Have a Sublime Halloween

October 30, 2021September 12, 2022 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)Leave a comment

Enjoy a few of my favorite Sublime landscape paintings, which are definitely frightening enough for Halloween.

Art That Inspires Me · Medieval Art and Architecture

In Celebration of Medieval Enamels

June 21, 2021September 12, 2022 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)2 Comments

I have recently gained a new appreciation for medieval enamels! Their effect is colorful, shiny, and wonderful, and here is some of what I’ve learned about the art form.

Art That Inspires Me · Celtic and Irish Art · Manuscripts

What’s So Special About the Book of Kells?

October 22, 2019September 13, 2022 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)Leave a comment

I got a lot of confused questions yesterday while unboxing my deluxe The Book of Kells by Bernard Meehan. I thought that everybody was familiar with the Book of Kells, but I see that's not true, so let me explain what the Book of Kells is and why it's so special.

American Art · Art That Inspires Me

At Atlantic City by William Trost Richards

July 1, 2019September 13, 2022 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)Leave a comment

I discovered it while choosing works for my recent Luminism article on DailyArt Magazine, and I can't get it out of my head. It seems to depict an otherworldly fairyland... but it actually depicts a casino town on the New Jersey shore.

Art That Inspires Me · French

Art That Inspires Me: The Paintings of Paul Cézanne

May 6, 2019March 16, 2023 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)Leave a comment

In his Cézanne: A Life, Alex Danchev claims that admirers of Cézanne's work can't really explain why they like it. Since I love a good challenge, I've done my best to prove him wrong. He are my thoughts about Cézanne.

African Art · Art That Inspires Me

A Wearable Religious Painting from Ethiopia

March 25, 2019January 2, 2023 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)5 Comments

While at the Metropolitan Museum of Art a few weeks ago, a small religious diptych from 18th-century Ethiopia caught my eye. The Ethiopians have one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world. They have also produced many wonderful icons.

American Art · Art That Inspires Me

Art That Inspires Me: Lady Agnew of Locknaw by John Singer Sargent

March 8, 2019September 13, 2022 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)Leave a comment

I love the American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), and I have wanted to write an Art That Inspires Me post about him for a while. However, there are just so many things that inspire me about Sargent, and I struggled to pick a few to focus on. This is my all-time favorite Sargent painting. It depicts Lady (Gertrude) Agnew of Locknaw, the wife of a Scottish nobleman.

American Art · Art That Inspires Me · Modernism · Women in the Arts

Art That Inspires Me: Florine Stettheimer (at DailyArt Magazine)

December 23, 2018March 16, 2023 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)Leave a comment

I just love the work of Florine Stettheimer! It's fun, colorful, and completely unique. I'm always so happy when I spot one of her paintings at a museum. Because I enjoy Florine's work so much, I wrote an article about her for DailyArt Magazine. Give it a read to learn about her one-of-a-kind life and work.

American Art · Art That Inspires Me · European Art

Art That Inspires Me: Still Life Painting

December 18, 2018September 13, 2022 Alexandra Kiely (A Scholarly Skater)2 Comments

I recently enjoyed an art exhibition at my local library. I saw many wonderful works there, but I noticed that the majority of the pieces I was drawn to were still lives. So I started to think about why that is. Back in the days of the European and American artistic academies, still life was considered the least prestigious of the painting genres, but it's one of my personal favorites.