There are lots of resources out there for people who want to study art history on their own. However, structure and guidance are harder to come by, so here is my best advice for getting the most out of your art history self study.
What is Attribution?
Understand attribution, the process by which art historians make educated suppositions about who made an artwork, and learn about the pseudonyms given to artists whose real names we don't know. Enjoy some pretty religious paintings at the same time.
Cocktails with a Curator, the Book
Cocktails with a Curator (2022) is the book version of the Frick Collection's wildly-popular 2020-21 video series of the same title. It's definitely not the same experience as the series, but it's a good textual companion and all-around enjoyable art book.
Art Appreciation Activities Handout
Sign up to receive a handout with nine fun art appreciation activities for all ages. These games and challenges will help you connect with artworks and practice key art appreciation skills like attention to detail, comparison, and visual description in the process. I hope you'll have as much fun trying them as I had dreaming them up!
Prehistoric Art as a Fundamental Element of Humanity
Discoveries of artworks created up to 45,000 years ago prove that expressing and deriving meaning from visual images is an ancient and fundamental part of being human.
How Viewing Art is Good for Your Mental Health
Studies suggest that looking at art can be good for mental health. It can increase happiness, decrease stress and anxiety, and improve cognitive skills. Art can also help us be mindful and connect us to the past.
French Tradition at Delaware’s Nemours Estate
During a recent visit to Wilmington, Delaware, I had the opportunity to visit Nemours Estate, the 77-room home and formal French gardens of industrialist Alfred I. Dupont (1864-1935) and his family. It wasn't an experience I'll soon forget.
New Course Teaches Visually-Based Art Appreciation
Alexandra Kiely and A Scholarly Skater Art History are pleased to announce Art Appreciation for Beginners, an online course about understanding, enjoying, and evaluating artworks.
Introducing Online Courses with The Art Museum Insider
This just in: You can now take online courses about art at my new Teachable school, The Art Museum Insider! A short course about museum visits is already available, and more are coming soon.
The Narbonne Cathedral Dog Gargoyle
Enjoy this photo, sent in by a reader, of a charming gargoyle depicting a Saint Bernard dog from the cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur in Narbonne, France.
A Scholarly Skater 