Studying art history has been a lifelong passion of mine, and sharing it with others has become a mission close to my heart. That’s why I started my daily blog, first on Threads and now here, to provide free art history education to anyone who wants to learn.
Art belongs to everyone, and understanding it opens the door to a deeper appreciation of the beauty and history that surrounds us. I also host a weekly art history chat where people can ask me anything, whether it's about a specific artist, a movement, or even something that caught their eye in a museum.
Love this! Thank you so much for all of the recommendations, Rebecca! I’m proud that I have already visited our local art gallery this year, and I am gathering a group of people to go to an art event. We need more art in our lives, it helps us understand humanity.💕
Such goodness on offer here. I’ve engaged more diligently with art and reflection on pieces I love this year than ever before, and it’s been so rewarding!
I’m lying in this morning and now plan to clean up and organize my SM feeds to keep the inspiration and knowledge coming in. 😎
Lovely post, thank you. Some more useful links to follow…
I love that, alongside all the places to go, books to read and podcasts to listen to you have suggested "drawing sessions on Zoom." and to "Consider attending a life drawing class." Actually DOING art can be so rewarding, and paper and pencils are still amongst the cheapest tools! The zoom online drawing sessions that I've joined have been great, either working with a model or from pictures in the host gallery 's collection.
I love this! I got to take AP Art History in high school, but then didn't pick it back up until grad school—most of my work was in classics/history and very philology-driven. But I've found there are such interesting points of contact between literature and art. I'll definitely be checking out your reading lists in the new year. Thanks very much for this!
Ooh, maybe categorized by era? Best public scholarship on the Medieval period, Renaissance/early modern, etc.? Or by artistic movement...basically, I would love to get into reading nonfiction for fun and not just for my dissertation, haha.
My last formal art history learning was in high school; we were the last class required to take an art history/gallery experience semester before they got rid of the requirement. It was a posh school trying to modernize, I suppose, but I often reflect on how they seemed to do things backwards. Instead of nixing art history requirements, why not initiate some community activities or find ways to make the topic more accessible to 15 year olds? I continue to appreciate the art I was exposed to in that single semester, especially the neoclassicists David and Ingres.
Ugh, art history is woefully undervalued in a lot of schools. They didn't even offer it in my school, actually -- I came to it later. They 100% had the resources for it though. I would have loved to learn more about contemporary/community activities in the arts when I was a teenager.
Hi Rebecca, it is interesting that your post may be the last Substack I read in 24. A nice postive irony. 26 mins to go. A story about fireworks one day.
Sorry if my comments are long, and if that is not contemporary cool, but sort of My Gen thing (late Boomer by birth but mostly not nature), but responding to what you say and how you make me think.
I was lucky as had a lovely Gran who enjoyed taking us to the Museum and/or Art Gallery in Brisbane, on the Tram even, and then afternoon tea at the wonderful Shingle Inn (another story about the doom of development). So maybe a bit of a Pavlovian thing here.My parents equally so, and we then lived for 2 years in UK and travelled a lot. So Galleries , Museums and Churches and Cathedrals, in UK and Euro.Loved London in this regard , but Brum was "Not Half Bad"( where we lived).
Loved your essay so much and agree with your change point ideas. So well detailed
Would add extra ; find your local galleries both public and private, and "use " them. So much good stuff available in public space, but private are incentivised (esp if they think you may buy; resist the Trap; went out to buy a new second hand car in the 80s, and took a short cut, and instead came home with six John Gould Mammals of Australia lithos (not the super expensive ones) ).
They still fascinate me, and our Wallaby, Who Looks so Fine..., wrongly classified, but adds to the history. The Salon idea is great.For a while we had an After the Gallery Closes event for new exhibitions; not restarted since COVID. Was cool
Our GOMA (the biggest in OZ, but one major design fault in an other wise majestic building, as its massive concrete west facing wall copped and absorbed heat from the westerly sun; improved by planting a huge trellis and covered in vine plants. I digress.Did work.
Suspect a lot would not see OZ as place visit to visit Galleries, but for interesting reasons, this is not so. Maybe another story.
But to come back on topic; check out your local scene; like Exhibitions or Showings.
And we should have a conversation about Portraiture Prizes here; the Archies, the Packing Prize, the Moran (interesting way to acquire a significant collection).
And the there is First Nations art. A few conversations to have, if you like to.
My thanks for you sharing your acumen, wisdom and knowledge.
Thank you so much for your comment! It’s wonderful to hear about your gran's love for galleries and museums. Museums are extremely important third spaces... it worries me how little-valued they are by most people...
Would love to visit Australia one day and see the GOMA. I remember studying First Nations Art in primary school and thought it was profoundly beautiful.
Thank you for the wonderful set of links! I’ll add two things: right here on Substack, I recommend Art Every Day: https://open.substack.com/pub/arteveryday?r=16541&utm_medium=ios Also, a pilgrimage to take if you are within striking distance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC) is the Siena Exhibit, on for about another month: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/siena-the-rise-of-painting-1300-1350 Thank you so much, and here’s to a New Year filled with art and art history!
Hard agree on Art Every Day! George posts consistently great stuff. And so educational!
I'm going to miss the Siena exhibit at the Met, but I will be in NY for the Caspar David Friedrich exhibit in the New Year :)
Oh, yes! Looking forward to that!
Studying art history has been a lifelong passion of mine, and sharing it with others has become a mission close to my heart. That’s why I started my daily blog, first on Threads and now here, to provide free art history education to anyone who wants to learn.
Art belongs to everyone, and understanding it opens the door to a deeper appreciation of the beauty and history that surrounds us. I also host a weekly art history chat where people can ask me anything, whether it's about a specific artist, a movement, or even something that caught their eye in a museum.
Love this! Thank you so much for all of the recommendations, Rebecca! I’m proud that I have already visited our local art gallery this year, and I am gathering a group of people to go to an art event. We need more art in our lives, it helps us understand humanity.💕
Such goodness on offer here. I’ve engaged more diligently with art and reflection on pieces I love this year than ever before, and it’s been so rewarding!
I’m lying in this morning and now plan to clean up and organize my SM feeds to keep the inspiration and knowledge coming in. 😎
That is amazing! Let 2025 be the year of slow looking!
Lovely post, thank you. Some more useful links to follow…
I love that, alongside all the places to go, books to read and podcasts to listen to you have suggested "drawing sessions on Zoom." and to "Consider attending a life drawing class." Actually DOING art can be so rewarding, and paper and pencils are still amongst the cheapest tools! The zoom online drawing sessions that I've joined have been great, either working with a model or from pictures in the host gallery 's collection.
Have a good 2025.
Life drawings classes are so rewarding! I am a big fan.
I love this! I got to take AP Art History in high school, but then didn't pick it back up until grad school—most of my work was in classics/history and very philology-driven. But I've found there are such interesting points of contact between literature and art. I'll definitely be checking out your reading lists in the new year. Thanks very much for this!
I too have a background in literature! There is so much overlap. Do you have any requests for specific types of reading lists you'd want to see?
Ooh, maybe categorized by era? Best public scholarship on the Medieval period, Renaissance/early modern, etc.? Or by artistic movement...basically, I would love to get into reading nonfiction for fun and not just for my dissertation, haha.
My last formal art history learning was in high school; we were the last class required to take an art history/gallery experience semester before they got rid of the requirement. It was a posh school trying to modernize, I suppose, but I often reflect on how they seemed to do things backwards. Instead of nixing art history requirements, why not initiate some community activities or find ways to make the topic more accessible to 15 year olds? I continue to appreciate the art I was exposed to in that single semester, especially the neoclassicists David and Ingres.
Ugh, art history is woefully undervalued in a lot of schools. They didn't even offer it in my school, actually -- I came to it later. They 100% had the resources for it though. I would have loved to learn more about contemporary/community activities in the arts when I was a teenager.
Anyway, have an art-filled 2025! Happy New Year
Thank you for sharing Moving Pictures in particular!
It's so good! Sometimes the BBC comes up with great stuff
I love how everyone thinks the same about BBC. "God it's boring, but sometimes they produce excellent things!" :D
Like Berger’s Ways of Seeing ❤️
This is such a generous, useful post. Thank you! My 202”thrive” will be significantly better for it!!
Lovely! Happy New year, have a great 'thrive' :)
Hi Rebecca, it is interesting that your post may be the last Substack I read in 24. A nice postive irony. 26 mins to go. A story about fireworks one day.
Sorry if my comments are long, and if that is not contemporary cool, but sort of My Gen thing (late Boomer by birth but mostly not nature), but responding to what you say and how you make me think.
I was lucky as had a lovely Gran who enjoyed taking us to the Museum and/or Art Gallery in Brisbane, on the Tram even, and then afternoon tea at the wonderful Shingle Inn (another story about the doom of development). So maybe a bit of a Pavlovian thing here.My parents equally so, and we then lived for 2 years in UK and travelled a lot. So Galleries , Museums and Churches and Cathedrals, in UK and Euro.Loved London in this regard , but Brum was "Not Half Bad"( where we lived).
Loved your essay so much and agree with your change point ideas. So well detailed
Would add extra ; find your local galleries both public and private, and "use " them. So much good stuff available in public space, but private are incentivised (esp if they think you may buy; resist the Trap; went out to buy a new second hand car in the 80s, and took a short cut, and instead came home with six John Gould Mammals of Australia lithos (not the super expensive ones) ).
They still fascinate me, and our Wallaby, Who Looks so Fine..., wrongly classified, but adds to the history. The Salon idea is great.For a while we had an After the Gallery Closes event for new exhibitions; not restarted since COVID. Was cool
Our GOMA (the biggest in OZ, but one major design fault in an other wise majestic building, as its massive concrete west facing wall copped and absorbed heat from the westerly sun; improved by planting a huge trellis and covered in vine plants. I digress.Did work.
Suspect a lot would not see OZ as place visit to visit Galleries, but for interesting reasons, this is not so. Maybe another story.
But to come back on topic; check out your local scene; like Exhibitions or Showings.
And we should have a conversation about Portraiture Prizes here; the Archies, the Packing Prize, the Moran (interesting way to acquire a significant collection).
And the there is First Nations art. A few conversations to have, if you like to.
My thanks for you sharing your acumen, wisdom and knowledge.
Look to a Joyous 25.
Thank you so much for your comment! It’s wonderful to hear about your gran's love for galleries and museums. Museums are extremely important third spaces... it worries me how little-valued they are by most people...
Would love to visit Australia one day and see the GOMA. I remember studying First Nations Art in primary school and thought it was profoundly beautiful.
Happy New Year!