Art History +

Pattern & Decoration (1970s–1980s): How Ornament Rewired American Abstraction
A practical, museum‑grade guide to the Pattern & Decoration (P&D) movement—what it was, why it exploded in the 1970s, the artists who led it (Miriam Schapiro, Joyce Kozloff, Valerie Jaudon, Robert Kushner), and how to “read” its quilts, tiles, mosaics, and florals as a bold rebellion against Minimalist severity.  Read more...
Theology of Light: How Faith Shaped Byzantine Icons, Mosaics, and Space (330–1453)
From glittering domes to small wood‑panel icons, Byzantine art turned theology into light. This guide unpacks how Orthodox worship shaped the look of icons and mosaics, how to “read” them, and where to see standout examples today. Read more...
Frida Kahlo: Pain, Politics & Dress—How Self‑Portraits Built a Modern Icon
Why did Frida Kahlo paint herself so often—and what do clothing, votive pictures, and home spaces have to do with it? This student‑friendly guide decodes Mexicanidad, the Tehuana wardrobe, and five key works, with museum‑grade sources and images that help you read her self‑portraits with confidence. Read more...
Van Gogh After Dark: How Gaslight and Color Theory Made the Night Electric (1888–1890)
A pocket guide to Vincent van Gogh’s night paintings—Café Terrace at Night, The Night Café, Starry Night over the Rhône, and The Starry Night—showing how gaslight, color chemistry, and bold design turned darkness into a stage of electric color. Read more...
Gustav Klimt: Gold, Grids & the Modern Portrait (A Clear Guide to Vienna 1900)
From The Kiss to the Beethoven Frieze, here’s a fast, image-rich guide to Gustav Klimt’s gold period, his design grammar of pattern and grid, and where to see the masterpieces today. Read more...
Salvador Dalí, Explained — A Student’s Guide to Surrealism’s Maestro
From melting clocks to “nuclear mysticism,” this clear, image‑rich guide shows how to read Salvador Dalí’s art—his life, ideas, key works, and the simple method he used to turn dreams into razor‑sharp images. Read more...
Arte Povera (1967–1972): Everyday Materials, Radical Ideas
Arte Povera turned rags, rocks, plants, and neon into a new language of art. This friendly, museum‑grade guide unpacks its origins, key works, and why it still matters. Read more...
Vorticism (1914–1918): London’s Angular, Machine‑Age Avant‑Garde
Vorticism was Britain’s short, sharp modernist shock—a 1914 burst of manifestos, angled forms, and machine‑age attitude centered on Wyndham Lewis’s BLAST. This guide explains how to spot it, who mattered, what the war changed, and why its torque still shapes design today. Read more...
Precisionism (1915–1940): Skyscrapers, Silos & the Machine‑Age Eye
What happens when artists treat the modern city like a cathedral of steel? Precisionism turned grain elevators, bridges, and skyscrapers into calm geometry—clean lines, cool light, and an unmistakably American look. Read more...
Mannerism (1520–1600): Elegance Under Pressure — A Student’s Guide to the Late Renaissance Rule‑Breaker
In the decades after Raphael, painters bent classical harmony into something deliberately stylish—elongated figures, icy color, and dazzling artifice. This friendly deep‑dive shows what “Mannerist” really means, why it emerged, and five key works (with image credits) to learn the look fast.  Read more...
Orphism (1912–1914): Color, Rhythm & the Leap Beyond Cubism
What happens when Cubist geometry learns to sing? In Orphism, Robert and Sonia Delaunay (with Kupka) turn color into rhythm—windows into prisms, streets into light. This guide shows what Orphism is, how to spot it, and why it mattered. Read more...
Dada (1916–1924): From Cabaret Voltaire to the Readymade — a lively guide to shock, collage & nonsense
A fast, image-rich guide to the Dada art movement: how a tiny nightclub in neutral Zürich lit the fuse, why nonsense and chance became weapons, the six city hubs (Zürich, Berlin, Hannover, Cologne, New York, Paris), and the ideas—readymades, photomontage, sound poetry—that still shape art and design today. Read more...