Years ago when I first started to work on Innovators in Painting (it was called the Crash Cruise Course then), I found it difficult to appreciate Raphael. He didn't have Leonardo's…
After I've spent time looking at medieval art, this Italian Adoration of the Magi of the mid-15th century always makes me smile. Peacocks! Arches! Parades! Linear perspective! Lavish costumes and almost-naked men! There's…
Since it's the week of Christmas, here's two more of my favorite works from the National Gallery that happen to be on religious subjects. This one was done about 120…
I'm a fan of all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo), but this work at the National Gallery also made it to my favorites list. This is…
This is the fourth in a series of favorite paintings from the National Gallery in Washington: my favorite Frans Hals, ever. The sitter is confident, charming, debonair: he could give…
This is the third in a series of posts on favorite paintings from the National Gallery in Washington. It's certainly not the colors that are the appeal here: it's the confidence…
This is the second in a series of posts on my favorite paintings in the National Gallery in Washington. I don't feel strongly about many works by Gericault, which is odd…
This is the first in a series of posts on my favorite paintings in the National Gallery in Washington. Is she pouting? Is she on the verge of tears? Often…
Because many people dream of coming to New York, and because I'm never sorry to come back home: a list of favorite references on New York City's history and sights.…
The title of this post comes from "Silver Ships," whose author, Mildred Plew Meigs, lived 1892-1944. Since the copyright status isn't clear, I won't paste the poem here: instead, I'm sending…