Art Appreciation 101

Ask the Scholarly Skater

I recently polled my Facebook friends about their burning art-related questions. I got four great questions, for which I hope I gave four good answers. Do you have an art question you want answered? Let me know in the comments!   Question: Why do Greek and Roman gods always appear naked? Answer: Different cultures and religions… Continue reading Ask the Scholarly Skater

Gargoyle of the Day · Italian

Gargoyle of the Day – Temple of Nike at Himera, Sicily

These lion gargoyles come from the Temple of Nike (Victory) at Himera, Sicily. The ancient temple was probably built to commemorate a military victory of the Syracusans (rulers of Sicily) over the Carthaginians c. 480 BCE, though it was destroyed around 408 BCE in another battle that resulted in victory for the Carthaginians. Ruins of… Continue reading Gargoyle of the Day – Temple of Nike at Himera, Sicily

Ancient & Classical Art · Art Crimes

Cultural Heritage in Peril: Ancient Victims of Modern War in the Middle East – HeadStuff

To be perfectly honest, this is probably the most depressing article I've ever written. In the past few years alone, we've lost so many irreplaceable ancient monuments. However, I felt that this topic was really important to talk about. I just hope things will calm down soon.   Cultural Heritage in Peril: Ancient Victims of… Continue reading Cultural Heritage in Peril: Ancient Victims of Modern War in the Middle East – HeadStuff

Ancient & Classical Art · Art Crimes

Where are they now? – Repatriated Art & Antiquities

I read this very interesting article in the Sunday arts section of The New York Times this morning. It is basically a "Where are they now?" report on a few of the more interesting art and antiquities repatriation cases to be resolved in the recent past. I'm glad to see that people are taking an… Continue reading Where are they now? – Repatriated Art & Antiquities