As you might have guessed by now, I'm fascinated by the process of creating sculptures. See, for example, my posts on Clarence Darrow and on King George III, or my series of…
Manhattan has always been a target, first for its harbor and rivers, then as a commercial center. The British sailed in to grab it from the Dutch. The Dutch briefly…
This essay is adapted from Chapter 20 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…
The Getty Museum opened Pacific Palisades in 1974. In 1982, with a bequest of $1.2 billion from Getty's will, it became the richest museum in the world. The collection of…
This essay is adapted from Chapter 26 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…
Artist: Constantin-Emile Meunier Dedicated: 1914 (sculpted 1884, first exhibited 1886) Medium and size: Bronze (6.6 feet), on a granite pedestal (3.25 feet) by McKim, Mead and White Location: Columbia University,…
Artist: James Goodwin Batterson Dedicated: 1857 Medium & size: granite obelisk, 51 feet tall, with inscriptions and bronze reliefs Location: north end of the triangle formed by Fifth Avenue, Broadway,…
This essay is adapted from Chapter 25 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…
The short version If you subscribe before May 1, 2018, I’ll attach a short story by Henry Kitchell Webster to your welcome email. And now the long version … Art…
Almost 20 years ago, I wrote a couple dozen essays on the history of painting for BeyondBooks.com, a subscription service that provided online supplementary materials for high-school students. The site’s…