The inaugural issue of Ars Longa Journal is now live! Read it here. This project has been a labor of love for us, and we thank all the contributors, both to the Journal and to the Blog, who trusted us enough to shepherd their work into publication. To 2022!!!
Author: Cynthia Houng
Now & Then: Casta Paintings and Michael Menchaca’s La Raza Cosmica 20XX
Today is el Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, and it seems like a good day to highlight Michael Menchaca’s “LA RAZA COSMICA 20XX” suite of prints. Of the inspiration behind these prints, Michael Menchaca writes, “La Raza Cósmica 20XX presents a mythical re-interpretation of Jose Vasconcelos’ mestizo identity theory, La…
A Very Medici Halloween: Lessons on Lewks from the OG Influencers
Are you in need of some fashion #inspo for your Halloween costume? Are you tired of all those sexy nurse/pirate/Disney princess/hunchback/etc. costumes? Look no further, because Renaissance Italy’s OG influencers have got you covered. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition The Medici: Portraits & Politics, 1512-1570 introduced us to the fashions and machinations of the…
Slavery: Ten True Stories at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum’s long-awaited exhibition “Slavery: Ten True Stories” is a project about people, not least among them the visitors who traverse the eleven galleries where the show unfolds. To experience the exhibition is to meet constantly with one’s own image: in every room, mirrored walls and display cases incorporate the person who sees, reads, and…
After Michelangelo, Past Picasso: Leo Steinberg’s Library of Prints
Clio and Diderot attend (virtually) an exhibition featuring the extensive print collection of the legendary Leo Steinberg at the Blanton Museum, Austin. Having recently visited a few other digital shows, what are your thoughts about the format of this online exhibition? Diderot: In terms of format, this was the most similar to the MSK’s Van…
April Book Club Selection : Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Welcome to the Ars Longa book club! Each month, we’ll read something–a novel, a book of poetry, a work of creative nonfiction–that touches upon Early Modern themes. Book Club books are strictly non-academic. This is a space to unwind and explore creative approaches to the past. This April, join the Ars Longa book club as…
Reframing the Frick
Clio and Diderot visit the Frick Madison. The official title of the temporary installation is “The Frick Reframed: The Frick Collection Presents Highlights Reconsidered at Frick Madison.” For the next two years, a “selection of highlights” from the Frick collection will be on view in the Breuer building, the former home of the Whitney Museum….
ars longa journal : cfp
Ars Longa is a new, independent online journal and blog dedicated to Early Modern art and visual/material culture. Our aim is to create an open-access, creative platform where early career scholars and advanced graduate students can share their research and current projects. We present work that challenges conventional forms and categories, that is often open-ended…
Virtual views: a review of the Uffizi’s Miraculous Healing and MSK Gent’s Van Eyck: An Optical Revolution
After weeks of IG scrolling and tiktok video viewing, Diderot, art critic extraordinaire, and Clio, eternal muse of history, are in need of some intellectual stimulation. They decide to visit some museums, virtually, hoping to lift their spirits and stimulate their minds. Van Eyck : An Optical Revolution. Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) Gent Miraculous…
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