Are you ready for Christmas? Christmas prepping is a practice many of us share. Whether you are writing a wish list or to-do list, dream sheet or balance sheet, cooking, cleaning, or polishing up behavior to eke onto the nice list, before celebrating Christmas, there is work to be done. Perhaps you’ve already decorated your…
Beyond Botticelli’s Venus: Transcedent Classical Beauty
The graceful figure of Venus poised in her shell, as depicted by Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, is so synonymous with beauty that even those unfamiliar with art can recognize her, such is her fame. What is less well-known are his paintings of the Madonna that share similar qualities of classical beauty. Throughout the Renaissance, artists…
Beyond Botticelli’s Venus: Transcendent Classical Beauty
The graceful figure of Venus poised in her shell, as depicted by Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, is so synonymous with beauty that even those unfamiliar with art can recognize her, such is her fame. What is less well-known are his paintings of the Madonna that share similar qualities of classical beauty. Throughout the Renaissance, artists…
What’s the Point of Painting Directly From Life?
In William R. Davis’s landscape painting, “Late Day Colors,” the last light of the late sun illuminates the sky and sends a shimmer of light onto a lake: It’s the sun’s final hurrah before disappearing behind a distant forest. In another painting, “Bouquet,” by Daniel Caro, a glorious bunch of sunflowers and yellow roses cheerfully…
‘A Christmas Carol’ and Overcoming Devilish Greed
We’ve all met people who are greedy and who never seem to have enough, even when they have plenty. Some of us may be haunted by a desire to have more: more money, more time, more affection, more fame, and so on. It is sometimes difficult to remember that we come into this world with…
Leading by Example: How Japanese Artist Taki Katei Stayed True to Tradition
Japanese artist Taki Katei (1830–1901) lived in one of the most fascinating periods of Japanese history: when Japan was just opening up to the West. During that time, many artists integrated Western art elements into their works, but Taki stayed true to the traditions of Japanese art. He grew up in a time when Japan’s…
The Petit Trianon of Versailles: A Garden Palace Retreat Away From the Royal Court
In 1761, King Louis XV (1710-1774) commissioned architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel to design a modest palace set far back in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles as a place of respite, away from the pressures of the main palace court. It became known as the Petit Trianon. Gabriel had previously worked with his father, Jacques…
The Gold Mine Within: ‘The Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher’s Stone’
Sometimes, when we find ourselves in a difficult situation, we don’t know our way out. I was talking to a friend about some of my difficulties several weeks ago. She told me to remain positive and said, “Any situation can be turned to gold.” My friend’s words rang in my head and later made me think of…
Made for the Devout: The Gloriously Colorful World of Hispanic Sacred Sculptures
Unpainted stone, marble, or bronze sculptures dominate Western sacred art, largely thanks to Renaissance giants such as Donatello and Michelangelo, Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova. Therefore, when we think of sacred art, polychrome sculptures may not be at the forefront of our minds—unless we’ve spent time in Latin America or…
Practicing Gratitude: Henry Ossawa Tanner’s ‘The Thankful Poor’
Thanksgiving is here, and I’ve been thinking deeply about what it means to be thankful. What does it mean to have gratitude, and for what should we be grateful? Sometimes, holidays like Thanksgiving can be stressful. For instance, some of us might have to host and cook for our families. Others might have no one…
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