ART + HISTORY
Here it’s polite to stare
When we look closely at a work of art, we take with us something we didn’t have before. We carry with us the artist’s way of looking at the world. Why is this valuable? Because it expands our appreciation for the beauty and diversity of human experience. I hope you enjoy The Shy Museumgoer â named one of the “20 best art history blogs and websites to follow in 2026.” You keep reading, I’ll keep writing.
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Giotto reads the room
Inspired by growing interest in our shared humanity, the legendary artist Giotto di Bondone stepped away from the rigid norms of Byzantine art to more genuinely portray what it means to be human.
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Jean Dubuffet’s stranger things
Immediately after World War II, French artist Jean Dubuffet began mixing paint with whatever he could scrounge up: string, tar, gravel, shards of glass. “Art should make us laugh a little and fear a little,” he said.
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How Caillebotte saved Impressionism
The French Impressionists were struggling. Their paintings weren’t selling, and Pissarro was becoming exasperated with Monet and Renoir. He was ready to quit the group when a mysterious letter arrived.
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Cupid in art: He’s not that innocent
In Ancient Rome, sexual desire was viewed as a normal but potentially dangerous part of daily life. See how Cupid embodies this natural tension in classical mythology and Old Master paintings.
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Why look at paintings of Saint Joseph
A surprising number of young men today feel detached from typical male role models. Could a father figure from the 1st century resonate with Gen Z? Joseph of Nazareth might just surprise you.
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Artist Betye Saar tells ghost stories
Saar creates hauntingly beautiful works of art that seduce us into thinking deeply about racism. Notably, she is one of the first American artists to focus on the chasm between the colonizer and the colonized.
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Art history’s marvelous moon dance
Throughout history, artists have been captivated by the moon, drawing inspiration from it for their paintings. Might the moon also be holding one of the art worldâs best-kept secrets?
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The dog stays in the picture
Is a dog ever more than “just a dog” in an Old Master narrative painting? According to the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, dogs give an honest bark of truth. I think he might be onto something.
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The TÅkaidÅ Road through her eyes
Volumes have been written about the depiction of men in Hiroshigeâs beautiful and amusing TÅkaidÅ Road woodblock prints. So I’m focusing on the women. All of the women, not just the courtesans.