Latest Stories
Our growing archive of info about art, design, and culture.
Trail Along the Spruce Run Reservoir
Spruce Run Recreation Area is a 1,290-acre (5.2 km2) New Jersey state recreation area located in Union Township and Clinton Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. It encompasses the Spruce Run Reservoir that is used as a backup reservoir to protect the state…
The Art World’s Dirty Secret: How Young Talent is Being Exploited
The art world is often portrayed as a glamorous, high-stakes arena where talent and creativity are rewarded with fame and fortune. Young artists, eager to make their mark, dive headfirst into this…
Book Review: “The Photographer’s Black and White Handbook,” by Harold Davis
The Photographer’s Black and White Handbook: Making and Processing Stunning Digital Black and White Photos by Harold Davis, published in 2017 by Monacelli Press, is a comprehensive guide that unites technical instruction,…
Biography: Alphonse Mucha
Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) was a Czech artist, known for his distinctive Art Nouveau style that combined lush ornamentation, vibrant colors, and exquisite detail to create captivating images of ethereal beauty. Born in…
The Rise and Fall of Artist Colonies
Imagine a secluded village nestled in the French countryside, where the soft light filters through the trees and a group of artists gather to share their visions. This was Barbizon in the…
Inspiration: “The Little Girl With Red Headscarf” by Nicolae Grigorescu
The Little Girl With Red Headscarf” by Nicolae Grigorescu. Simple, painterly beauty. In the autumn of 1861, young Grigorescu left for Paris, where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts. He also…
Inspiration: “A Roman Peasant Girl,” by Frederic Leighton
Leighton was born in Scarborough to Augusta Susan and Dr. Frederic Septimus Leighton. He had two sisters including Alexandra who was Robert Browning‘s biographer. Leighton was educated at University College School, London. He then received his artistic training…
Biography: Carl Wilhelm Wilhelmson
Carl Wilhelm Wilhelmson (1866-1928) was a distinguished Swedish painter and educator, whose artistic journey and contributions to the Swedish art scene remain influential. Born on May 4, 1866, in Fiskebäckskil on the…
Inspiration: “Breton Girl, Louise” by Elizabeth Adela Forbes
The artist, Elizabeth Adela Forbes also painted a watercolor with a similar title “Louise, Breton Girl.” Forbes lived from 1859 to 1912, and this painting was created in 1880.
Art History of Illinois: Artists, Architecture and Institutions
The first images of Illinois were not painted in oil or carved in stone. They were drawn in ink, etched in copper, or described in fragile colonial journals—rough attempts to make sense…
