘Sculpt Me an Algorithm’: 3D Printing Meets Classical Proportion Systems Introduction: Old Ratios, New Realities In a luminous convergence of the ancient and the futuristic, contemporary sculptors are turning to 3D printing and Renaissance-era mathematical proportions to redefine humanity’s pursuit of ideal form. Read more…
Image title: Deity figure Medium: Pyroxene jadeite Date: 200–600 CE Source: The Met Collection “ All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. ” — Pablo Picasso Mythology Rewired: How Sci-Fi Artists are Redrawing Ancient Gods Introduction: The Fusion of Cosmos and Pantheon From Zeus wielding a lightning bolt to Anubis guarding the underworld, mythology has long provided humanity with archetypes that explain the cosmos Read more…
Image title: The Dormition of the Virgin; (reverse) Christ Carrying the Cross Medium: Oil and gold on fir Date: ca. 1510 Source: The Met Collection “ The cause is hidden. The effect is visible to all. ” — Ovid Invisible Masters: The Hidden Hands Behind Renaissance Workshops Introduction: Beyond the Signatures When we think of the Renaissance, names like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael dominate our imaginations. These towering figures are often Read more…
Image title: Charity Medium: Oil on canvas Date: ca. 1630 Source: The Met Collection “ In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. ” — William Blake Political Flesh: Sculpting Revolution in Postcolonial Africa Introduction: The Chisel of Sovereignty In the turbulent wake of Africa’s decolonization, the continent’s newly independent nations embarked on an urgent quest for self-definition. While constitutions were drafted and flags unfurled, another kind of language entered the Read more…
Image title: The Musicians Medium: Oil on canvas Date: 1597 Source: The Met Collection “ There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. ” — Edith Wharton The Mirror Cracked: Self-Portraiture from Caravaggio to Cindy Sherman Introduction: Reflections Across Time The self-portrait is one of the most enduring and revealing genres in the history of visual art. It is the artist’s declaration of presence, Read more…
Image title: Pendant mask of Ìyọ́bà Idià Medium: Ivory, iron, brass, coal, traces of iron oxides Date: 16th century Source: The Met Collection “ As a water bead on a lotus leaf, as water on a red lily, does not adhere, so the sage does not adhere to the seen, the heard, or the sensed. ” — The Buddha Not Just Ink on Skin: Tattooing as Living Sculpture Across Cultures Introduction: Skin as Read more…