r/ArtHistory Dec 24 '19

Feature Join the r/ArtHistory Official Art History Discord Server!

101 Upvotes

This is the only Discord server which is officially tied to r/ArtHistory.

Rules:

  • The discussion, piecewise, and school_help are for discussing visual art history ONLY. Feel free to ask questions for a class in school_help.

  • No NSFW or edgy content outside of shitposting.

  • Mods reserve the right to kick or ban without explanation.

https://discord.gg/EFCeNCg


r/ArtHistory 7h ago

Discussion What is up with the nosedive in print quality?

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247 Upvotes

Gardner’s Art through the Ages 16th edition vs. 15th edition. I’m shocked by how poor the 16th edition is. Desaturated images and paper so thin text can be read through the other side. It’s disheartening


r/ArtHistory 14h ago

News/Article ‘They were stitching for their lives’: why the Bayeux tapestry is a testament to terror

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94 Upvotes

As the embroidery arrives in the UK for the first time in 950 years, experts say the women who created it were playing a strategic game of survival


r/ArtHistory 18h ago

Discussion What am I actually looking at?

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34 Upvotes

Everyone always assumed this was a Polynesian depiction because family lore said it was by a student of Gauguin (it's not). What is the actual "subject" of this painting, and can someone tell me more about the style and technical details?

I believe I've identified it as a painting by Joza/Joseph Švasta/Belohorsky, an Austrian-born Czech artist who spent the latter half of his life in the UK (and had had a wife who "pulled a Gauguin"), and that tracks with its provenance. The little info about him lines up with it being dated Nice, 1927, far from Pont-Aven, and no suggestion he was ever anywhere near the Pacific. There's also *very* few images of his art to compare, especially in regards to oils and during this time frame. Supposedly he did some portraiture on the side.

So, what was going on in Nice around 1927 that could've inspired or led to this? And how would you define/describe the painting itself? Though it's never been cleaned, and l suspect was exposed to years of cigarettes, amongst other damage, there's still a halo fully around the subject and what appears to be some oddly geometric shading around the woman's belly button. Am I just seeing remnants of back-lighting? Can brush strokes really look like that?

I'm completely unsure on how to characterize the painting as well as what or who is behind the intention. I simply want to understand it better for my own appreciation.


r/ArtHistory 6h ago

Research Met Museum NYC Library Advice

4 Upvotes

Looking for advice from anyone who has done research at the Met Museum in NYC.

I'm trying to learn more about an exhibition they did in 1945 about Army Handicrafts (artworks made out of salvaged materials by WWII soldiers in their free time). We have a family picture of something my great uncle made in 1944 - the story was always told to us that this piece was taken to the 'Met Museum in NYC' and only recently did we discover that they had this exhibition in 1945, perhaps adding some truth to the story!

Information online is scarce, I'm wondering if they might have a list of objects or photos of the exhibition in their library... is that wishful thinking? Has anyone been to this library before? Will they help me research? I cannot find much in their online archives about the exhibition, other than a document saying it happened. Any advice is helpful, thanks to all!


r/ArtHistory 5h ago

Meta 1408 (Movie) sardonic Art survey monologue.

3 Upvotes

In the beginning of the Horror movie "1408" the jaded protagonist (played by John Cusack) has a fascinating little art survey and monologue of the room he sits in. The character is a writer traveling to hotels with supposed ghosts (mostly tourist traps) and writes about them. In Room 1408, however, the manager, Olin (played by Samuel Jackson) really DID plead with him not to go in that room.

Cusack thinks it's a clever ploy by the manager and as he settles in, remarks this in his tape recorder:

"$8 for Beer nuts... this room IS evil... [sits back on the bed] Olin said hotels are about fertile creature comforts. It's a good line, but I wonder whether they're really about reassuring platitudes, a prosaic sense of the familiar. Yes... I've been here before. It's safe. There's a sofa, writing desk, full antique armoire, floral wallpaper. The carpet is unremarkable except for a stain beneath a thrift store painting, "Schooner Lost at Sea." The work is done in the predictably dull fashion of Currier and Ives. The second painting is an old woman reading bedtime stories - Whistler knockoff - to a group of deranged children while another madonna and child watch from the background. It does have the vague air of menace. The third and final painfully dull painting is the ever popular "The Hunt". Horses, hounds and constipated British Lords. Some smart ass spoke about the banality of evil. If that's true, then we're in the seventh circle of hell. It does have its charms."

The reason this stood out because it's erudite quality seemed different from the rest of the movie. I checked the original script (at least what's available online) and sure enough, the passage isn't there. Someone, either Cusack himself or some other writer must have added it later. Maybe some frustrated Art history student.


r/ArtHistory 2m ago

Other Man, controller of the Universe, [2632x1015]

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Upvotes

r/ArtHistory 43m ago

I built a site for exploring artwork from The Met that isn’t on display

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r/ArtHistory 2h ago

News/Article In first major ufology acquisition, Huntington puts Integratron's eccentric history on display

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1 Upvotes

Like any good side quest, Jack Wagner’s journey into the history of the Integratron began with curiosity.

The host of “Otherworld” podcast had spoken to someone who experienced something unexplained at the mysterious dome in the Mojave Desert. Wagner knew little about the landmark or why it had been built, but ended up being key to its ultimate journey. It was partially thanks to him that the Huntington recently acquired an extensive archive documenting the dome and the postwar UFO community that cohered around its creator, ufologist George Van Tassel.

The collection, announced by the museum Tuesday, is deep and vast, with materials dating from the 1910s through the 1990s. It includes an architectural model and original blueprints of the Integratron, as well as nearly 630 photographs, negatives and slides, more than 250 audio recordings, 8-millimeter film footage, books, publications and other records and ephemera.

“I was like, I want to learn more about this place,” Wagner said. “I started reaching out to find an expert.”

Read the full crazy rabbit hole story.


r/ArtHistory 7h ago

Discussion What moment in art history would you most like to step into?

2 Upvotes

I’m putting together a historyguesser map and could use a few good moments. Which one would be most interesting to see?


r/ArtHistory 10h ago

Ecole de Skagen : l’aventure picturale de Michæl Peter Ancher

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2 Upvotes

r/ArtHistory 1d ago

Discussion Crete & The Caphtorim

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16 Upvotes

r/ArtHistory 2d ago

Discussion I never knew...

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821 Upvotes

Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl" has a lesser-known painting called "Study of a Young Woman". Painted around the same time, it features the exact same pose, a dark background, and an identical pearl earring.


r/ArtHistory 1d ago

Discussion Taschen BA. World of art. Something else

7 Upvotes

I used to have a bunch of the paperback taschen artist books but sold them when briefly moved into a small flat and I wasn’t going to many art things

Really getting back into art exhibits and cataloging what I’ve seen and have a larger house and am looking at getting a few good shelves full of artist or movement books (and harder of tracking down catalogues of shows and museums I was too poor to buy the books for)

I’m not totally hung up on having matching sets and I will be mainly looking second hand but wondered if I anyone had strong opinions on the taschen basic art series or the Thames and Hudson world of art ones or another similar series

Large colour illustrations would be the main draw and a reasonable level of coverage of works from different sources

As I said I used to have some of the taschen ones and the text was quite dry and characterless (almost certainly in translation) but the images were good

I have plenty of general history of art ones. I want to build up an artist by artist collection over a few years

Anyone got any thoughts or preferences.


r/ArtHistory 1d ago

Research Master's Art History

1 Upvotes

Hi!

I'm a student in my last year in art history undergrad, and was wondering if any art history master students could answer some of my questions?

Thanks!


r/ArtHistory 2d ago

Research 'A Perfumers Shop, Bombay' by Edwin Lord Week depicting a shop in Bombay Bazaar

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505 Upvotes

This painting is titled A Perfumer's Shop, Bombay, created around 1890 by American Orientalist artist [Edwin Lord Week](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Lord_Weeks).

This painting was sold for approximately 40-60,000 GBP in London's prestigious [Sotheby's Orientalist Sale](https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/orientalist-sale-l15100/lot.11.html), currently held in private collection.

• Oil on canvas portrait layout painting, 65cm × 55 cm. Highly polished studio painting featuring brush finework typical of academic realism and orientation

• A bejeweled Nautch dancer wrapped in gold clothes is shown gently smelling a tiny perfume pot.

• The shop features glistening white and blue Chinese porcelain vases ,brass containers and reflective surfaces. Weeks uses these to demonstrate his exceptional ability to handle light reflections.

• Tucked inside the shaded alcove, the artisan is surrounded by his tools. Above the store hangs a dark chalkboard sign featuring elegant Nastaliq writing.

• Weeks explicitly noted the identity of the seated customer on the left. In his studio catalogue notes he specifically described him as an Afghan traveler, singling him out by what he termed an "immense red turban".

• Next to the Afghan sits another man in a differently styled red turban. They are closely examining a small booklet or accounts ledger, with their traditional juttis casually kicked off against the shop's stone ledge

• Hanging from the shops ceiling is a devotional nineteenth century painting apparently depicting Guru Gobind Singh on horseback, attended by Akali Nihang warriors. A very similar painting of Guru Gobind Singh is now held in the Government Museum and Art Gallery Chandigarh.

The piece and its foundational context are heavily tied to Weeks' travel memoir, [From the Black Sea Through Perisa and India ](https://archive.org/details/cu31924022898526/mode/1up) (published in 1895).

Weeks sketched a 26 × 20cm in situ sketch during his travels in 1880s. He took these back to his Paris art studio where he completed the painting. The initial miniature sketch was exhibited to the public at the 1895 Empire of India Exhibition in London.

Weeks was fascinated by architecture of Indian shops

\> "There is no amusement more fascinating than to wander aimlessly about and lose himself in the mazes of a new Oriental city... \[including\] the shallow shops, open to the street like alcoves, which line the cross-streets of Bombay and Ahmedabad."

[Mark Muray Fine Paintings ](https://www.markmurray.com/edwin-lord-weeks-paintings-for-sale)

Weeks understood social grammar, multi faith tradition and trading culture perfectly and even captured it beautifully in his paintings.


r/ArtHistory 18h ago

Discussion Change My Mind: AI art is just as good as the real thing.

0 Upvotes

Just look at this. This here below is an AI generated image which is in the style of Monet. I want you to tell me how this is any worse or substandard compared to a real Monet. Change My Mind.


r/ArtHistory 1d ago

Other Looking for a painting

0 Upvotes

title! the painting was of a few (maybe three? I could be wrong) girls swimming nude in a body of water. they had white hair and were wearing black tricorn hats. it had a very loose style to it. there was lots of green and flowers as well. I dont remember the year it was made, but if I had to guess it was probably modern

it was a very cute and cheeky painting, I dont need it for anything I just really like it and cant find it 😭


r/ArtHistory 2d ago

Discussion Is the full poem in "Vanitas" by Juan Francisco Carrión (1672) known?

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44 Upvotes

Question about this painting, is the poem underneath the skull known? This is how gemini transcribed it. Not sure about its accuracy though and in its current state the second half isn't legible.

**​Original Spanish Text**

​Tú

O que me estás mirando

mira bien y verás

que no sabes cómo o cuándo

te verás así tan bien.

​Mira bien con atención

este retrato o figura:

tabla para el sepulcro...

(partially worn/abraded text)

**​English Translation**

​You

Oh you who are looking at me,

look closely and you will see

that you do not know how or when

you will see yourself like this as well.

​Look closely and with attention

at this portrait or figure:

a panel for the tomb...


r/ArtHistory 3d ago

News/Article Franco Fontana, one of the greatest Italian photographers of the twentieth century and a major figure on the international scene, has passed away at the age of 92.

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1.3k Upvotes

r/ArtHistory 2d ago

Discussion Impressionism VS Post-Impressionism

5 Upvotes

Hey there! Im looking for lists of artists from the impressionist and post-impressionist movements. I’m looking to expand my knowledge on the two subjects, so anything you want to share is also welcome! I’m newer to these periods of art, and am having a hard time making the distinction between the two when looking at a piece of art, unless it is very obvious.


r/ArtHistory 3d ago

News/Article The Woman Who Painted Infinity: A Deep Dive into Yayoi Kusama

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969 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I put together a quick breakdown of Yayoi Kusama's life, her obsession with infinity, and how she became one of the most iconic figures in modern art.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcl73fpDfjO/?img_index=1

Would love to hear your thoughts on her work! What’s your favorite piece or Infinity Mirror Room?


r/ArtHistory 2d ago

Research Beautiful Christian art of the book of Genesis in the national museum of Scotland

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0 Upvotes

r/ArtHistory 2d ago

Other Art history game Anthropeum - lost access yesterday

0 Upvotes

Yesterday as I was finishing up my daily round of game play on a popular online art history game (the game is much in the news lately), I suddenly lost access to the website after a month of no problem access. Received a "Secure Connection Failed" message when I tried resume my game after a break.

Tried various workarounds and cleared cache, etc. Nothing got me back into the game. I cannot get into the website to start a new game today. I think there's a problem on the developer server side. Maybe the SSL certificate has expired?

Hope it gets fixed soon. I've learned a lot of art history and world history playing this game. Hope that the developer is working to fix the access issue. EDIT: Can access the site again as of yesterday.