The Allentown Art Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania has recently celebrated the addition of a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn to its collection. The catch? The museum has already owned this painting for sixty years! What follows is the completely crazy, totally true story of how the Allentown Art Museum gained, lost, and then gained a Rembrandt again.
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.
The Pastel Portrait Delights of Rosalba Carriera
I feel like I'm seeing Rosalba Carriera everywhere these days, and now I'm fully on the bandwagon. Learn about the "Queen of Pastel", her innovation in portraiture, and her distinctly feminine take on 18th-century pin-ups.
Celebrating Advancing Women Artists
I’ve avidly followed the work of Advancing Women Artists for the past few years, and I was surprised to learn about its plans to close up shop in June 2021. Although I’m sad to see AWA come to an end, I also feel inspired by its great impact that I detect everywhere around me. In my retrospective article for DailyArt Magazine, I reflect on AWA’s many accomplishments.
Frick Madison Shines New Light on Old Friends
On the afternoon of March 4th, I was one of the very first people to experience Frick Madison, the Frick Collection's new installation in the Whitney Museum's former home at 945 Madison Avenue. The surprisingly-wonderful combination of historical art and Brutalist structure literally shines a new light on the Frick's beloved artworks.
Art is a Tyrant – an Entertaining Biography of Rosa Bonheur
I wasn't planning to review Art is a Tyrant: The Unconventional Life of Rosa Bonheur (London: Icon Books, Ltd., 2020), Catherine Hewitt's new biography of French animal painter Rosa Bonheur. But after enjoying it so much, I decided to spread the word.
The Dig: a Book and Movie About Sutton Hoo
Beautiful, bold, and vibrant, the treasures from the Sutton Hoo ship burial have fascinated me ever since I first studied them in freshman art history. A new movie called The Dig, based on a novel of the same name, tells a fictionalized tale of their discovery.
The Sumptuous Saints of Carlo Crivelli
Meet Carlo Crivelli, painter of sumptuously-dressed Madonnas and saints. His rich and beautiful style is part Gothic and part Renaissance, with more than a hint of Byzantine icon painting.
Astrology and Zodiac Signs in Medieval Art
Medieval Europeans were pretty serious about astrology. The belief that that stars and planets influenced daily life was fundamental to the medieval calendar and cycle of seasons. For this reason, zodiac signs appear all over medieval art and architecture, often in unexpected places. Check out some examples in my article for DailyArt Magazine.
Virtual Mauritshuis – Gigapixel Old Masters
The Mauritshuis, a Dutch institution famous for its collection of Rembrandts, Vermeers, and other northern Old Masters, has recently become the first museum in the world to offer a gigapixel virtual experience. Read my article for DailyArt Magazine to find out what I though about the viewing.
The Sleeve Should Be Illegal – A Unique New Book from the Frick
Next month, The Frick Collection and DelMonico Books/D.A.P. will publish The Sleeve Should Be Illegal & Other Reflections on Art at the Frick, a book of short essays responding to works in the Frick's collection. I was lucky enough to receive an early pdf copy, and I really liked it!
A Scholarly Skater 