Art History +

Minimalism (1960s–1970s): How “Less” Changed Sculpture, Painting, and Space
A plain metal box. A wall of color made of light. A drawing that’s only a set of instructions. This student‑friendly guide explains Minimalism’s big idea—reduce form to essentials—then shows you how to read Judd stacks, LeWitt wall drawings, and Flavin light installations with quick checklists, a tight timeline, and museum stops you can actually visit. Read more...
The Pre‑Raphaelite Brotherhood (1848–1900): Medieval Dreams, Modern Eyes
A clear, image‑rich guide to the Pre‑Raphaelites—who they were, what “truth to nature” meant, how to spot the look, and why Millais’s *Ophelia*, Rossetti’s *Proserpine*, and Hunt’s moral dramas still grip us. Plus the movement’s women, its poetry and myth, and how it rippled into Arts & Crafts, Symbolism, and Art Nouveau. Read more...
Der Blaue Reiter (1911–1914): How Color, Sound & Spirit Rebooted Modern Art
A fast, image‑rich guide to Der Blaue Reiter—the Munich circle around Kandinsky and Franz Marc who fused color, music, and spirituality to push painting toward abstraction. Learn the ideas, artists, five key works, how to spot it, and why it still matters. Read more...
Arts & Crafts (1860–1910): From William Morris to Greene & Greene — How Handcraft Rewired Modern Design
What is the Arts & Crafts movement—and why does it still feel modern? From William Morris’s patterns to Mackintosh’s chairs and Greene & Greene’s joinery, this guide shows you how handcraft answered industry and set the stage for twentieth‑century design. Read more...
Symbolism (c. 1880–1910): A Student’s Guide to Dreams, Myths & Inner Worlds
Symbolism flipped 19th‑century art from eye to mind. This clear, image‑rich guide unpacks the movement’s key ideas, artists, motifs, and five must‑study works—plus a simple checklist for “reading” any Symbolist painting. Read more...
Harlem Renaissance (1918–1937): How Black Modernism Rewired American Art
From radiating silhouettes to jazz‑age city nights, Harlem Renaissance art turned Black modern life into a new visual language. Here’s a student‑friendly guide to the artists, key works, and ideas that still shape American art today. Read more...
Ukiyo‑e, Explained: A Modern Guide to Japanese Woodblock Prints (Hokusai, Hiroshige, Utamaro & the Craft Behind Them)
Ukiyo‑e were the pop images of Edo Japan—mass‑produced yet handcrafted pictures of a “floating world.” Here’s how Japanese woodblock prints worked, who made them, and why Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Utamaro still shape how we see. Read more...
Mexican Muralism (1920–1960): Rivera, Orozco & Siqueiros Turned Walls into a Public Art Revolution
A fast, visual guide to Mexican Muralism—born after the Revolution, built on fresco and public storytelling, and carried by Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros from Mexico City to Detroit, Dartmouth, and Los Angeles. Read more...
Les Nabis (1888–1900): The Secret Brotherhood that Made Flat Color Modern
A tiny panel painted “under Gauguin’s direction” became a portable manifesto. Meet Les Nabis—the Paris brotherhood whose flat color, pattern, and posters bridged Post‑Impressionism, Symbolism, and modern graphic design. Read more...
Abstract Expressionism (1940s–1960s): Action Painting vs Color Field—Timeline, Key Works & How to Read Them
A student‑friendly guide to Abstract Expressionism that demystifies Action Painting and Color Field, builds a clear timeline, and offers close‑looking checklists for Pollock, de Kooning, Rothko, and Newman—plus image credits and study links. Read more...
Art Nouveau: A Complete Guide to the Style, the Makers, and Where to See It Today
From the sinuous “whiplash” line to glass, posters, furniture, and the Paris Métro, this definitive guide to Art Nouveau covers core ideas, key designers, regional names, and the best places to experience the movement today. Read more...
Vienna Secession (1897–1905): “To Every Age Its Art”—How Klimt & Co. Rewired Vienna
Start at the white pavilion with the gilded laurel dome and a radical motto: the Vienna Secession. This guide explains how Klimt, Olbrich, Hoffmann, and Moser reinvented “Vienna 1900,” what the Gustav Klimt Beethoven Frieze achieved, and how to spot Secession style in posters, paintings, and objects. Read more...