Peter Cooper, by Augustus Saint Gaudens

This essay is adapted from Chapter 10 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…

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Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University: Five Favorites

The Fogg Museum at Harvard University opened in 1895 in a Renaissance-style  building designed by Richard Morris Hunt, whose Metropolitan Museum Wing D (facing Fifth Avenue) was completed within the…

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Lehman Gate by Paul Manship, Central Park

Lehman Zoo Gate Date: 1961 Sculptor: Paul Manship Medium & size: Bronze, on granite pedestal; 18 feet high, 26.5 feet wide, 6 feet deep. Location: Park entrance to Central Park…

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Conservation and Restoration of Paintings (Business of Art, 4)

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…

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Upcoming April 7, 2018: Maxfield Parrish Talk in New Jersey

On Saturday April 7, 2018, I'll be giving a 45-minute talk on Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966). Included: what the art world looked like when Parrish began his career; what made him…

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Shakespeare / Bellini: Romeo & Giulietta (Romeo and Juliet)

On Friday, March 23, 2018, the Saint Joseph Hill Retreat Center on Staten Island will host Romeo & Giulietta, a combination of scenes from William Shakespeare's dramatic masterpiece Romeo and Juliet and highlights from Vincenzo Bellini's magnificent bel…

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Museums and Private Collectors (Business of Art, 3)

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…

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Tigress and Cubs, by Auguste Cain (Central Park)

Date: 1866 Sculptor: Auguste Cain Medium & size: Bronze, over lifesize. Location: Central Park Zoo, Intelligence Garden. To see it, you must pay admission for the Zoo. Once inside the…

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