American Art · Women in the Arts

Susie M. Barstow – Redefining the Hudson River School

Nancy Siegel's Susie M. Barstow: Redefining the Hudson River School (Lund Humphries, 2023) is the first-ever biography of Susie M. Barstow, a greatly under-rated Hudson River School artist, teacher, and adventurer. I really enjoyed reading about Barstow's adventurous life and beautiful art.

American Art · Books · Women in the Arts

A New Graphic Novel Introduces Edmonia Lewis

As a big fan of 19th-century African-American and Native-American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, I was excited to find out that she's now the subject of a new graphic novel, Seen: Edmonia Lewis. Thanks to publisher BOOM! Studios, I was able to read and review an advanced digital copy ahead of its September 2020 release.

Books · European Art · Renaissance Art

Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy Brings Michelangelo to Life

Irving Stone's The Agony and the Ecstasy is a 1961 biographical novel about Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). I'm glad that people kept pushing me towards this book until I couldn't resist anymore; I enjoyed it greatly and recommend it highly. Here's why.

Books · British · Medieval Art and Architecture

King of the Confessors – a Crazy Story About the Cloisters Cross

I just finished reading Thomas Hoving's King of the Confessors, which is about Hoving's adventures in acquiring what's now called The Cloisters Cross. Thanks to him, this English Romanesque carved ivory cross is one of the highlights of the Met Cloisters. The story is wild, and I couldn't put it down.