Designer Roots: 50 Art History Sites Worth Bookmarking

Art history might seem archaic and suffocating, but it also provides resources for inspiration. In this article, Linda provides links to 25 art history Web sites and 25 art history blogs worth perusing for insights.

Art History Blogs

1.The Black Art Depot Todayis for people interested in African American and other ethnic art. Articles are largely informed by racial politics of both the past and the present. It provides a chat log to allow visitors to ask questions about the website.

2.The Art History Blog is a chatty, informal site dedicated to making art history accessible to ordinary viewers. It also discusses the value of art. Articles provide discussions of art and artists and their lives, and often provide photographs of exhibits or individual pieces.

3.Tate Blog focuses on pieces from the museum's collection.  t provides discussion of individual artists, with articles devoted to their lives and to several individual pieces of their work. It provides a wide range of articles on everything from classical painting and pottery to more contemporary pieces.

4.The Earthly Paradise, according to its author "is inspired by the art of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, classic literature and mythology and the writings of William Morris and the Romantic Poets."  It provides articles on both modern, pop culture art that draws inspiration from Pre-Raphaelite art, and in-depth discussion of the movement itself.

5.When Art History Goes Bad is a blog maintained by Nicole Jordan, who describes herself as "an art history nerd who likes to complain." It voices the author's opinion on a wide variety of art and artists, often tempered with sarcasm. However, her posts also demonstrate an understanding of art history, and a wide breadth of knowledge on the subject.

6.Art History Newsletter synopsizes news and opinion of interest to art historians and publishes its own reports on relevant conferences and lectures given by art historians. Its main focus is on the study of art history and providing a resource for academics. However, it does include articles discussing art and artists themselves.

7.Famous Paintings Reviewed is dedicated to an in-depth review of selected paintings by famous artists of all styles and periods. Reviews cover artists from Matisse to Georgia O'Keefe. Each review discusses the origins of the paintings and includes images of the paintings themselves.

8.Painting History examines paintings that record historical people and events. It covers a wide variety of paintings, from The "Colossus of Rhodes" by Antonio Muñoz Degrain to "The Doors of Tamerlane" by Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagi. The blog also offers a brief introduction to historic paintings as a genre.

9.Notes on Early Modern Art explores individual pieces of early modern art, with an emphasis on 17^th Century Italy. This site examines not only the art itself, but the motivations behind each piece. It places the artists and their work into the time in which they lived.

10.Women in the Bible focuses on art derived from the Bible and its stories and the varying interpretations of each figure and theme. It provides explanations of the more obscure stories, and provides the artist's name and the date of the piece.

11.Art History Salon "is a gathering place for art historians, students, and lovers of art in the tradition of the grand eighteenth-century salon." The author, an assistant professor of art history at Brigham Young University, features a number of guest bloggers.

12.Art History Ramblings is the blog of a student of art history at Savannah College of Art and Design. The blog "rambles" through a wide variety of art history topics gleaned from the bloggers own experiences and also from various news sources.

13.Van Gogh's Chair emphasizes the work and history of Vincent Van Gogh. Much attention is given to various pieces of art that were created by Van Gogh, where they are now, where they are being exhibited and where they will be shown in the future. There are also articles related to other artists or art pieces and some general history.

14.Art History Blog consists of short entries on Twitter, each one linking to a news article or website dealing with a wide variety of subjects ranging from the sale, restoration or rediscovery of artwork, to news on museum curators and other important figures in the art and art history world.

15.Art History Today focuses on the blogger's experiences in the academic circles of art history in the United Kingdom. It discusses not only visits to various galleries and lectures but also the art itself. Although the focus is academic, the articles are of interest to the general public.

16.Alberti's Window blends a study of classical and ancient pieces of art with articles about modern pop culture. It cover a wide variety of subjects, such as prehistoric cave art and art produced by and about slaves and abolitionists in the United States.

17.The Textile Blog: examines "all aspects of the history of printed, woven and knitted textiles" and focuses on everything from rugs to tapestries and wallpaper. Each article features a different artist, with a brief history of their careers and elements of their artistic philosophies.

18.African Painters is devoted to African art, both "on and off the continent of Africa". The content of this blog is quite mixed, covering everything from sculpture to painting to literature. Each entry provides pictures of the art being discussed, often in a slideshow format.

19.Eye Level is the blog of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It uses the Smithsonian's collection of art to introduce discussion on American art, and the way this art is tied into the nation's culture and history.

20.Reflections on Islamic Art and Architecture, a discussion on Islamic art and architecture with a focus divided between art history and preservation of artifacts in the Islamic world and a discussion of how Islamic art is viewed through a veil of current political opinion.

21.Art History provides a very comprehensive study of certain periods of art history, with emphasis on Byzantine, English and Flemish art. It also features quotes from famous artists and information on a handful of museums around the world.

22.Culture Monster discusses art exhibitions and performances from around the world, including many modern artists. Among the regular articles are brief descriptions and links to controversial art subjects, such as an article on Adolf Hitler and a look, through art, at his impact on Germany and the rest of the world.

23.Jonathan Jones on Art, an art columnist for The Guardian deals largely with art showings and events in the United Kingdom, including exhibitions of modern and classical art. He provides discussion of the art in question, and he has a firm grasp of history and a genuine concern for the preservation of art and the promotion of understanding why it is important.

24.NYA Blog is a look at art in and around the city of New York.  Included on this site are reviews of modern art, as well as interviews with artists and art historians.

25.Style Skilling makes a study of pop culture art, with an emphasis on intricately designed costumes and clothing, fiber art, and a history of comic book design.