da Vinci's Mona Lisa

Introducing “And, Also, Too”: A Column Dedicated to the Theory and Practice of Art

The image of the artist as eccentric genius or shaman is ubiquitous in popular culture for good reason. ...
Close-up of a black and white dog

Where Do Dogs Come From?

Scientists are determined to uncover the mystery behind man's best friend. 
Christie's employee Matt Paton poses for photographs in front of Mark Rothko's "Untitled #17" at the auction house's premises in London, Friday, April 15, 2011. The painting is is estimated to fetch between 11 to 14 million pounds ($18 to 22 million, 12.5 to 16 million euro) when it comes up for auction in New York in May. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Preventing Art Fraud In Today’s Art Market

As the art market has increasingly grown, art fraud has flourished. What can be done to combat it?
Wine tasting pino noir

The Science Behind What Makes a Great Pinot Noir Great

Four compounds have been identified that can help growers determine the best time to harvest their grapes. 
Hilary Clinton with Buddy

Hillary Clinton and Feminism

Hilary Clinton’s political career has long drawn the attention of scholars and pundits alike.
Angry housewife

The Many Lives of the Angry Housewife

The housewife novel is having a comeback, continuing the tradition of exploring domesticity and self-hood in fiction. 
Award-winning artist Betye Saar, shown here setting up her "Tangled Roots" exhibit at the Palmer Museum of Art on the University Park campus of Penn State in 1996.

The Assemblage Sculptures of Betye Saar

Artist Betye Saar subverts, reclaims, and draws on both public and personal spaces. Her work remains as relevant today as it did when it was first created. 
Octopus vulgaris.

Consider the Octopus

Are octopuses as solitary and introverted as we previously imagined?
Book of love

Who Wrote the Book of Love?

Did the troubadours write the book of love, or just a kind of love poetry? 
A box of antique jewelry.

What Love Tokens Can Tell Us About Poor Women in Early Modern England

Poor English women imbued everyday objects with an emotional power that they gave and received. These were known as love tokens.