Fine Art

Arts

Why A Thumb-Sized Stone Is Important To Ancient Greek Art History

8:07am November 11, 2017

A miniature masterpiece carved on an ancient seal stone is changing ideas about art history. Jack Davis helped discover the Pylos Combat Agate in Greece and tells Scott Simon why it's so important.

Dre Urhahn: How Can Public Art Projects Transform Rough Neighborhoods?

9:55am November 10, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Artists Dre Urhahn and Jeroen Koolhaas strive to change perceptions of "bad neighborhoods" by arming locals with paintbrushes and a vision: to turn their neighborhoods into open-air art galleries.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Titus Kaphar: How Can We Address Centuries of Racism In Art?

9:22am November 10, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Western art contains countless paintings and sculptures that reveal a painful history of racism. We can't erase that history, but artist Titus Kaphar has begun the long and hard work of amending it.

Queue Listen Now

eL Seed: Can The Beauty Of Arabic Calligraphy Shift Perspectives?

9:22am November 10, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Using Arabic calligraphy, eL Seed paints messages of hope on the sides of buildings. He says the beauty of Arabic script — even if you can't read it — can change negative perceptions of Arab culture.

Queue Listen Now

Vincent Van Gogh's Olive Trees, made with oil on canvas in 1889. See the shadow cast by that small tree on the far right side? There's a grasshopper lurking in that shade.

Arts

The Grasshopper In The Van Gogh

6:51pm November 08, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

When museum conservators examined Vincent Van Gogh's Olive Trees, they found something curious stuck in its paint: a grasshopper. Could it be just some weird leftover — or a crucial clue?

Left: Johannes Vermeer's Lady Writing, 1665. Right: Caspar Netscher's Woman Feeding a Parrot, with a Page, 1666.

Arts

Dutch Artists Painted Their Patriotism With Pearls And ... Parrots?

4:55pm November 07, 2017

by Susan Stamberg

In the 1600s, after decades of war, the Netherlands was thriving. Artists like Johannes Vermeer celebrated the nation's wealth with images of fine clothing, glimmering pearls and imported parrots.

Phillips Collection curator Eliza Rathbone says Renoir was "at the height of his powers" when in he painted Luncheon of the Boating Party.

Arts

Guess Who Renoir Was In Love With In 'Luncheon Of The Boating Party'

10:34am October 26, 2017

by Susan Stamberg

Aline Charigot hadn't known Renoir long when she posed for his masterpiece, but he'd already fallen for her. Curator Eliza Rathbone says, "That's why she has the role that she does in the painting."

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Why Da Vinci's Last Privately Owned Painting Probably Won't End Up In A Museum

5:48pm October 18, 2017

by Rick Karr

The last known privately owned painting by Leonardo da Vinci is going up for auction. But it will probably go back into private hands because no museum can afford the price. "Salvator Mundi" is likely to sell for more than a $100 million.

Queue Listen Now

Christie's unveiled Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi at Christie's New York on Tuesday in New York City.

Last Da Vinci Painting In Private Hands Will Be Auctioned Next Month

7:46pm October 11, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

The portrait of Jesus Christ, Salvator Mundi, was recently confirmed to be a da Vinci that had been thought to be destroyed. It's not clear where the painting was, exactly, for more than a century.

Here Are The 2017 MacArthur 'Genius' Grant Winners

5:10pm October 11, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Jason De León, Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Derek Peterson are among the 24 winners of this year's MacArthur Fellowship, which honors "extraordinarily talented and creative individuals."