Art Appreciation Site
	Camille Gizzarelli BellaOnline's Art Appreciation Editor

Artist's Self Portrait In Religious Works
Most artists may have looked in a mirror and became their own models. There are those artists who have painted themselves literally into religious works. Namely, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Leonardo, and Rembrandt.

'Weary Herakles': Looters vs. Archaeologists
I discuss the issue of looters stealing art treasures vs. archaeologists who properly excavate priceless works of art. The case of 'Weary Herakles' is examined.

A Brief Anthology of Nudity in Art
I discuss how nudity (both male and female) have been accepted or rejected over the centuries and how it is defined today.

Actor From 1950’s TV Show To Exhibit at Louvre
Tony Dow, best known as Beaver’s older brother in the 1950’s hit TV series "Leave It To Beaver" is about to exhibit a bronze sculpture at the Louvre in Paris.

Architecture: Hagia Sophia Museum, Turkey
As one of the architectural wonders of the world, the Hagia Sophia faces structural damage and neglect. Why is it important to save this former mosque?

Art vs. Commerce - Forrest Myers - 'The Wall'
An eight year dispute over whether a blue painted exterior wall in New York by sculptor Forrest Myers should be permanently removed, is heating up in court.

Artist Who Paints Flags - Jasper Johns
On Memorial Day flags are flown at half-staff to honor those who have died serving our country. The artist Jasper Johns created flags as recognizable cultural icons.

Artists as Voyeurs: From Giorgione to Hockney
As a followup to my article on artists painting the nude, I discuss how some of them seem to become voyeurs and draw us unknowingly into their world.

Britain’s Royal Collection of Art and Treasures
For over 500 years, the kings and queens of England have amassed a plethora of art and antiques of all kinds including: paintings, drawings, furniture, and jewelry (the Crown Jewels are legendary). I will discuss works by some highly recognizable artists.

Buying a Picasso at Costco May Be Risky
A joke in favor of art galleries has always been whether you would buy fine art out of someone’s trunk. Now a debate continues over whether two Picassos sold by Costco.com are fakes.

Do We Need Art ?
I try to answer the question as to whether we truly need art in our lives. I give examples of the ways man has communicated over time through art.

Explaining Artistic License
I try to explain the reason artists digress from "what is" in the real world to create forms that are unrealistic and exaggerated.

Explaining Vanitas - Dutch Still Life Paintings
The Baroque artist Jacques de Gheyn II is considered the first to paint still life and flower paintings. He also created some of the earliest female nudes in Dutch art.

Francis Bacon’s Pope Exhibit - Tate Britain
Francis Bacon may be one of the greatest 20th century painters from the UK. A major retrospective was at Tate Britain and ran until January 4, 2009.

Frank Lloyd Wright - Price Tower Turns 50
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Skyscraper Celebrates Fifty Years (1956-2006).

Funerary Art in World’s Most Visited Cemetery
The Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world because of its celebrated occupants and artistic tombs.

Great Wave Tsunami in Asian Art
Due to the devastation in 2004 by the tsunami in South Asia, I focus on a woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai.

How To View Art
How to view art by discussing master painters from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

Is That Rodin Bronze Cast at The Museum Real?
The Rodin sculpture at your local museum is real, but is it authentic? I’ll explain the possible difference.

LA's Frank Lloyd Wright House in Disrepair
The historic Frank Lloyd Wright Ennis House, seen in many Hollywood films, now needs restoration.

Museum Membership Pros and Cons
I address the cost of museum membership, its benefits and shortfalls.

Mythology in Art: The Abduction of Europa
What began as a story from Roman mythology by the poet Ovid in 8 AD would become the subject of a painting made famous by Titian and Rubens over a millennium later.

Richard Estes – Painter of Photorealism
Like Chuck Close and Duane Hanson who emerged during the ‘60s and ‘70s, Richard Estes also used photography to help create his artwork.

Robert Indiana 's Love Sign Interpreted
I examine the LOVE sign by Robert Indiana, created in the 1960s. Was it symbolic of romantic love or was it intended to have another meaning?

Saving Wyland’s Famous Whaling Wall Mural
The marine artist known simply as Wyland completed his 100th in a series of Whaling Wall murals in Beijing, China for the 2008 Olympics. Now some of his sea life murals in the U.S. are endangered.

Sculpture: From Ancient Egypt to Modern Times
Even though sculpture dates back to prehistoric times, Egyptian sculpture is probably the best known. I also discuss nineteenth and twentieth century sculpture and how it was influenced by earlier civilizations.

Stonehenge Replicas as Art Across America
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument built in 2500 BC in Wiltshire, England. Stonehenge mania has hit the U.S. with replicas as art appearing across the country.

Surrealism–The Art of Dreams–Dalí and Magritte
The Surrealist movement in art originated at the end of WWI. I will discuss the works of Surrealist painters Salvador Dalí and René Magritte.

The Female Nude: Classical Art or Eroticism ?
I discuss artists who have taken a more classical approach to the female nude. Namely, Giorgione, Titian, Ingres, and Manet.

The Guennol Lioness Statue Has Record Sale
A 5000 year old Mesopotamian stone lioness measuring a mere 3 1/4 inches high brings record sales for any type of sculpture.

The Spiral As Art - Smithson's 'Spiral Jetty'
The spiral is an ancient form, symbolizing eternity. Recreated in art, American sculptor Robert Smithson´s famous earthwork ´Spiral Jetty´ is now threatened.

The World’s Most Expensive Painting by Klimt
In June 2006 an American paid $135 million for a portrait by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt.

What is Art ? What isn't ?
I try to answer the age old question, "What is Art?"

Whistler, Sargent - Americans in Paris exhibit
The "Americans in Paris" exhibit highlights Singer Sargent´s "Madame X."

Why Fine Art Cartoons by Raphael Aren’t Funny
The original meaning of a cartoon was a preparatory drawing for a painting or tapestry. I will discuss cartoons by the Renaissance artist Raphael and where you might find one of the best textile conservation labs in the country.

Women in Art Who 'Stood By Their Men'
After the recent news of former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer´s wrongdoings, many ask why his wife Silda was by his side. I´ll discuss women in history, portrayed through art, who ´stood by their men´.