Martín Ramírez (1895–1963) was an itinerant Mexican laborer who, homeless in California in the 1930s and arrested for vagrancy, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent the rest of his life confined to state psychiatric institutions. Ramírez was also, by many lights, one of the more brilliant artists of the twentieth century.
Handle with Care #3
A new installment of our web-only column on ceramics and glass.
Seeking asylum
As antique furniture goes, it is not much to look at: four simply turned legs; a drawer; two square wells, for ink and pounce. Despite its diminutive stature, however, the desk is a fitting centerpiece for the show, for it was, in its time, the platform for dramatic change.
Arts and letters
A new exhibition explores the affinities between the work of Henry James and the American painting of his time.
An Antidote to a Life of Quiet Desperation: Walden, a game
The most intriguing tribute to the two-hundredth anniversary of Henry David Thoreau’s birth is surely Walden, a game produced by USC’s Game Innovation Lab. Walden, a game lets you (virtually) experience what Thoreau’s life was like during the two years, two months, and two days that he lived at Walden Pond.
Review: Sanford R. Gifford In the Catskills at the Thomas Cole House
Among members of the Hudson River School of painting, Sanford Robinson Gifford has long been considered one of the most brilliant painters of light and air.
Thoroughly Modern Moses
What did Grandma Moses have in common with the likes of Jackson Pollock? Arguably, plenty.
Creative Hudson
The art and antiques trade has helped attract many talented people working in the decorative arts to the area. Meet a few of them.
Day Trip Scrapbook: Hudson Valley Sunday
Look at some photos from our Sunday tour in the Hudson Valley
Montgomery Place, touched by greatness
While notable for many reasons, the Montgomery Place estate in Annandale-on-Hudson is most distinctive for having enjoyed the attention of two famed American tastemakers of the mid-nineteenth century: architect Andrew Jackson Davis and landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing.










