For the intellectually curious among my readers, discover five subject areas (besides art history) you can study to help you better understand art and architecture.
Author: Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)
Alexandra Kiely, aka A Scholarly Skater, is an art historian based in the northeastern United States. She loves wandering down the dark and dusty corners of art history and wholeheartedly believes in visual art's ability to enrich every person's life.
Her favorite periods of art history are 19th-century American painting and medieval European art and architecture. When she not looking at, reading about, writing about, or teaching art, she's probably ice dancing or reading.
Visual Literacy: Art Appreciation in Everyday Life
Visual literacy, the ability to think critically about visual images, is one of the most important life skills you can acquire through art appreciation. Learn what it is and why it's so valuable.
Art History Skills: Subject Matter Analysis
In this video, a deleted scene from an early version of Art Appreciation for Beginners, I demonstrate one facet of art historical analysis by discussing the imagery on a Tibetan Buddhist crown.
Contemplating Moroni’s Portrait of a Woman at the Frick
The Frick Collection has recently acquired Portrait of a Woman, an intriguing and surprisingly assertive portrait of an unidentified woman in luxurious Renaissance clothing. Here is how I interpreted the work during and after my first chance to see it at Frick Madison.
Why See Art in Museums?
With the many (mostly free) virtual art-viewing opportunities that have sprang up since 2020, it's easier than ever to see artworks without ever leaving your home. Therefore, you may wonder if there's really any need to actually go to museums and see art in person. In my opinion, the answer is a resounding yes, since no app or video yet developed has managed to truly replicate the unique experience of being inside the museum. In this article, discover four main reasons to visit museums in person, as well as suggestions for how to make the most of each one.
Susie M. Barstow – Redefining the Hudson River School
Nancy Siegel's Susie M. Barstow: Redefining the Hudson River School (Lund Humphries, 2023) is the first-ever biography of Susie M. Barstow, a greatly under-rated Hudson River School artist, teacher, and adventurer. I really enjoyed reading about Barstow's adventurous life and beautiful art.
Active Looking: the Most Important Skill for Every Art Lover
In my opinion, active looking is the most important skill any art lover can possibly cultivate. Find out why it's important and how to practice it in my new video.
Why You Should Visit Art Galleries
Art galleries provide often-overlooked free opportunities to see art in person. Their perceived snobbishness and exclusivity often stop people from taking advantage of them, but that attitude is not always accurate in my experience. Art galleries are basically stores that sell art, and they are generally a lot less intimidating than you might think.
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Learn to evaluate museum exhibitions in this downloadable guide
I'm so pleased to announced the latest offering in my The Art Museum Insider online learning series. Be the Critic: How to Evaluate Museum Exhibitions is your guide to understanding the messages that art exhibitions share with their viewers.
A Scholarly Skater 