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Blogs

Art Blogs, houses posts and personal columns of our international team of columnists. Reviews of art exhibitions, art & antique fair visitor reports, views on developments in the art and antique sector and any other type of personal views and/or opinions related to the fine and decorative arts.

The latest ten blogs are published here.


Peru, Kingdoms of the Sun and the Moon - A Multimillennial Perspective from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

“If we investigate only a little we discover that Peru, like the Aleph of Borges, is a small format of the entire world. What an extraordinary privilege for a country not to have an identity because it has all of them!”   Drawn from In Praise of R...


All of the poetic suggestions and all of the plastic possibilities of Dalí

The blues were more intense than the faded poster in my bedroom, and much smaller too, as the clocks melted into the azure and sandy background like the Camembert cheese that inspired it. I was surrounded by all the great paintings from my favouri...


Het museumkwartier voor vele uurtjes cultuurgenot

De symbiose tussen het Noordbrabants Museum en het Stedelijk Museum ’s-Hertogenbosch is een feit. Terwijl enkele jaren geleden sommigen de wenkbrauwen nog fronsten bij de gedachte aan het samengaan van deze musea, is het nu dan toch zover. Na denk...


Petra: Wonder in the Desert

Few places on earth have captivated humanity as much as the mysterious city of Petra, which is located in present-day Jordan. Constructed by the Nabataeans--ancient traders who dominated the export of frankincense, myrrh, balsam, and spices fro...


The Legacy of Antiquity at the Dawn of the Renaissance

Renaissance Florence was the center of a pulsating creativity, which would redefine the spectrum of Western aesthetics over the course of two centuries. At the dawn of the Quattrocento, Florentine artists found inspiration in the sculptures of t...


Peace was made here - Treaty of Utrecht 1713 – 2013

This year the city of Utrecht, the Netherlands, celebrates the fact that 300 years ago the Treaty of Utrecht was signed. The Central Museum (Centraal Museum) contributes with a historic exhibit about the treaty, titled Peace was made here.   After...


Ethereal Peru

Peru is one of six "cradles of civilization," from which a series of advanced societies emerged. Characterized by remarkable artistic expression and technological innovation, successive Andean cultures thrived among the peaks and valleys of the...


The ancient Arab palace of Qusier 'Amra is truly a gem of Late Antiquity

Shadowed in mystery and the object of fascination for centuries, the ancient Arab palace of Qusier 'Amra is truly a gem of Late Antiquity. A royal palace, fortress, and retreat, Quiser 'Amra is an artistic and cultural "microcosm" of the the Mid...


Deciphering Ancient Cham Art – an interview with Dr. Ky Phuong Tran

The Cham people of central and south Vietnam have impressive artistic and architectural traditions, dating back more than 1700 years. Migrating from the island of Borneo to present-day Vietnam in second century CE, the Cham maintained a series ...


Bringing Landscape to Life – Impressionism and Open-Air Painting at the Thyssen-Bornemisza

When we think of landscape painting, the vanguard is not what comes to mind. We picture hillsides rolling into a tranquil sea of green that blends into the background, becoming nothing more than a superficial decoration. However, landscape paintin...


Paris 1900 in Sofia - Revisiting the Grand World Fair at Bulgaria’s National Gallery for Foreign Art

Étienne Tourrette opera spectacles made of real gold; decadent Lalique Art Nouveau jewels; Clairin’s brooding portrait of the grande dame Sarah Bernhardt; little known Bulgarian paintings of a freshly post-Ottoman life; extensive Les Nabis lithogr...


Late Roman and Byzantine Treasures from the British Museum, at the Art Institute of Chicago

A couple of weeks ago, I made my way through rain, sleet, and snow to see the special exhibition, “Late Roman and Byzantine Treasures from the British Museum,” at the Art Institute of Chicago.  The exhibition is being held in conjunction with the ...


A Hopping Exhibition: Edward Hopper at the Grand Palais, Paris

When I found out the Grand Palais museum in Paris was holding an Edward Hopper exhibition, I was delighted. But my delight quickly turned to dismay at the massive crowds—lines snaked round the block, and queues of at least four hours were expected...


Mayan time and society, a voyage through Mayan cosmology and chronometry

2012 was a big year when it comes to global awareness of Mayan culture.  Unfortunately this has not been for the best reasons.  There has always been a great deal of misinformation surrounding America’s pre-Hispanic cultures, from human sacrifice ...


Tussen Porselein en Porceleyn - In de schatkamers van Willem Bal

Het Zeeuws Museum in Middelburg heeft de tentoonstelling “EENMAAL ANDERMAAL, de porseleinschatten van Willem Bal”  verlengd. Nog tot en met 20 mei 2013 is deze bijzondere expositie te zien. Het gaat om een collectie waar een boeiend verhaal achter...