About

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off ourselves.”
–PABLO PICASSO

Welcome to the Art History Blog, where you’ll find brief, to the point posts that focus on art history and museums. And not the boring stuff, but those fun anecdotes that only a really spunky, in-the-know docent (that is, museum tour guide) can share. If you’ve ever been intimidated by an art museum, fear not: we believe anyone can engage with art and figure it out, the same as any art historian or curator–and we want to help you do it.

“The job of the artist is to deepen the mystery.”
–FRANCIS BACON

We should point out that part of the joy of art history (yeah, we’re art nerds, so we call it joy–you’ll get there too) is that there is no right answer. This can be frustrating, but simultaneously wonderful–and it’s also why you shouldn’t be afraid. All you need are the right tools and an open mind to dive in.

“There is only one valuable thing in art: the thing you cannot explain.”
–GEORGES BRAQUE

You might not be able to explain everything (though tell that to the art historians out there and you might be in trouble), but with some looking tools and a few facts under your belt, you can start to scratch the surface–figuratively, of course–the next time you go to a museum or stumble across a painting you’re intrigued by.

We hope that reading a few articles just might help you appreciate the value that Braque is talking about, probe the mystery Bacon mentions, or at the very least, brush some of the dust off of your life.