A little taste of history one morsel at a time
Autumn is on the horizon and today on Museum Quick Bites we’re celebrating this crisp, colorful season with Sunny Autumn Day (1892) by George Inness. On display at the Cleveland Museum of Art, this gorgeous painting highlights Inness’ spiritual relationship with nature. Let’s roll the clock back to the 1890s and take a quick tour.
Today on Museum Quick Bites we’re stepping out with Edmund C. Tarbell’s, On Bos’ n’s Hill (1901). Beneath a parasol and wide-brimmed hat, Emeline, Tarbell’s wife, strikes an elegant pose in her Sunday clothes. Join me for a brief stroll through this lovely, turn-of-the-century painting.
Happy Friday! Today on Museum Bites we’re touring Valley Camp, a massive Great Lakes freighter that has been transformed into a maritime museum. Located in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, Valley Camp (formerly known as the Louis W. Hill) was launched in 1917 and for 49 years hauled cars, coal, grain, and iron ore. Today it is filled with a wide variety of seafaring gizmos and gadgets, including a stunning collection of Fresnel lenses. Join me for a closer look at this ingenious device.
Today dear readers we’re popping a tent and extending our holiday a wee bit longer with a staycation along the shores of the Delaware River, circa 1924. Daniel Garber’s, Junior Camp (c1924), on display at the San Diego Museum of Art, captures an idyllic summer day.
Today on Museum Quick Bites we’re tripping the light fantastic beneath a star-studded sky. On display at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Lajos Mack’s posh ceramic vase (c1900) features a cast of fashionable ladies-with-an-attitude striking a pose.
Today on Museum Quick Bites we’re diving into Jeptha Homer Wade’s, Portrait of Nathaniel Olds (1837). This rare and unusual painting features Wade’s landlord tricked out in a funky pair of green-tinted spectacles. Let’s zoom in for a closer look…
The Olympic Games are in full swing and today on Museum Quick Bites we’re paying tribute to ancient Greece with a deep dive into an ancient prize. From shipping containers to athletic trophies, the amphora has played a key role in Greek culture. Let’s zoom in and take a brief tour of a striking example on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA).
Happy Friday! It’s good to be back 🙂 Today on Museum Quick Bites we’re rolling back the clock to 15th century Italy and digging into Filippino Lippi’s, Portrait of an Old Man (c1485). Painted on an embrice (terracotta roof tile), this 500+-year-old fresco is fresh, bright, and true. Let’s zoom in for a closer look…
Today on Museum Quick Bites we’re kicking off July with a closer look at Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket (1875) by James McNeill Whistler. Cast against a deep, blue-black sky, Whistler’s painting captures a fleeting moment on a festive, firework-filled night. Like the firecrackers he painted, Whistler lit up the art world with his brilliant artwork and acerbic wit. Let’s zoom in and take a quick tour.
Today on Museum Bites we’re scaling the Hoover Dam. More than 70 stories high and made of 6 ½ million tons of concrete, this massive barrier was built to rein in the Colorado River. Despite political pettiness, agonizing work conditions, and a fierce and unforgiving river, the Hoover Dam was completed under budget and in record time. Join me for a look at this impressive feat of engineering. We begin along the shores of the Colorado River…
Museum Bites 