Ukiyo-e

Ukiyo-e is a traditional art style that originated in Japan, around the 12th century. It evolved into a tradition of woodblock prints. It has since become something distinctly Japanese and a large part of Japan’s cultural heritage. By then end of Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868) the West was getting its first taste of Japanese visual […]

Mid Modern-America is Changing

The Mid-Modern period was a time marked with conflict and change. Much of the art was a direct reaction from these conflicts or a struggle with change, but as America prospered, consumerism and pop culture began to define America. From World War II to the Vietnam War, America was growing into what we know it […]

Depression Art

The Great Depression was a traumatic time for the United States. The works of the time reflect the reality of men, women and children risking their lives to make ends meet. It wasn’t all paintings of men dying in mines though. Some of the work was meant to be uplifting in a time when people […]

Meaning in Landscapes

I have always enjoyed depictions of landscapes but with any artistic representation in a school of art, there can be a persistence of underlying themes. My favorite artistic medium is photography but photography wasn’t always around to capture reality and bring it to the viewer, unadulterated. The Oxbow was painted by Thomas Cole in 1836, […]

Revolution Art

In the 18th century, wars in America left all sides thirsty for inspiration and stories of triumph and heroic sacrifice. Even after the American War of Independence was won, neoclassical paintings helped to establish national identities and bolster patriotism. Some of the art is politically loaded along with ample artistic license in order to re-document […]

The Raising of the Cross

The Raising of the Cross was commissioned by the Church of St. Walberga in Antwerp. It was painted by Peter Paul Rubens on site, inside the church in 1610. It is an oil on wood triptych and at 15 feet tall and 21 feet wide, was a towering alter piece (Graham. Pitchard.) It now resides […]

The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin

Chancellor Nicolas Rolin commissioned a painting baring his image by Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck sometime between 1430 and 1434. It was painted for the church Notre-Dame-du Châtel in Autun which was founded by Rolin. It now resides in The Louvre (Kazerouni). The work was probably painted in Autun since the landscape closely resembles Autun […]

Donnie with Boys & Cows

Shelby Lee Adams is one of favorite photographers and biggest inspirations as a photographer. I have chosen to analyze Donnie with Boys & Cows, 1999 for its distinctive use of line, form and shape for its composition. These are my favorite aspects of black and white photography. The most important aspect of this piece for […]

An Introduction

My name is Steven Hall and I am a student at UAF majoring in Elementary Education. I grew up in Kentucky and the Caribbean and I have lived in Fairbanks, Alaska for 12 years. I worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for 7 years which allowed me to follow my dream of […]