Articles by Joseph A. Harriss from Smithsonian Magazine

A booming economy has fueled prosperity, transforming a society long burdened by oppression and poverty

March 2005

With his wild and whimsical imagery, the Russian-born artist bucked the trends of 20th-century art

December 2003

When Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, he altered the shape of a nation and the course of history

April 2003

Like generations of painters before them, artists from around the globe go to Paris to copy the masterpieces at the Louvre

March 2001

A new exhibition tracks the turbulent nine weeks that artists Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin lived and painted together in the South of France

December 1, 2001

One hundred years after the maestro's death, the Italian composer reigns, very operatically, in the hearts of music lovers everywhere

November 1, 2001

Bewitching her admirers around the world, Sarah Bernhardt dazzled audiences as she pioneered the cult of celebrity

July 31, 2001

November 1, 2000

Across the continents, the market for this crowd-pleasing condiment is booming

May 31, 2000

The brilliant blue-green gemstone, prized by admirers from ancient times to our own, commands a booming, billion-dollar market

July 31, 1999

Temptress or icon of innocence, cult figure or cultural archetype, Leonardo's mysterious madonna has intrigued us for 500 years

May 1999

On the Hebrides Isle of Harris, weavers are still producing their sought-after textile

August 31, 1998

From boilermaking to fixing up an angel's wing, Les Compagnons hone marketable skills in a medieval brotherhood brought up to date

June 1996