Indulgences have had a bad press. Reviled as the epitome of Catholic greed and the lurid practice that sparked the Reformation, to this day they are cast in a negative light. This view overlooks the [...] Read More
Book Reviews
Johannes Vermeer: Faith, Light and Reflection
Over the past forty years, a veritable avalanche of Vermeer studies has been published, culminating with the catalogue of the Rijksmuseum’s recent blockbuster exhibition on the artist. By now, many [...] Read More
Tales of the City: Drawing in the Netherlands from Bosch to Bruegel
The legendary drawings collection of the Albertina in Vienna, which includes peerless holdings of early Netherlandish drawings, was on glorious display at the Cleveland Museum of Art from October 2022 [...] Read More
Conchophilia: Shells, Art, and Curiosity in Early Modern Europe
A very handsome book replete with full-color photographs, Conchophilia is a joy to read, as appealing and stimulating as the curiosities it considers. Comprising an introduction and six chapters, the [...] Read More
Europe Views the World, 1500-1700 (Northern Lights Series)
Larry Silver has long been a prominent advocate for the study of world art. His Art in History, a textbook published three decades ago, was one of the first of its kind to present “views from the [...] Read More
Drawn to Life. Master Drawings from the Age of Rembrandt in the Peck Collection at the Ackland Art Museum
This excellent catalogue was designed to accompany the exhibition of 67 of 134 Dutch drawings donated recently by Leena and Sheldon Peck to the Ackland Art Museum at UNC Chapel Hill. The book [...] Read More