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Arts & Culture / Art & Artists

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America’s Forgotten Landscape Painter: Robert S. Duncanson

Beloved by 19th-century audiences around the world, the African-American artist fell into obscurity, only to be celebrated as a genius a century later

"Young Man and Woman in an Inn" by Franz Hals, 1623

Frans Hals and the Divided Self

The Metropolitan’s recent Frans Hals exhibition and other works by the Old Master showcase his surprisingly modern psychological insight

Art historian Henry Adams

Welcome to ARTiculations

A new Smithsonian.com blog sheds light on what’s happening in the world of art, artists, art museums and art history

Writer Gertrude Stein crisscrossed America for 191 days in 1934-'35. She gave 74 lectures in 37 cities in 23 states.

When Gertrude Stein Toured America

A 1934 barnstorming visit to her native country transformed Stein from a noteworthy but rarely glimpsed author into a national celebrity

When designing the first Macintosh computer, Steve Jobs remembered his calligraphy course at Reed College and built it all into the Mac. "It was the first computer with beautiful typography," said Jobs.

A Tribute to a Great Artist: Steve Jobs

Through mastering calligraphy in college, Jobs learned to think like an artist

Among the artists who emerged in the 1950s and '60s, Willem de Kooning, shown here in 1953, defied categorization.

Willem de Kooning Still Dazzles

A new major retrospective recounts the artist’s seven-decade career and never-ending experimentation

Shih Chieng Huang's installations are featured in an exhibit at the Natural History Museum through January 8, 2012.

What’s Up

Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden discusses his new book and the scandal that surrounded him after he returned to earth in 1971.

Apollo 15’s Al Worden on Space and Scandal

The astronaut talks about his lunar mission, the scandal that followed and the future of space missions

The photographs of the Empress Dowager Cixi taken by Xunling are more Western than Eastern in style.

Presenting China’s Last Empress Dowager

The early 20th-century photograph of Empress Dowager Cixi captures political spin, Qing dynasty-style

I Am A Man, Sanitation workers assemble outside Clayborn Temple, Memphis, TN, 1968.

The Power of Imagery in Advancing Civil Rights

“Whether it was TV or magazines, the world got changed one image at a time,” says Maurice Berger, curator of a new exhibit at American History

Thomas Jefferson cut verses from six copies of the New Testament to create his own personal version.

Secretary Clough on Jefferson’s Bible

The head of the Smithsonian Institution details the efforts American History Museum conservators took to repair the artifact

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Letters

For the first time ever, all 102 of Andy Warhol's Shadows are installed together, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden through January 15.

Bringing Andy Warhol’s Shadows to the Hirshhorn

Later in his career, the 20th century painter explored abstract art in numerous large paintings

Lawrence Weiner's "A RUBBER BALL THROWN ON THE SEA, Cat. No. 146" is displayed at the Hirshhorn Museum in blue, sans-serif lettering. Weiner was open to the seven words being produced in any color, size or font.

Ask an Expert: What is the Difference Between Modern and Postmodern Art?

A curator from the Hirshhorn Museum explains how art historians define the two classifications

The Indian-detour (1926)

Out Where the West Begins

A new boxed DVD set examines the history of the West in films

"Tiles for America" is located at the corner of 7th and Greenwich Avenues in New York City

Handcrafted “Tiles for America” Project Remembers 9/ll

An art installation that spontaneously appeared after the terrorist attacks returns to New York City

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A New Look at the Men of Baseball’s Past

Charles Conlon’s classic photographs of baseball players from the early 20th century offer a glimpse into a familiar sport at an otherworldly time

More than 50 artifacts from the September 11 attacks, including Fire Truck Door, 2001, will be displayed at the American History Museum.

What’s Up

Skateboarding pioneer Tony Hawk recently donated his 1986 pro model Powell-Peralta deck with truck and wheels to the National Museum of American History.

Q and A with Tony Hawk

The skateboarding champion talks about the growth and evolution of his sport

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Letters

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