Art and Museums
A Child's View: 19th-Century Paper Theaters
Before the availability of children’s periodicals and mass-produced toys, a rather unique and enchanting entertainment for children emerged during the second decade of the 19th century. Small tabletop theaters constructed out of printed paper, adhered to cardboard and mounted on a wooden frame introduced a unique visual entertainment into homes. more »
The Gifted Victoria and Albert Museum's Holiday Shopping
For example, Ed Kluz is fascinated by the objects of English cultural heritage. He seeks out the eccentric, the lost and the overlooked, vanished buildings, follies, curiosities, tales and uses them as starting points for vibrant artworks which explore themes of renewal and reinvention. more »
Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey
George’s capers have already been mitigated with some poetic justice, which may be understood as emblematic of the important role the character had played both in saving the Reys’ lives when fleeing Nazi Europe and later helping them rebuild their careers in the United States. more »
Chinamania, Whistler's Love of Blue-and-White and Museum Shopping
"Chinamania: Whistler and the Victorian Craze for Blue and White," a small thematic exhibition on view at the Freer Gallery until Aug. 2011, explores the significance of Chinese export porcelain in Victorian England, where it began as an object of serious aesthetic inspiration but soon proliferated as a status symbol. more »