
Matthias Grunewald, detail, Isenheim Altarpiece,1510-15,
These fantastic monsters are part of one of the most amazing pieces of art to come out of the 16th century. There are three different views or openings and the final view is a wood carving.

Matthias Grunewald, detail, Isenheim Altarpiece,1510-15,
These fantastic monsters are part of one of the most amazing pieces of art to come out of the 16th century. There are three different views or openings and the final view is a wood carving.

Ball at the Moulin de la Galette by Pierre Auguste Renoir, Musee d’Orsay.
Renoir was studying the effects of light at different times of the day at one of his favorite venues and as he enjoyed himself with his friends – good work if you can get it. One of the most famous of the Impressionists, he was working closely with Monet at this time. Check out Kahn Academy for some great videos on art and artists.

Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk Emperor Huizong, 11th cantury, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Emperor Huizong is the one of the most famous of the Song Dynasty emperors. He followed the Taoist religion and was known to be a fine artist, poet, and writer who surrounded himself with others who shared his interests. His interests in things artistic led to his downfall when his army, such as it was, was easily overtaken and he was replaced as emperor by the Jin forces.

Life Death, Knows Doesn’t Know, 1983 by Bruce Nauman.
Neon words flash on and off in this piece. It references the conflicted nature of life. Words have been included in art since the beginning of time.

Welcome the World Famous Brand Name by The Luo Brothers, 1993-94.
The Luo Brothers draw their inspirations from the modern world and Chinese propaganda images and combine the two to make statements about China’s “modernization” and all that it entails.

Winslow Homer, The Berry Pickers, 1873.
The fresh blueberries in Maine and Nova Scotia really can’t be beat. This work by Maine resident Winslow Homer (who moved to Maine in his later years) and brings back memories of traveling from Ohio to Nova Scotia by car.

Fourth of July, 1916 by Childe Hassam, New York Historical Society.
Hassam is one of the most noted of the American Impressionists and he also spent time working and studying in Paris. In 1916 he began a series of flag paintings mostly of the flags of the WWI allies all flying together.
Happy Independence Day!

Sioux Seed Player by Oscar Howe
Oscar Howe was a Yanktonai Native American who combined Native traditions with modern art methods. His work allowed the Native artists who came after him to expand the arts that are usually practiced by native peoples. His work is in collections and has been exhibited all over the world.

Dump Truck, 2013 by Wim Delvoye
Belgian artist Wim Delvoye takes everyday objects and just makes them nicer and prettier. His work reminds me of another favorite of mine, Cal Lane.


Prototypes for Modular Ceramic Wall Dividers, 1958 by Eva Zeisel
A designer of ceramics and dinnerware. Zeisel designed the shapes and often the decals that adorned them. However, because the factories owned the shapes, quite often they would put decals on the pieces that were not designed by her, and she often felt they did not match the design.