Category: Fine Arts

Sandro Botticelli: Beauty and Virtue Epitomized

Sandro Botticelli (circa 1445–1510) is by now an almost household name for those familiar with Western art. Yet one might be surprised to learn that in the few centuries after the Renaissance, artists largely disregarded him as primitive, medieval, and not on par with the perfection achieved by Raphael and Michelangelo. Indeed, it has only…


The Met’s Rare Poussin Painting on Copper

Only two of Nicolas Poussin’s oil paintings on copper survive. In January, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York acquired one of the 17th-century French artist’s works: “The Agony in the Garden.” Even though some 17th- and 18th-century texts mention the painting, it was lost until 1985. Up until recently, art collectors Jon and…


A Call to Praise the Eloquence of Heaven: Simon Vouet’s ‘The Muses Urania and Calliope’

Who were the Greek muses? Zeus, the thunderbolt-wielding king of the gods, and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, had nine daughters, who were referred to as the nine Muses. The Muses were considered goddesses that brought inspiration. They inspired music, poetry, dance, and knowledge. It’s interesting to note that it took the union of Zeus,…


A Day in The Life: A Student at the 19th-Century French Academy

Every day, we wake up and we hurry to our jobs or to school. We become part of a routine that seems to encapsulate us. In this series, we will take a moment from our hectic, fast-paced world, step outside of our routine, and imagine what life may have been like across cultures and eras….


Catharsis: Aristotle’s Response to Plato

The Eye of the Beholder: Reflecting On the Purpose of Beauty and Art We’ve all heard the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but what does this mean and does it hold weight? In this series, we will take a casual look at the philosophical debates concerning our experiences with beauty and…


The Angelic Music of Josquin des Prez

Music calls out to us, evoking an array of feelings, and at its best, it renews a sense of aliveness and hope within us. A masterfully crafted musical composition renews our spirits and gives us access to parts of ourselves that otherwise remained dormant. Unless deeply steeped in the sounds of classical music of old,…


A Day in The Life: A Student at the Kano School of Painting

A Day In the Life Everyday, we wake up and we hurry to our jobs or to school. We become part of a routine that seems to encapsulate us. In this series, we will take a moment from our hectic, fast-paced world, step outside of our routine, and imagine what life may have been like…


A Return to Divine Beauty: Socrates and Phaedrus

The Eye of the Beholder: Reflecting on the Purpose of Beauty and Art We’ve all heard the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but what does this mean and does it hold weight? In this series, we’ll take a casual look at the philosophical debates concerning our experiences with beauty and art….


Landscapes of the Sublime

Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher. —William Wordsworth In times when “progress” charts a potentially perilous course for humanity, it’s the role of art to remind us of our connection to life, both inside and outside ourselves. In the 18th and 19th centuries, as the industrial revolution transformed the…


The Medici: Patrons of the Florentine Renaissance

Their artworks are icons of Italy and their names are among the most well-known in the art world: Donatello, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Michelangelo. Eager viewers stop and snap photos of the instantly-recognizable paintings, sculptures, and buildings. Displayed in museums around the world, the immortal paintings invite a popular following. What remains obscured in the history books,…