Art and Museums
Transfigured by the Magic of Light and Shade: Impressionism and Fashion
The Paris exhibition, a display of around fifty dresses and accessories, including ten hats, presents an overview of women’s fashion at the time of the Impressionists, a fashion that was mainly characterized by the gradual abandonment of the crinoline in favour of the bustle. more »
Winslow Homer and His Maine Studio: “Look at nature, work independently, and solve your own problems”
At his Prouts Necks studio on the Maine coast, inspired by the rugged beauty and dramatic weather of Maine, Winslow Homer produced works that revolutionized marine painting in American art and created an iconic and enduring image of the New England coast. more »
Colors of the Universe: Chinese Hardstone Carvings
Val Castronovo writes: Tucked away in a discreet corner on the third floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a small room devoted to the display of some 75 Chinese hardstone carvings, all dating from the Qing dynasty when the craft experienced a resurgence due to imperial patronage. more »
Gems of European Lace: Queen Marie-Henriette Handkerchief and Rita de Acosta Lydig's Horse-and-Rider Dress
The 17th-century English clergyman Thomas Fuller defended the wearing of lace and the nascent English lacemaking industry, writing that it cost “nothing save a little thread descanted on by art and industry,” and “saveth some thousands of pounds yearly, formerly sent over to fetch lace from Flanders.” more »