Art Reads– “Ode on a Grecian Urn”
You’ve probably heard of John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” at some point in your educational lifespan. It’s the Romantic poem about an urn. Upon viewing some of the recently plundered–er, repurposed, the British government might say–goods the British army had carted back to London and put on display, Keats was so moved by […]
Rubens for #fancyfriday
This Friday, our #fancyfriday champ is none other than Peter Paul Rubens! His Self-Portrait with Isabella Brandt not only shows off the couple’s style, but their #flawless relationship as well. Rubens married Isabella Brandt in 1609 when he had just accepted a position in Antwerp as a court painter to the Habsburg rulers of Flanders. […]
Classic Paintings in Disney’s “Frozen”
Disney artists are some of the best in the business. As we’ve seen with my post discussing The Little Mermaid, somebody at Disney is a bigger art history geek than the rest and takes the time to carefully insert huge art history Easter eggs into their films. And much to my delight, the multi-billion-dollar blockbuster Frozen doesn’t escape […]
Girodet’s “Belley” is #fancy
Today we have another portrait to celebrate #fancyfriday, and that’s Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson’s Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Belley! Painted in 1797, the portrait aims to showcase Citizen Belley’s grandeur, a rare benefit from the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. Jean-Baptiste Belley was a former slave in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, better known today as Haiti. […]
Artist Spotlight: Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Summer is just around the bend! With lazy days filled with sun and sea ahead, it’s only fitting to celebrate the fact that warmer days are coming in beautiful California. Bulgarian-born artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and his wife Jeanne-Claude Danet, better known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude, were clearly fans of California summers as well. Their […]
Art Reads–Seven Days in the Art World
Confused by just how exactly today’s art world works? Hung up on what this “art world” actually is? Fear not! Sarah Thornton’s engaging and enlightening Seven Days in the Art World acts as your guide to the institutions that make up this tiny, odd, extremely exclusive society that ultimately determines the next big thing in […]
Lord B for #fancyfriday
With all the hubbub in the art world left over from the Met Gala this past week, we’ve decided to step things up for #fancyfriday. Today’s special: Thomas Phillips’ portrait of the notorious George Gordon, better known as Lord Byron! Born in 1788, Lord Byron (or, as I like to call him, Lord B) is […]
Insta-Art!
Tired of scrolling past endless selfies in your Instagram feed? Annoyed by the amount of your friends who are “addicted to the gym lol” and feel the need to share how much more fit they are than you? Sick of pictures of artisan hipster toast and salad clogging up your feed? Fear not–there are plenty […]
Holbein’s Anne of Cleves for Fancy Friday!
After a brief hiatus, Fancy Friday is back and better than ever with this week’s contender, Hans Holbein’s Anne of Cleves! As the last Fancy Friday honoree was the portrait from Holbein’s workshop of Henry VIII, we thought it was only fair to honor a portrait of one of Henry’s wives. He did have six […]