Five hundred years ago this year, Leonardo da Vinci passed away—in the arms of the French king François I, according to legend—and museums around the world have felt called upon to solemnize this important milestone.
Self-taught art of anguish
Plenty of people don’t like contemporary art. But contemporary folk art—that’s harder to disdain. Dependable quirkiness is its insistent charm, providing a ready, welcome respite from what’s heavy in the world.
Triskaidekaphilia in Philadelphia
A New Constellation: A Collection of Historic 13-Star Flags, on view at the Museum of the American Revolution and curated by specialist Jeff R. Bridgman from his own comprehensive holdings, showcases thirty-two American flag patterns, sparking our desire to learn more.
NASA’s Nerve Center Gets a Lift
The Apollo Mission Control Center is back in all its midcentury glory following a comprehensive restoration project.
The Iron Is Hot at the Smithsonian
The most abundant element on earth, iron played a key role in early human agricultural, military, and religious development, and in Africa, where smelting and forging can be traced back to the sixth century BC, it still forms an important part of indigenous culture in many Sub-Saharan countries.
Volcanic Activity at the Getty Villa
Known for being home to treasures of the ancient world, the Getty Villa is itself modeled on one: the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum. The institution is mounting a collaborative exhibition this summer focusing on those Roman roots.
Boston Strong
As the Carolyn and Peter Lynch art collection travels to the Peabody Essex Museum, we look at a small part of it at home on Commonwealth Avenue
Folk Art: Opening eyes in Santa Fe
Once we abandoned the benign condescension about folk art several decades ago, it became possible to see the field for what it really is: a perpetual boundary breaker.
Homage to Verrocchio
An exhibition in Florence celebrates the Renaissance master who taught Leonardo
The Golden Spike and Powerful Pics at the Crocker
Andrew Russell’s “East and West Shaking Hands” is the most famous transcontinental rail photo, but Alfred Hart’s stereograph captures the moment.