Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy Holidays!

A Cradle Song - William Blake


Sweet dreams, form a shade,
O'er my lovely infant's head;
Sweet dreams of pleasant streams
By happy, silent, moony beams.

Sweet sleep, with soft down.
Weave thy brows an infant crown.
Sweet sleep, Angel mild,
Hover o'er my happy child.

Sweet smiles, in the night,
Hover over my delight;
Sweet smiles, mother's smiles,
All the livelong night beguiles.

Sweet moans, dovelike sighs,
Chase not slumber from thy eyes.
Sweet moans, sweeter smiles,
All the dovelike moans beguiles.

Sleep, sleep, happy child,
All creation slept and smil'd;
Sleep sleep, happy sleep,
While o'er thee thy mother weep.

Sweet babe in thy face,
Holy image I can trace.
Sweet babe once like thee,
Thy maker lay and wept for me,

Wept for me, for thee, for all,
When he was an infant small.
Thou his image ever see,
Heavenly face that smiles on thee,

Smiles on thee, on me, on all;
Who became an infant small.
Infant smiles are His own smiles;
Heaven and earth to peace beguiles.



William Blake's words seem especially apropos for me this holiday season. My daughter is over a year old now, and I feel very lucky to be able to observe her divine little smiles!

The past few weeks have flown by at such a crazy pace that it's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here. I am looking forward to taking the next few days to enjoy celebrating the holidays with my family. I hope everyone is enjoying this festive season of the year. Best wishes to all!


Image: The Adoration of the Shepherds by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, 1650

Thursday, December 23, 2010

January Issue of the Art History Carnival

I hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season!  

The January issue of the Art History Carnival  will be posted on January 3, 2011 You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (in this case, January 1, 2010). 

What kind of blog articles will be included? 
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed. 

What is a Blog Carnival? 
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic." 

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere! 

Who can submit? 
Anyone, as long as you have a blog! And If you don't blog, you can submit one of your friend's articles (except they better be good--I'll be reading them!). 

Can I host a carnival? 
Absolutely! Please let me know if you'd be interested in hosting the next issue of the carnival. 

How to submit articles
You have two options:

1. Send me an email. Include the title and permalink URL of the post you are nominating for inclusion in the carnival, along with the name of the blog. Please put "Art History Carnival" in the title of your email to help me recognize it in my inbox!

2. Use the submission form provided by Blog Carnival (this is probably the easiest!). 

One final thing to keep in mind: 
To keep things current, posts should have been written after the date of the last Carnival.

Thank you for your participation! Share the news if you know someone who likes to write about art!

Friday, December 10, 2010

William Morris' Kelmscott Chaucer on Display in Buffalo, NY

If you are in Buffalo, New York, this month, be sure to check out the Central Library at Lafayette Square, which will be presenting an exhibit of entitled "The Ideal Book--William Morris and the Kelmscott Press." Included in the exhibit is an original copy of William Morris' Kelmscott Chaucer, along with books produced by the Roycroft Press.

My University library has a facsimile copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer, but I've never seen an original up close. The facsimile itself is nothing to sneeze at - it's a gorgeous book. It never hurts to add it to your Christmas list, though $650 for the gorgeous Folio Society edition might be a bit steep (though it pales in comparison to the real deal - the genuine article recently sold in New York for $160,000 USD). There are some nice editions available on Amazon.com for considerably less, though. I got my sister this very pretty edition (which only includes the Canterbury Tales, but it's a lovely hardbound edition) for under $20 a couple of years ago. I'm afraid I would dissolve into tears if my daughter tore up a folio edition, but at less than $20, this copy is probably just the ticket for a family with small children.



The Kelmscott Chaucer gives readers a sensual experience. I still remember the first time I picked it up and thought "this is what a book should be like." Sir Edward Burne-Jones illustrations are stunning, and the borders have exquisite details that the eye can follow for hours. In general, I'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to my books. I know that there have been many tomes written on decorating with books, etc., but I personally believe most books really aren't that attractive. They take up too much space! As a result, I tend to either borrow from the library or read eBooks. There are not that many books I consider worth having physical copies of, but this is one of them. As Morris said, "have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." This is certainly an item that any fan of William Morris and Pre-Raphaelites would be thrilled to find under the tree.

For more information on the Kelmscott Chaucer, visit the Buffalo Library's exhibition website. The Kelmscott Chaucer will be on display until January 30, 2011

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Art History Carnival December 2010




Welcome to the December 1, 2010 edition of the Art History Carnival!

As the year draws to a close, I am struck by the art history community's growing online presence. When I started this blog back in 2007, I was surprised by the paucity of art history blogs on the net. I'm sure there were plenty of people out there blogging, but in those days it was difficult to find blogs unless they were ranked highly by search engines. I started the art history carnival as an attempt to connect to others with an interest in art history. A casual glance at those early carnivals will give you some indication of how few submissions I received back then! When I brought the carnival back this September, I could immediately tell how much things had changed. Over the past few months I have consistently received informative and engaging submissions. I was also pleased to have the November issue of the carnival hosted by Monica at Alberti's Window(thank you again, Monica!).

Art history - and the humanities in general - clearly have a growing presence, not only in the blogosphere, but also in new social medial like Facebook and Twitter. The art history community is thriving on Twitter, as evidenced by Dr. Ben Harvey's recent post examining the impact Twitter on art history Art History in the age of Twitter, posted at his academic blog Emanata, at Mississippi State University.

H Niyazi often uses his blog Three Pipe Problem to draw attention to the way the web can function as a transformative tool for the arts. His recent post Online Collaboration in the Humanities examines how RSS feeds and Twitter have changed the way we connect with each other to share ideas and inspiration.

It's a whole new web 2.0 world out there, and if things can change this much in three years, I can't wait to see what the future holds for the online art history community!

architecture


In this guest post for Arttrav, architectural historian Agnes Crawford takes us on a fascinating tour or the Chapel of Saint Zeno at Santa Prassede in Rome.The Chapel of Saint Zeno at Santa Prassede: mosaic revival and survival is posted at Arttrav.com

art history


H Niyazi explores the theme of the mystical landscape in Romantic art in Caspar David Friedrich and the Primordial Landscape posted at his art history blog Three Pipe Problem.

Art historian Monica Bowen, author of Alberti's Window explores the impact of art history blogging as a viable medium for teaching, collaboration and engaging the general public in her post examining art history bloggers as "les indépendents."

Just in time for Hanukkuh, Helen Webberley has written a beautiful post on Jewish silver art: filigree work posted at her blog ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly. She writes that "many communities that could not, for various reasons, create large scale architecture, paintings and sculptures; nonetheless they could still create beautiful, small art objects. For Jewish communities after the expulsion from Spain in 1492, the art was often on religious books and ritual objects. And the medium was often silver filigree."

Susan Benford from Famous Paintings Reviewed - An Art History Blog takes her readers back in time to the art of the Aztec empire in Art History Beyond Europe: Coatlicue. This post takes a closer look at the somewhat terrifying Aztec statue of Coatlicue, a figure revered by the Aztecs, discarded by the Spaniards and revived by Frida Khalo and the Mexicana movement. It's a fascinating saga!

For a bit of fun, Corinne Reidy has created a list of the 10 Most Imitated Artists of All Time posted at Web Design Schools Guide. Can you guess which artists made the cut?

art news


Public art is seemingly everywhere, but it's abundance can also make it easy to miss. I've often been in towns I thought I knew well, only to one day "discover" a mural that I never existed before. Apparently, I'm not the only person who's had this problem! Will from Mural Locator has developed a Map of Murals to help people locate murals around the world. "Our goal is to find locations of amazing public art wall murals to share them with you and to help archive the history and importance of murals. We connect with artists, muralists, and art foundations to expand the knowledge of art." What a great idea!

Have you ever wondered about the size of the stolen art industry? (As fan of CNBC's American Greed, I confess I have). For those of you who are slightly skeptical of some of the wilder statistics on art theft that are thrown around, Mark Durney has done a post Art Theft: The 6 Billion Dollar Question that takes a closer look at where the numbers come from.

exhibits


Paul Doolan reflects on the life and works of Pablo Picasso after a visit to the museum in Picasso Visits Zurich, Again posted at ThinkShop.

Finally, a humorous musical treat in time for the holidays. Read a tribute to the Danish pianist and humorist in Piano Humour: A Victor Borge Tribute posted at Piano Street's Classical Piano Blog.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
art history carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page
.



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, .

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Call for Submissions for the December Issue of the Art History Carnival

The December issue of the Art History Carnival  will be posted on December 1, 2010. You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (in this case, November 29, 2010). 

What kind of blog articles will be included? 
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed. 

What is a Blog Carnival? 
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic." 

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere! 

Who can submit? 
Anyone, as long as you have a blog! And If you don't blog, you can submit one of your friend's articles (except they better be good--I'll be reading them!). 

Can I host a carnival? 
Absolutely! Please let me know if you'd be interested in hosting the next issue of the carnival. 

How to submit articles
You have two options:

1. Send me an email. Include the title and permalink URL of the post you are nominating for inclusion in the carnival, along with the name of the blog. Please put "Art History Carnival" in the title of your email to help me recognize it in my inbox!

2. Use the submission form provided by Blog Carnival (this is probably the easiest!). 

One final thing to keep in mind: 
To keep things current, posts should have been written after the date of the last Carnival.

Thank you for your participation! Share the news if you know someone who likes to write about art!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Did the Pre-Raphaelites Suffer from "Blurred Vision?"


This morning I came across a less-than-enthused review of "The Pre-Raphaelite Lens" in the Washington Post. In the article, Andy Grundberg criticized what he termed the "blurred vision" of the Pre-Raphaelites. And while Grundberg retained some admiration for the work done by Pre-Raphaelite landscape artists, he condemned the Brotherhood with broad strokes, arguing that "its members claimed to be interested in realism and truth" but were "far more taken with notions of fiction and theatricality."

Grundberg was a photography critic for the New York Times for many years, so it's not surprising that he prefers the Pre-Raphaelites landscapes and photography to their paintings. But his criticism of the PRB is pretty standard. Many modern viewers can appreciate the work of artists like John William Inchbold (whose photograph-quality painting of Anstey's Cove is pictured here), and even Ford Maddox Brown, but remain perplexed by the romanticism of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones.

I was particularly struck by Grundberg's backhanded compliment that Julia Margaret Cameron and Henry Peach Robinson had "managed against odds to transcend their subjects' goofy origins in Arthurian legend." So now it's "goofy" to be inspired by myths and legend? Greek myth has inspired countless artists and is (quite rightly) not regarded as a "goofy" source of inspiration. Why should ancient British myths be seen differently?

Mythology is such a rich source of inspiration for artists, and it saddens me to see it dismissed off-hand. Many members of the PRB were actually very interested in a "modern" approach to art and design. They recognized that British art had become mired in convention and instead attempted to use the classics as a foundation to build from that would allow them break free from traditions that had become oppressive to artists. Even William Morris, whose passion for the middle ages is well-known, was not attempting to imitate medieval design, but to use it as a source of inspiration to create a better future.

Apparently, people today are confused that a a group that claimed to be visionary would lean so heavily on mythology and the classics for inspiration. Contemporary artists and (and their adoring critics) have the hubris to claim that they have re-invented the wheel, or are totally unencumbered by the influence of others from the past (the Young British Artists come to mind). And while this unfettered arrogance is intriguing, and can sometimes produce fascinating work, it also runs the risk of alienating the public with its hollow promise of unbridled innovation. A connection to the past and an understanding of our collective unconscious is not "goofy" - it's a fundamental part of the creative process.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Henri Matisse: A Celebration of Light and Line at the Art Gallery of Alberta

From now until February 13, 2011, the Art Gallery of Alberta will be featuring an exhibit of the works of Henri Matisse. The exhibit contains over 170 of Matisse's works, with a special emphasis on his work in printmaking. The exhibit combines works from the collection of The Baltimore Museum of Art with others from Matisse as Printmaker: Works from the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, a traveling exhibition created by the American Federation of Arts and the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation. Many of the pieces from the Baltimore Museum of Art are recent gifts to the museum, and this will be the first time that they have been available to the public.

I'm extremely excited to see this exhibit - I can't wait to take my daughter! It's been so interesting to see what art she responds to the most. Sculpture and colorful paintings definitely seem to thrill her the most so far (she was in love with the ballet dancers from the Degas exhibit we went to earlier this year - and she was just a few months old!).   Oh, and of course she loved the AGA's "Art of Warner Bros." exhibit! Matisse's works is so colorful that I'm pretty confident it will catch her eye (now that she's a little bigger, the challenge will be getting her close enough to see, but not too close!!).

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to put up any photos of Matisse's work due to copyright restrictions (Matisse died in 1954 - so it has been a little less than 70 years since his death. As a result, there are some copyright issues since his works are not in the public domain). So, to see a few samples of works that will be included in the exhibit, visit the Art Gallery of Alberta's website for the exhibit: Henri Matisse: A Celebration of Light and Line.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

November Issue of the Art History Carnival


I'm afraid I'm a day late (time is just flying by these days!), but I just wanted to remind everyone that this month the Art History Carnival is being hosted at Alberti's Window. There are some great articles in this issue that are not to be missed, so be sure to visit!

Friday, October 22, 2010

November Issue of the Art History Carnival to be Hosted at Alberti's Window

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Calling all art history bloggers! I'm pleased to announce that the November issue of the Art History Carnival will be hosted by Monica Bowen at her beautiful blog, Alberti's Window.

For more information, visit her post announcing the November edition.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Karen Elson's Pre-Raphaelite Inspired Music Video "The Truth is in the Dirt on the Ground"

Fashion model Karen Elson is making her foray into the music business with her new album The Ghost Who Walks. She recently released the album's first music video, for the track "The Truth is in the Dirt on the Ground." The video is chock-full of Pre-Raphaelite references. There are numerous allusions to Pre-Raphaelite paintings here - I was particularly reminded of Waterhouse's Ophelia (because of the Queen Anne's Lace) and his Lady of Shalott (of course, parts of it are also quite reminiscent of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights"). With her vibrant scarlett locks, Elson has long been described as a Pre-Raphaelite beauty - I'm glad to see that she's embracing the label in her new music video! 


Apparently, the song was inspired by an obituary for Eartha Kitt. I did a little digging around, and it looks like Elson was referring to a quote from the New York Times obituary for Kitt: "I'm a dirt person...I trust the dirt. I don't trust diamonds and gold." 


The song is quite catchy, and the sound, which her husband, Jack White of the White Stripes, describes as "folk country gothic" is very appealing. I've been humming it ever since I saw the video this morning. 

A special thanks to Grace from The Beautiful Necessity for posting the video on her blog!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Camelot - New TV Series Starring Eva Green and Joseph Fiennes

I've been an undying fan of Arthurian legend for as long as I can remember. I wish I could say that my first encounter with the Knights of the Round Table was Malory's Morte D'Arthur, or even Howard Pyle (though both came very soon after!). No, it was actually Bing Crosby's 1949 version of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. I was about 7, and was completely captivated by the film. Looking back, I realize the the story was pretty silly, and a commercial failure of epic proportions. But as a kid, none of that mattered. I was hooked from the moment Bing woke up in Camelot - I loved the clothes, romance, adventure and the corny, stilted, olde-ish English (and, truth be told, I still like the movie!).

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Even today, it seems I can't get enough of Arthurian legend on film. Good, bad or indifferent, I'm always willing to check out the latest Hollywood offering. So, imagine my delight at the announcement that Eva Green (Casino Royale) and Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) will be starring as Morgana and Merlin in a new television series entitled Camelot. The series is set to premier in early 2011 and will be broadcast internationally by GK-TV, through the CBC in Canada and by Starz in the US.

The 10 part mini-series will be based on Malory's Morte D'Arthur, and is being shot at Ardmore Studios, where The Tudors was also filmed.

Will you be watching?

Image: Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, The Beguiling of Merlin, 1872-1877

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Loreena McKennitt's New Album:"The Wind that Shakes the Barley"

Whenever I want to relax, or if I'm feeling a touch homesick (she may be from Manitoba, but her music will always remind me of the Pacific Northwest), I reach for Loreena McKennitt's music. Her voice has such a natural beauty and I find it incredibly soothing and familiar - probably because I've listened to all of her CD's a thousand times! There are so many childhood memories I have that are inextricably tied to her music.

There's something about Autumn that especially reminds me of McKennitt's music. I can vividly recall listening to The Mask and the Mirror with my mom and sister as we drove to local haunts like Lattin's Country Cider Mill in Olympia, Washington (Lattin's is an amazing farm and cider mill in Olympia, and if you are ever in the area, you have to go! They make the best apple cider in the world, something I'm sure my husband never tires of hearing - but seriously, they make amazing cider, and it's one of the places I cannot wait to take my daughter). I still remember how McKennitt's music made dark and rainy drives through the back-roads of Western Washington seem romantic and exciting. A trip to the Yelm movie theater was almost like an Arthurian quest! These days, I also find that her albums work perfectly as my "not quite Christmas" music. I'm a Christmas music fanatic, but the Nutcracker in September/October is pushing it - even for me - and I find albums like McKennitt's To Drive the Cold Winter Away result in a few less raised eyebrows.

Loreena McKennitt is releasing a new album of traditional Celtic folksongs this fall entitled The Wind that Shakes the Barley. The CD will be released in Europe on November 12 and will be available in Canada and the United States on CD, iTunes and vinyl on November 16. You can listen to a preview of the CD on her website, Quinlan Road.




Loreena McKennitt has not released an all-new (non-compilation) album since An Ancient Muse, back in 2006 (which was a great album, by the way). And while I've enjoyed the compilation albums, it's great to hear her arrange some new songs.  Her latest album will be a collection of traditional Celtic songs. Commenting on her choice of traditional music for the new album, McKennitt has said that "every once and again there is a pull to return to one's own roots or beginnings, with the perspective of time and experience, to feel the familiar things you once loved and love still." I haven't heard the full album, but from the preview available on her website, the music sounds lovely. In my opinion, McKennitt's real genius is arranging beautiful music in a way that shows off her unique voice at it's very best (no small feat when you consider that her vocal career spans over 25 years), and this album is no exception. I can't wait to share this one with my daughter!

Friday, October 1, 2010

October Issue of the Art History Carnival

Welcome to the October 1, 2010 edition of art history carnival! I received a wide variety of submissions this month - everything from classic art history articles to a review of DNA art. And while I confess that I'm still a little confused about the DNA art, I have a feeling my husband would probably find it interesting.

architecture


Brenda Chapman has written an introductory piece on the 10 Essential Architectural Movements of the 20th Century. Name as many architectural movements as you can before you go to the website, and see how many are listed!

Alexandra Korey presents Michelangelo's Laurentian Library, Mannerist Tendencies posted at Arttrav.com

art


Helen Webberley has done a fascinating portrait of the life of artist Reuven Rubin  posted at ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly

Gábor Endrődi shares a post written by Zsombor Jékely on the subject of the medieval fresco decoration of The medieval parish church of Pest (part II.) - A remarkable discovery posted at Medieval Hungary.

Hermes has done a fascinating review of John Everett Millais' The Romans Leaving Britain on Pre-Raphaelite Art

H Niyazi has shared a great piece by art historian Monica Bowen entitled boy bitten by a lizard: posner vs. gilbert posted at Alberti's Window, saying, "Monica Bowen explores the allegory of Caravaggio's Boy Bitten by A Lizard, discussing prevalent and controversial theories that surround the Baroque Master."

H Niyazi also submitted an interesting piece called A Grey Heron posted at Tempesta News, saying, "Dr Frank DeStefano uncovers a stunning piece of evidence supporting the spiritual reading of Giorgione's mysterious 'Tempesta'." (Thank you for all the great articles, Hasan!).

Emily Brand presents The Many Guises of Marie Antoinette posted at The Artist's Progress....

Helen Webberley presents Che Guevara and the suffering Christ posted at ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly, saying, "Che Guevara probably would have been thought of as a Christ-like figure in devoutly Catholic Bolivia anyhow. But there was an important post-mortem photo that was remarkably similar to Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp 1632 and Andrea Mantegna's Lamentation over the Dead Christ 1490. This reinforced the image of Guevara's corpse as being Christ-like in its suffering."

Susan Benford presents an overview of some of Michelangelo's best-known paintings. posted at Famous Paintings Reviewed - An Art History Blog

Kendall Roberts presents The Evolution of Pop Art in the Twenty First Century - Neo DNAism posted at Neo DNAism.

Finally, if you are in the mood for a bit of a mystery, Dr Ben Harvey presents a bit of an art history thriller with his post on the poem Art's Quota (part one) located at Emanata.

exhibits


Alexandra Korey provides a fascinating insight to restorations at the Chiostro dello Scalzo in Florence, including descriptions and images of some rarely seen frescoes in his Chiostro dello Scalzo – hidden frescoes in Florence! | TuscanyArts posted at Tuscany Arts

That concludes this edition. I would like to apologize if anyone missed the deadline due to a dating problem on the Blog Carnival website. I'm not sure exactly what was going on, but I created an upcoming edition numerous times and it didn't seem to show up on the site. I'm glad that so many people submitted their articles anyway! Submit your blog article to the next edition of
art history carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page
.



Technorati tags:
, , .

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Call for Submissions for the October Issue of the Art History Carnival

The October issue of the Art History Carnival  will be posted on October 1, 2010. You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (in this case, September 29, 2010). 


What kind of blog articles will be included? 
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed. 

What is a Blog Carnival? 
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic." 

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere! 

Who can submit? 
Anyone, as long as you have a blog! And If you don't blog, you can submit one of your friend's articles (except they better be good--I'll be reading them!). 

Can I host a carnival? 
Absolutely! Please let me know if you'd be interested in hosting the next issue of the carnival. 

How to submit articles
You have two options:

1. Send me an email. Include the title and permalink URL of the post you are nominating for inclusion in the carnival, along with the name of the blog. Please put "Art History Carnival" in the title of your email to help me recognize it in my inbox!

2. Use the submission form provided by Blog Carnival (this is probably the easiest!). 

One final thing to keep in mind: 
To keep things current, posts should have been written after the date of the last Carnival.

Thank you for your participation! Share the news if you know someone who likes to write about art!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pre-Raphaelite exhibits at Oxford and Cambridge: Pre-Raphaelites and Italy and Pre-Raphaelite Portraits by John Brett

My family and I enjoyed a wonderful--if slightly frenetic--weekend visiting family in Washington state. It was quite the whirlwind weekend - shopping, a wedding and visiting a couple of friends. We had a great time though. Seattle is a beautiful city, and Washington is so pretty in general...but it did go by so quickly that the whole thing was a bit of a blur. Fortunately, Edmonton was so cloudy when I got back that I feel like I'm still in Washington! The strangest part is that, even though I was only gone for a weekend, when I returned, Edmonton was already in the middle of Autumn. Trees are changing colors and losing their leaves already! I'm excited though - Fall really is one of my favourite times of year. 


Autumn will always call to mind the beginning of Fall classes, and now that I'm no longer in school, I tend to look for stand-ins. And usually that means new museum exhibitions! I received an email from a reader (thank you, Phillip), about two upcoming Pre-Raphaelite exhibitions in England. One is being held at Cambridge, the other at Oxford. Where better to soak up a bit of the excitement of the back-to-school atmosphere than at two Pre-Raphaelite art exhibits at England's top universities? 

The Pre-Raphaelites and Italy will be held at the University of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum and is scheduled to run from September 16 - December 5, 2010. The exhibit will feature works by John Ruskin, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and a host of other Pre-Raphaelite luminaries, and will examine the relationship these artists had with Italy. (For example, I find it fascinating that, while Rossetti grew up speaking Italian in an Italian-English home, he never actually visited Italy himself. Ruskin, on the other hand, was a frequent visitor and champion of Italian art and culture). This promises to be an excellent opportunity to see a number of Pre-Raphaelite works held by museums around the globe. 

The second exhibit I would like to share with readers is entitled Objects of Affection: Pre-Raphaelite Portraits by John Brett. John Brett is best known for his landscape paintings, but his portraits are the main focus of this exhibit. Interestingly, Brett was also a pioneer in the field of photography, and his photographic portraits will also be on display. This show is being held at Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum and runs from now until November 28, 2010. 

These exhibits look so interesting, and I must say I'm excited to see Pre-Raphaelites being the focus of simultaneous showcases at Oxford and Cambridge. Now, if only they would focus a bit on improving the online version of these exhibits for those of us who are a bit too busy with our families to cross the ocean to see them in person...


John Brett, Val d'Aosta, 1858 - image courtesy Wikimedia

Friday, September 10, 2010

New Theodor von Holst Exhibition in Cheltenham




A new exhibition featuring the works of English Romantic painter Theodor von Holst will be on display until December 11, 2010 at the Holst Birthplace Museum in Cheltenham.

Theodor von Holst is thought to have influenced the Pre-Raphaelites and when you see his paintings, you'll know why. (Theodor von Holst is not that well known, but you probably have heard of his grand nephew, Gustav Holst). Dante Gabriel Rossetti admired Holst's work, and the exhibition will feature a number of Rossetti's works in addition to 50 drawings and paintings by Theodor von Holst. 

It looks like it will be a great opportunity to find out more about von Holst, as well as to see some of Rossetti's works up close. If anyone has a chance to go, please let us know how it was! 

For more information, please visit the exhibition website.

Image courtesy wikimedia

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

September Issue of the Art History Carnival

Welcome to the September 1, 2010 edition of the Art History Carnival.

I was so pleased to receive so many fantastic submissions for this issue - thank you to everyone for making this possible!



art history

Jason, author of Executed Today presents his post 1599: Beatrice Cenci and her family, for parricide which examines "the reciprocal social construction between a family tragedy, a Romantic legend, and a (misattributed) painting." You might also want to check out Jason's post on the rather gruesome death of Marco Antonio Bragadin 1571: Marco Antonio Bragadin, flayed Venetian, which shows how current events informed Venetian artwork.


H Niyazi presents Painted Into Immortality : Dante and Virgil on a Hellish Boat Ride, posted at Three Pipe Problem, saying "great works of Art or Literature often share a truly special feature - they tie together ideas, people and places spanning many eras and summate them in manner that not only makes them relevant for the audience it was created for, but resonates just as strongly through time." A beautiful and well-written post - be sure to check it out!


Hermes, author of Pre-Raphaelite Art, has has written a post on the Study for John William Waterhouse's Lady of Shalott that examines the artistic process.


Monica Bowen, author of the beautiful art history blog Alberti's Window presents a post correcting some misconceptions about ghiberti's north doors that have managed to make their way into art history textbooks. I'm always amazed at how many errors find their way into scholarly works.


Meredith Hale presents Art and Design in Glasgow and Edinburgh posted at Meredith Hale: Art and Inspiration. She notes that "this post is on art and architecture I had the pleasure of seeing in person in Glasgow and Edinburgh. It focuses on the works of Phoebe Anna Traquair and Charles Mackintosh." An interesting that introduces some less widely known artists like Phoebe Anna Traquair.


H Niyazi nominated Wired Art History posted at Art History Today, saying, "David Packwood's unique contemplation of Art History and cyberspace was a fascinating exploration of the way new technology is impacting on Art appreciation."   The author has a very different perspective on this issue than I do, so it was a particularly fascinating read for me. I hope many of you will take the time to read this post and weigh in!


Romeo Vitelli presents a journey through the tortured psyche of artist Edvard Munch in Curing Munch, posted at Providentia.


architecture

Joanne Capella presents a review of the documentary "My Architect", which chronicles the life of architect Louis Isadore Kahn posted at Design & Desire in the Twentieth Century


exhibits

Helen, author of Art and Architecture, Mainly, has written an in-depth review of the Stadel Museum's new exhibit:  European Masters: Städel Museum 19th - 20th Century, which will be on display until October 2010. 

Alexandra Korey presents Daniel Spoerri Sculpture Garden in Maremma, Tuscany | TuscanyArts posted at Tuscany Arts. This is a fabulous review includes photos, video and information about how to get around. If you plan on being in Tuscany, it looks like this is a must-see for art lovers!


H Niyazi nominated another post by Alexandra Korey, entitled Top 5 sculptures to see in the Bargello museum in Florence | TuscanyArts posted at Tuscany Arts, saying, "Based in Florence, Alexandra Korey provides valuable insights to art minded travellers to Tuscany and Florence!" Thank you for suggesting this post, Hasan.


That concludes this edition. I would  like to note that I chose not to include a number of wonderful submissions that were several months out of date. My sincere thanks to the authors that submitted them, but I would like to keep this carnival as up-to-date as possible. Thank you for understanding!

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Monday, August 23, 2010

The Art History Carnival Returns September 1st!

Earthly Paradise is announcing the return of the Art History Carnival! 

I will be hosting a Carnival of Art History on The Earthly Paradise on the first of each month, beginning September 1, 2010. You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (in this case, August 30, 2010). 


What kind of blog articles will be included? 
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed. 

What is a Blog Carnival? 
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic." 

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere! 

Who can submit? 
Anyone, as long as you have a blog! And If you don't blog, you can submit one of your friend's articles (except they better be good--I'll be reading them!). 

Can I host a carnival? 
Absolutely! Please let me know if you'd be interested in hosting the next issue of the carnival. 

How to submit articles
You have two options:

1. Send me an email. Include the title and permalink URL of the post you are nominating for inclusion in the carnival, along with the name of the blog. Please put "Art History Carnival" in the title of your email to help me recognize it in my inbox!

2. Use the submission form provided by Blog Carnival (this is probably the easiest!). 

One final thing to keep in mind: 
To keep things current, posts should have been written after the date of the last Carnival.

Thank you for your participation! Share the news if you know someone who likes to write about art!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Rare Millais Sketches Found in Led Zeppelin Record Sleeves

Former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is one of the world's best known collectors of Pre-Raphaelite art. But he nearly lost a handsome stash of sketches by John Everett Millais as the result of what appears to be an auction house mix-up. 


Apparently, four drawings by Millais were found tucked inside Led Zeppelin records that were due to be put up for auction. Interestingly, the records were actually owned by Rick Hobbs, who had worked for the band for a number of years. Originally, the auction house had believed that the sketches were a gift from Page to Hobbs, but the auction house was uncertain enough to withhold the items from the auction. 

Fortunately for art fans, the sketches have been well-preserved within the LP covers, and they are undamaged. Millais made the drawings in 1843 when he was just 14 years old and a student at the Royal Acadamy. Two of the sketches were inspired by the poetry of Robert Burns. One depicts a scene in Venice were a gondolier is singing to a lady from beneath a window, accompanied by a verse from Farewell Thou Stream "The music of thy voice I heard/Nor wist while it enslav'd me!/I saw thine eyes, yet nothing fear'd/Til fears no more had sav'd me!"

Amazing that the sketches remained hidden in those LP covers all these years!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Elbert Hubbard's Little Journeys

If you haven't already seen it, take a moment to visit Stephanie Pina's Lizzie Siddal blog to read Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers: Rossetti and Siddal. Stephanie found a 14 volume set of Elbert Hubbard's Little Journeys at a local bookshop and she's taken the time to transcribe and scan Hubbard's rendition of the story of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Elizabeth Siddal. I had a wonderful time reading it - it's a charming and entertaining version of the story. I found Hubbard's non-judgmental approach to Rossetti quite refreshing (you could say he tries a little too hard to make excuses for him, but I think Rossetti has enough critics). The story can also be found in Volume 13 of Hubbard's Little Journeys, which is available on Project Gutenberg (along with a number of his other writings).

Those of you who are familiar with the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States will recognize Elbert Hubbard as one of the founders of the Roycrofters and the Roycroft Press. (His magazine, The Philistine, which was published by the Roycroft Press, is nearly as well known as the The Germ). Hubbard was heavily influenced by William Morris' philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement, and the Roycroft community in East Aurora, New York, was probably the most ardent attempt to see Morris' socialist vision put into practice in the real world. His art colony may not have survived, but his writings remain available to readers as a window into his world.