Opera di M. Bartolomeo Scappi, cuoco secreto di Papa Pio V

The Wild West of Papal Conclaves

In the sixteenth and seventeenth century, the death of a pope led to all sorts of chaos, from the destruction of art to armed violence in the streets.
Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet

The Art of Impressionism: A Reading List

The first exhibition of paintings that would come to be described as Impressionism opened in Paris on April 15, 1874.
An undated Bay Area poster by a “punk with copymachine,” offering up free copies (BYO paper).

Xerox and Roll: The Corporate Machine and the Making of Punk

On the 85th anniversary of the first xerographic print, a collection of punk flyers from Cornell University provides an object lesson on (anti-)art in the age of mechanical reproduction.

Country Roads and City Scenes in Japanese Woodblock Prints

Explore two centuries of printmaking—from Hokusai and Hiroshige through Hiratsuka—in this online collection shared by Boston College.
"The Big Ones of '68" a paper dress by Universal Studios, 1968

When Paper Was Fashion’s Favorite Material

It’s hip, it’s happening, it’s wow, it’s now, it’s gone: RIP the paper dress, 1966–1968.
A black light poster

The Forgotten Radicalism of Black Light Posters

Fluorescents have fascinated artists for millennia, but the 1960s and '70s saw a generation of revolutionaries experiment with black light.
Dürer's Rhinoceros

Dürer’s Rhinoceros and the Birth of Print Media

Dürer's image of a rhinoceros which drowned off Italy 500 years ago remains one of the world's most famous prints.
Neon colored Mural by Maya Hayuk for POW! WOW! Hawaii

The Global Rise of Street Art

Pow! Wow! mural festivals are growing internationally and exponentially. Learn about the rise and acceptance of street art.