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A complete panorama of historical Chinese arts and civilization
Dealing not only with architecture, sculpture, and painting, but also with bronze and ceramics, this text offers a complete panorama of Chinese arts and civilisation.
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Islamic art is not the art of a nation or of a people, but that of a religion…
Multicultural and multi-ethnical, this polymorphic and highly spiritual art, in which all representation of Man and God were prohibited, developed canons and various motives of great decorative value.
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Explore beautiful landscapes with Marco Polo in “The Book of Wonder”
The most renowned travel story of the Middle Ages has never lost its allure. A story of true wonder, Marco Polo's experiences as well as the reported myths, transport us to the heart of Central Asia, China, Indochina, and the Indian Ocean.
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Mary Griggs Burke: Bringing Japanese Art to the Forefront
Mary Griggs Burke is not a name many have heard of but when she passed away in 2012, there were many mournful faces, specifically from those in the art world. Recognised as having the largest private collection of Japanese art outside of Japan, Griggs Burke had quite an impact on the emergence of Asian art in the United States. “The beauty of the Japanese aesthetic first struck me when I saw my mother’s kimono, a padded winter garment of black silk displaying at the knee a bold design of twisted pine branches covered with snow.[…] It was then, I believe, that a future collector of Japanese art was born.” Due…
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Bitten by a dragonfly!
Émile Gallé was a leading artist of the Art noveau style and was able to put his love for insects, animals and flowers into vases, porcelain and furniture, to capture their beauty into usable objects, creating pieces of art at the same time. Starting from his childhood, Gallé developed an almost ecstatic love for mother nature. One of his favourite designs seemed to be the dragonfly, an insect so tiny and delicate, but it can also be a danger to your life…. Gallé, born 1846 in Nancy, started studying zoology, botanics and minerology, because he drew inspiration from observing nature while walking through the woods. Who could have anticipated, that…
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Corea; a cada época, su traje
Será por la lejanía, tanto física como cultural, que Asia siempre fascina. Y si eso pasa ahora que internet hace que cualquier lugar del mundo esté a la vuelta de la esquina, no puedo ni imaginar en la Edad Media o el Renacimiento, cuando la única manera era coger un barco, o un caballo, y tirar millas esquivando ladrones, guerras, temporales y demás aventuras que se pusieran en tu camino. Pero claro, luego lees a Marco Polo y entiendes que la gente se arriesgara. También está el hecho de que estos países tardaran tanto en abrir sus fronteras al comercio y visitantes extranjeros (muchos de ellos todavía son muy restrictivos…
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Boys and their Toys
I have to admit, that despite my degree, I am not much of a news junkie. I found the news in the US entirely too depressing – as they rarely report the whole story or about anything that is worthy of the attention it is given. Seriously guys? The whole nation needs to be let in on the (what will sooner than later be considered an itty-bitty) scandal at Rutgers? Move on; leave Rutgers alone; it’s not relevant to anyone that wasn’t in that video. ::exits THAT soap box:: So, when the grapevine informed me
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Art from the Land of the Rising Sun
Japan, in comparison with many other countries, is rather small, though it ranks tenth amongst the world’s highest populations. More fascinatingly, it has one of the richest and most eclectic art histories to speak of when considering it on its own. Yes, various countries in Europe do this or that, and Africa has a slew of artistic variety, but we’re just talking one country – 6852 islands, if you really want to talk about how amazing Japan’s universally-acknowledged solidarity is. Continuously infiltrated by other powers (China, Russia, Germany’s money, and the United States), art in Japan has successfully maintained a focused and healthy presence in the art world since the…
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A Realm of Contradiction
Asia: The mystery of the Orient. Exotic people, exotic clothes, and exotic food. Parasols under cherry blossom trees. Staggeringly beautiful pagodas with highly delicate ornamentation. People who are short of stature, but high in courtesy. Humid jungles. Roll upon roll of luxurious carpets. Fragrantly perfumed air enveloping crowded market stalls. A medley of spices waiting to be unleashed. OR Asia: Hot. Humid. The short, staccato clamour of horns punctuating the incessant drone of traffic. An acrid stench of mingled fumes and durian pervades the air. Masked and hooded figures driving with abandon, giving rise to the adrenaline rush of death-defying acts of crossing the street. Street food at every corner,…
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Diamonds in the Rough
Arabian nights, like Arabian days, more often than not are hotter than hot in a lot of good ways. The Arab culture has gone from gross underrepresentation in television, art, and film to an intense misrepresentation over the past twenty years or so. While film directors and screen writers are helping the media plague the minds of the public about the Middle East, it’s far less often that I experience outward hatefulness from the group of people whom are relentlessly demonised as threatening, violent, and dangerous. Children are brought up with quirky yet adorable “street-rat” Aladdin, who steals to eat and falls in love well outside of his league. We’re…
This is an interactive art blog in multi languages, you will find new articles on artists, art history, exhibitions, etc. Contributions welcome.
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