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16 hours 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 235 min read
Aztec Gold, the "Calendar Stone," and Pirates of the Caribbean: Fact vs. Fiction
The "Aztec gold" in Pirates of the Caribbean loosely borrows from actual Aztec art and mythology


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?


Jan 106 min read
Walking Through Trees, Real and Imagined: Redwoods National and State Parks and Disney California Adventure
Disney California Adventure's Redwood Creek Challenge Trail has some delightful connections to Redwoods National and State Parks


Jan 64 min read
Coco and Teotihuacan: How Ancient Mesoamerican Architecture Brought the Land of the Dead to Life
Pixar's Coco brought ancient Mesoamerican architecture from Teotihuacan to life in the Land of the Dead


Jan 35 min read
The Evil Queen and Uta von Ballenstedt: Medieval Inspiration Behind Disney’s Iconic Villain
Disney’s villainous Evil Queen in Snow White is based on a famous medieval sculpture of Uta von Ballenstedt


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 12, 20243 min read
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Blue Boy—one of the most famous paintings in the world!
The portrait of Mr. Toad on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland was based on the most famous painting in the world.


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?
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