A crucial element to eighteenth-century fashion in Europe was attention to detail. From the buttons on one’s waistcoat to the folding fan, acessories were an crucial to the ensemble.
Read moreMild Applause: Caravaggio's Rejected Altarpieces
While 21st century viewers may collectively applaud Caravaggio’s innovative interpretation of religious scenes, Caravaggio’s own 17th century audience was clearly less unanimous.
Read moreThe Virtu of Isabella d’Este
As wife to the Duke of Gonzaga, Isabella used her rank and gender in order to participate in the male dominated activity of patronage.
Read moreThe Pragmatists of American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Were American designers "pragmatists" of the Art and Crafts style?
Read moreSainte Chapelle: A Chapel Fit for a King
In 1248, King Louis IX of France left for the Crusades knowing that his position as the ‘most Christian’ king was manifested in Sainte Chapelle.
Read moreAdorn Like an Egyptian: Scarab Amulets as Inspiration for Modern Jewelry in Europe
No two scarabs are alike - even in jewelry from the nineteenth and twentieth century.
Read moreIn Oeben’s Shadow: A Look at a Toilette à Transformations by Jean-François Leleu
When looking at the Toilette à Tansformations, it is hard to imagine that its maker struggled to be acknowledged as one of the premiere ébénistes of eighteenth-century France.
Read morePop Goes the Warhol
What do a chair, a cow, and a movie star have in common when portrayed in Pop Art? In the case of Andy Warhol’s silk-screens, this seemingly incongruous group is unified by the principle of repetition.
Read moreMiss Pickering’s Quilt
Mary C. Pickering’s Quilt at the Smithsonian Museum of American History is a perfect example of a nineteenth century bedcovering whose meaning goes beyond mere utility.
Read moreSpiritus Mundi: The Loggia of Galatea in the Villa Farnesina
Imagine in 1510 that Agostino Chigi, the richest man in Europe, has invited you to enter his unique suburban dwelling known today as the Villa Farnesina.
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