The Shy Museumgoer
ART + HISTORY
It’s Polite to Stare
When we thoughtfully run our eyes over a great painting, we carry with us something we didn’t have before. We take with us the artist’s way of looking at the world. Why does this matter? Because it increases our potential to see the world, and human experience, differently.
Thank you for spending time on this site. By being here, you reinforce the notion that art history is meaningful. I promise to regularly post interesting stories about great paintings….
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Who cancelled Berthe Morisot?
In her day, Berthe Morisot was considered the most audacious member of the French Impressionists. Yet even conservative critics reviewed her work favorably. Today she is the least known member of this beloved group of painters. The lady vanished. Why?
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George Bellows: Last stop, 59th Street
“Bellows paints the city in undress,” cried the New York Daily News and they were right. But did the artist’s commitment to depicting the hard truth necessarily thwart his ability to create a beautiful painting? Could a work of art persuade you to view urban renewal with a more empathetic eye?
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Leonardo’s brazenly feminist portrait
During the Italian Renaissance women were seen as something other than themselves. In works of art, they were depicted as ideals, symbols, and allegories — even in their own portraits. Then one day Leonardo da Vinci said goodbye to all that.
The Shy Museumgoer 