For no reason at all--except that I was researching him for some work recently--I want to brighten your day with a little Alphonse Mucha. If you know him, you probably love him. (I haven't met anyone who has told me they hate Mucha, but that doesn't mean you're not out there.) If you don't know … Continue reading What’s lacking from your Tuesday? Mucha, that’s what!
See what Artlark has to say on this interesting and oft-overlooked subject: Source: Romanian and East European Modern Art
I’ve spent the last couple of months trying to balance a very busy working-parenting life with my inborn nesting instinct. Beginning around Thanksgiving, I feel an uncontrollable urge to hunker down—stock up on fire wood, cook caloric food, wear thick socks and snuggle under plush blankets—whether I’m in seventy degree New York, subzero Wisconsin, or … Continue reading Quietude
Thank you to Smarthistory for sharing this! Source: Manar-al-Athar — Free resource for the study of the Middle East (by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis)
I have fallen so behind these last weeks! (I have myriad personal excuses, but will spare you the details.) This has been all the more frustrating, since there’s been SO MUCH I’ve wanted to write about. So, here are a few things, in no particular order, and in truncated form: Chalkboard Drawings Did you hear … Continue reading Catching Up
Apropos of my post yesterday, Inga Saffron of the Inquirer wrote this piece about Pearl Properties' development plans for the old Boyd Theater. She says, "That isn't architecture; it's a colorful form of weatherproofing." And further, "You can see mediocre metal boxes just like this going up all over Philadelphia. Actually, they're appearing in cities across America." … Continue reading Development at the Site of the Boyd Theater
Last week I wrote about the allure of the Midwestern landscape as well as some works of art that recreate those landscapes. It occurs to me that I made a major omission by not mentioning the work of contemporary photographer Terry Evans. Her photographs embrace the grand scale of the Midwest, often using an aerial … Continue reading Midwestern Landscapes Addendum
One of the reasons I love architecture is that it is not just something that you look at. It serves a specific function, yes. But whatever its function, it is experienced on many different sensory levels. You are immersed within it and therefore become a part of it. Your experience in it is part of … Continue reading Architecture’s Sounds
I have long been meaning to compile a list of some of the Internet’s most useful resources for teachers and students of art history and history. On my Resources page you can find a list of some of the sites I have bookmarked over the years, along with a brief explanation of what you’ll find there. … Continue reading Online Resources Roundup
Today I stumbled upon a link to an article that discusses "the oldest song in the world," from Sumeria dating to around 1400 BCE. If you found last week's discussion of music from ancient Babylon interesting, you should definitely check this out. The music is embedded in the site. (By the way, the article is … Continue reading Sumerian Hymn
Ellen A. Hurst 