The Shy Museumgoer
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Hello, and welcome. I'm Diane Tucker. I write stories about great paintings in the museum.
The Shy Museumgoer
1M ago
In Old Master narrative paintings, is a dog just a dog? "Dogs give an honest bark of truth," said Diogenes, an ancient Greek philosopher whose opinion I value because, for a time, Diogenes lived on the streets of Athens in a clay wine barrel. He knows dogs ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
3M ago
Volumes have been written about the beauty of Hiroshige’s woodblock prints of the Tōkaidō Road, not to mention its many prurient pleasures. Today, I’m focusing my attention on the women of the Tōkaidō — all of the women, not only the courtesans ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
4M ago
Abstract Expressionism, the first uniquely American art movement to achieve international influence, trumpets the limitlessness of artistic horizons. But limitless for whom? How many Black abstract expressionists can you name ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
4M ago
Henri Matisse painted quiet moments of repose in order to catch his breath before returning to the turmoils of life. “Peace of mind” is what he craved and what he wanted to bestow on us. Does this mean he wasn't quite serious enough as an artist ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
4M ago
Can a painter take the same passionate risks as a jazz musician? For that matter, can the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra transform the colors, lines, and layers of a Stuart Davis painting into live music? Here's a rare opportunity to compare notes ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
4M ago
Charles Sheeler and Diego Rivera jumped at the chance to depict a revolutionary manufacturing complex nicknamed "The Rouge." Do their paintings celebrate the potential of machines to liberate us from drudgery? Or do they warn us about the dangers of living in a technology-driven society ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
4M ago
Berthe Morisot’s brushwork was audacious, even for a French Impressionist. Despite this, contemporary critics reviewed her work favorably. Today she is the least-known member of this popular group of painters. The lady (almost) vanished. Where did she go ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
4M ago
“Bellows paints the city in undress," grumbled the New York Daily News and they were right. Did the artist's fidelity to the hard truth about urbanization interfere with his ability to create beautiful works of art ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
4M ago
During the Italian Renaissance, women were portrayed as ideals, symbols, and allegories — even in their own portraits. Then one day Leonardo da Vinci said goodbye to all that ..read more
The Shy Museumgoer
4M ago
For centuries people commissioned portraits to reinforce their role in society. It had little to do with our modern, lonely desire to feel seen for who we really are. Do we still believe a person can be described from a single viewpoint in one place? Will multimedia replace the official painted portrait ..read more