Acropolis
Rising above the typical city-state (or polis) of ancient Greece was a high but accessible hill that functioned at various times in its history as a citadel or sanctuary (and, often, both), a place of refuge and a focus of religious life—an acropolis (literally, high city or city on the height). Although some acropoleis (such [...]
Cranach Lucas the Elder
Oneof the pivotal figures in early sixteenth-century German art, Cranach the Elder was the Reformation artist par excellence. A close friend and follower of Martin Luther (they were godfathers to one another’s children), Cranach collaborated with Luther in producing numerous single-sheet woodcuts and book illustrations that were crucial for the spread of the new evangelical [...]
Archaeologists in Egypt have Unearthed the Upper Part of a 3,400-Year-Old Granite Statue
The unearthed double limestone statue of Ahmenhotep III, one of the most powerful pharaohs, who ruled nearly 3,400 years ago, was discovered in Kom el-Hittan, the site of the temple of Amenhotep III. The temple is one of the largest in the southern temple city of Luxor. (AP Photo/Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Agora
The agora was the central square in the Greek polis, the setting for political meetings, markets, cults, public entertainment, and civic commemoration. The root meaning of the word is political, derived from the verb agoreuein, to speak in assembly. As a designated space the agora is likely to be as old as the Greek polis, [...]
Versailles, Site of Murakami Controversy
VERSAILLES, France— Takashi Murakami’s show at Versailles has drawn worldwide attention for its juxtaposition of the Japanese artist’s manga-influenced work with the Gallic splendor of the Old Regime French kings, but next year the Château will not give over its gleaming halls to contemporary art. Instead, the series of shows by living artists — inaugurated [...]
Naked Dwarf Revealed Again in Painting
The naked image of a dwarf who starred at the Medici court in the Florentine Renaissance, has been revealed after nearly three centuries of oblivion, Italian art experts announced last week at a press conference in Florence. Known as the Portrait of Dwarf Morgante, the painting, a two-sided canvas which portrays a court jester, was [...]
Duchamp’s “Boîte-en-Valise” to be Published as a Pop-Up Book
PARIS— It’s certainly appropriate that French artist Mathieu Mercier won the prestigious Marcel Duchamp Prize in 2003, since he has always shown a special interest in the ground-breaking conceptual artist. Now Mercier has found a novel way to pay tribute to one of Duchamp’s most famous works, the “Boîte-en-valise,” by making it more accessible, so [...]
Russia Blocks Artist’s Anti-Putin Painting from Louvre Show
PARIS—The Russian government has officially refused to allow abstract canvases by artist Avdei Ter-Oganyan to appear in an upcoming exhibition at the Louvre, objecting in particular to a painting that they say advocates the assassination of prime minister Vladimir Putin. In response, several other Russian artists included in the show, which has been planned as [...]
Recent Comments