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1 day ago6 min read
Medieval Heart-Shaped Books: The Ultimate Valentine?
During the Middle Ages, heart-shaped books were deeply tied to ideas about love, memory, and the soul.
Jan 286 min read
An Ancient Zapotec Feline in a Scarf: Cats in Ancient Art
A sculpture of a feline wearing a scarf provides a glimpse into the artistry, symbolism, and beliefs of the ancient Zapotec people of Oaxaca
Jan 155 min read
Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors: The Best Artwork of the 21st Century?
Is Ragnar Kjartansson's The Visitors the greatest artwork of the 21st century?
Nov 15, 20243 min read
A book about Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in art for young learners
A book about Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in art for young learners
Nov 11, 20245 min read
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and Vincent van Gogh's post-impressionist paintings
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway reminds me of everyone’s favorite Post-impressionist Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh
Nov 8, 20242 min read
The Little Mermaid and Victorian artists: The Disney Princess Series
Did you know Ariel in The Little Mermaid is influenced by Victorian art?
Nov 6, 20244 min read
Epcot's Mexico Pavilion and the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico
Ever noticed the projecting serpent heads on the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot? They relate to Teotihuacan!
Sep 9, 20243 min read
Putting art history to work in the world!
How I put art history to work in the world
Sep 3, 20242 min read
Bark cloth (tapa) in Polynesia and Moana: The Disney Princess Series
Moana's clothing and her connections to bark cloth (tapa) in the Pacific Islands
Aug 26, 20244 min read
Fulfilling a lifelong dream writing about art history at Disneyland—and beyond!
Writing about art history at Disneyland has been a lifelong dream—and I am finally fulfilling it
Aug 20, 20247 min read
"it's a small world" and a nod to an important Irish icon
"it's a small world" at Disneyland includes an important Irish icon
Aug 16, 20244 min read
An ancient Maya king's tomb and the new Indiana Jones attraction at Animal Kingdom
How does the new Indiana Jones attraction at Animal Kingdom relate to ancient Maya king's tomb? Find out in this post about king Pakal's.
Aug 15, 20244 min read
Villains Land concept art and art history—Disney Imagineers' love of German Romanticism
Disney concept art for Villains Land concept art leans heavily on art history, specifically German Romanticism
Aug 9, 20244 min read
The Haunted Mansion and Greek Revival Architecture
This post focuses on the architecture that influenced Disneyland's Haunted Mansion exterior.
Aug 6, 20242 min read
Prince Eric's palace and the Château de Chinon in Switzerland
Did you know a famous castle in Switzerland inspired Prince Eric’s palace in The Little Mermaid?
Aug 5, 202412 min read
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and an adventure into art history
This post considers the historical art and architecture references in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) as a way to understand the film
Jul 24, 20245 min read
Walt Disney’s vision for Disneyland and how it relates to art history
"Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America." Let's consider what this means!
Jul 16, 20247 min read
Pirates of the Caribbean, the Redheaded Pirate, and the Reclining Nude in Art
What does a painting of a sassy, partially nude, and probably inebriated red-headed pirate have to do with art history and Disneyland?
Jun 26, 20246 min read
Why I Became a Disneyland Art Historian
Focus on the hidden art references at Disneyland is an excellent way to get people excited about art history.
Jun 19, 20246 min read
Destroying the Mona Lisa at Disneyland—Pinocchio, Leonardo da Vinci, and Marcel Duchamp
Exploring how Pinocchio's Daring Journey at Disneyland, Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, and modernist artist Marcel Duchamp fit togeth
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