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.
Category: Italian
Orsola Maddalena Caccia at the Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's acquisition of three works by little-known 16th-century painter Orsola Maddalena Caccia (1596-1676) made headlines last year. Earlier this summer, I got to see the two of them, a pair of large still life paintings, in the recently-rehung Old Masters galleries.
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.
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.
Artemisia: Viewing Her Exhibition Online
I recently enjoyed a half-hour video tour of the National Gallery's Artemisia exhibition, narrated by curator Letizia Treves. Here's why I think the video is worth the £8.00 viewing price.
“Pictor Angelicus” – Fra Angelico the Angelic Painter
In honor of the Christmas season, I thought it would be a nice idea to look at an artist famous for his beautiful and elegant angel paintings. I'm speaking, of course, about Fra Angelico.
Much Ado About a New Cimabue
Here's a fun piece of news to make things interesting in the art world. A painting attributed to early Italian Renaissance artist Cimabue was recently found in an elderly French woman's kitchen. Learn about Cimabue and why this new discovery is both significant and controversial.
The Grumpy Angel
In this tempera painting by 14th-century Italian artist Niccolo di ser Sozzo, the angel looks impatient and irritated. This is something you don't see very often, so why does it look like this?
Giorgio Vasari, the First Art Historian
Giorgio Vasari is considered to be the father of art history. In the mid-16th century, he wrote a set of biographies of Italy's most important artists and architects. It's been influential ever since then. A new biography of Vasari, published in 2017, takes a complete look at Vasari's life and work as both an artist and writer.
Michelangelo Didn’t Show His Work: A Fun Fact
A fun fact about Michelangelo and his drawings. Why didn't he want people to see them?
A Scholarly Skater 