Art Appreciation 101

Beginner-Friendly Art Styles – Suggestions for New Museum Visitors

For those of you new to the art-viewing, museum-going experience, do you feel unsure what to see first? If so, I can make a few suggestions. I've come up with three areas that I think are particularly accessible and enjoyable to new viewers. You'll find them in most major museums, and they also happen to be among my favorites.

Architecture · Art Appreciation 101 · Historic Places

Tour Great Architecture from Anywhere

Want to enjoy great architecture from your couch? I recently discovered a host of virtual tours of famous works of architecture. How cool is that? While you can never truly experience a place from a computer screen, it's nice to have the option when travelling to the site in person isn't in your schedule (or budget). All of the tours listed are 360° experiences, not just pictures.

Ancient & Classical Art · Fun Facts

The Hidden Colors of Antiquity

We're used to thinking of ancient Greek sculptures as plain white. We look at them and clearly see that they're made of white marble with no other colors whatsoever. But, the truth is exactly the opposite. Learn about how the ancient Greeks and Romans painted their statuary and see what this might have originally looked like.

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