Iconography is a term used in art history referring to the study of the subject matter rather than the form of a work of art. It can be used in connection with any period of art but is mostly used to discuss the context of medieval and particularly Renaissance studies (Clarke 2010).

I’m posting an “Art Word of the Day” inspired by a dictionary I bought at the MoMA bookstore that is focused on a broad range of art terms called “Oxford The Concise Dictionary of Art Terms“. I know most people might find it boring to sit down and read a dictionary A-Z, so I want to pick a new word from the book, that I find interesting, and have Darcy present it to you! I hope you enjoy it!

©2011 Danee Gilmartin All rights reserved

Millions of visitors come from all over the world to see Paris’ extensive museums and beautiful monuments (the Louvre gets over 8 million visitors a year)! In the year I lived there I barely got to skim the surface of all the great large and small museums to visit. To skip the lines of all these visitors and too save a lot money and time you NEED a Paris Museum Pass. Trust me, it’s really worth it.

These are my top five favorite museums in Paris that are sure to make even the art-averse into art history buff wanna-bes.

1. The Louvre (at the risk of sounding very unoriginal- the Louvre is my favorite)

You can spend a day, a week or a year here, and you will never be bored in the museum of museums, The Louvre. Believe me, I tested this the year I lived there.

Originally a fortress, it was reincarnated as a museum in 1793. Their collection just keeps growing with works from Greek and Roman antiquities, French sculpture, and the Italian Renaissance to Napoleon III’s lavish apartments and more.

Its courtyard contains a glass pyramid designed by the Chinese-American architect, I.M. Pei.

Make a plan and download a map on their site to get the most out of the museum before your visit.

Location: 99 Rue de Rivoli

Metro: Palais-Royal, Musée du Louvre

Hours: Mon, Thur, Sat, Sun 9am to 6pm, Wed, Fri 9am to 9:45pm Closed Tues.

2. Musee d’Orsay

The d’Orsay Museum is housed in an interesting edifice which was at one time a palace, then a hotel, converted into a train station and finally into what it is today. As museums in Paris go, this one is relatively new but the depth of its extensive collection covers the period from the mid-nineteenth century to World War I.

Be wowed by the works of Gauguin, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Seurat and others for a pre- and post-Impressionist surplus at the d’Orsay Museum.

If you love Parisian scenery, the don’t forget a camera for some of the best views of Paris that can be had from the museum’s upper floor.

Location: 1 Rue de Bellechasse

Metro: Palais-Royal, Musée du Louvre

Hours: Tues- Sun 9am-6pm, Thurs until 9:45pm Closed Monday

3. The Musee National d’Art Moderne/Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou was constructed between 1971- 1977 and subsequently was named after the then-serving president of France. It is well-known for its novel architectural design, and includes a vast library, an art cinema and is considered to have one of the most avant-garde modern art collections in the world.

The Musee National d’Art Moderne offers visiting and permanent collections of obscure artworks, including the masters of Cubism and Modigliani. If you’re a fan of modern art, then the five-minute walk on the right bank from Notre Dame positions the perfect element of outings for you.

Location:  Place Georges Pompidou, 4th Arrondissement

Metro: Rambuteau, Hôtel de Ville, Les Halles

Hours: Daily Mon, Wed – Sun 11am to 9pm Closed Tues

4. Musée Jacquemart-André

Just steps from the Champs Elysées, this Parisian museum was once a private mansion in the 8th Arrondissement and visitors will be transported back to another time of Paris. The Musée Jacquemart-André still retains the sensation of being in a private home rather than a museum. French antiques, precious tapestries and draperies adorn the intricate gold and white woodwork.

Walk through collections of French, Italian and Dutch paintings with notable works by such artists as Botticelli, Van Dyck, and Rembrandt.

Children are more than welcome, and are handed a special activity book in which “Filou the Mouse” gives them their own personalized tour.

Location: 158, Blvd. Haussmann.

Metro: Saint-Augustin, Miromesnil or Saint-Philippe du Roul

Hours: daily, 10am to 6pm

5. La Gaité Lyrique

As the newest museum member of Paris’ museum community since December 2010, la Gaité Lyrique is dedicated entirely to the digital arts and modern music. Housed in a legendary 1862 theatre that can claim patrons such as Victor Hugo, it was transformed after eight years of careful redevelopment.

Whether you adore the digital influence or not, it’s one Paris museum that gives neon art a world-class showplace. The museum is an alluring maze, where any room walked into can go from high-tech exhibition galleries filled with selected artwork from festivals to 3-D installations, to “soundscapes,” and even cinemas.

Experience that abundance of wow-factor touches at la Gaité Lyrique, such as quotes that run along the floor in bright LED lights or eye-popping neon walls.

Location: 3 bis Rue Papin

Metro: Réaumur – Sébastopol

Hours: Tue-Sat 2pm to 8pm, Sun 2pm to 6pm, Closed Mon

Not sure if my last name, Gilmartin, gave it away but in case you didn’t know I’m a little bit Irish. I’ve always wanted to travel to Dublin for St. Patty’s Day and then drive along the coast, gazing at green pastures towards Cork. Since I’m too late in planning for this weekend, Alexandra Jacobs, of the blog Alex’s Journeys will take us there.

Guest post by Alexandra Jacobs:

On March 17^th, the celebration of St. Patrick, everyone seems to be Irish!  The activities and traditions carry on from year to year.  I’ll explain some of the background of where St. Patrick’s Day came from and why traveling to Dublin for St. Patty’s Day will give you the best experience you will ever have!  Spending St. Patrick’s Day celebrating in my home in New York City is a fun time, however, I can only imagine how Dublin will be.

St. Patrick was born in Wales late in the 4th century, abducted by Irish adventurers, and converted to Christianity while remaining in captivity for six years.  He became a priest spreading the Word throughout Ireland where he died March 17, 460.  He is celebrated throughout the Ireland and, indeed, the world, as the patron saint of the isle; therefore, St. Patty’s Day is for commemorating all things Irish by any means necessary especially in Dublin.

In 2012 the theme for the St Patrick’s Festival Parade is science especially pertaining to those questions asked by children.  Questions such as: “How do you tell how old the forest is?” or “What lives under the sea?” will generate pageants performed on the parade route from Parnell Square to St Patrick’s Cathedral.  Marching bands from the UK, the US and Russia will provide the music accompanying these pageants.  Festivities begin at 12 noon.

For the adults, also beginning at 12 noon on the 17th as well as other days during the week, the Irish Craft Beer Festival will be at Saint George’s Dock at the IFSC.  Here will be music, fine Irish beer, food stalls, as well as creative workshops, street performers and face-painting. This is another celebration of being Irish.

One can celebrate Ireland’s patron with a walk in his footsteps escorted by Pat Liddy, renowned Dublin historian.  He will guide participants through some sites such as Christ Church and St. Patrick’s cathedrals as well providing an overview of pre-Viking Development in Dublin.  These walks occur on the March 16, 17, 18 and 19 beginning at College Green at 2:30pm.

Finally, a word about the St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, sponsor of the above activities, is necessary.  Beginning in 1996, supporters of a new and peaceful Ireland wanted to demonstrate that changes had begun.  They were amazed at a participating audience numbering at 430,000.  The next few years the festival grew taking up to 18 months to plan for the annual celebration; by the early 2000s more than a million and half people participated in the festivities.  Dublin’s festival is now one of the greatest celebrations in the world, stemming from Irish innovation and marketing ability.  All people, some Irish, some of Irish descent and some not attend and enjoy the imaginative celebration, projecting to an international audience what it means to be Irish.

… but here are the pieces I did notice.

Always hard to miss and usually shocking, artist Andres Serrano’s photographs on display courtesy of the Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art Gallery.

My favorite booth was the Ronald Feldman Gallery’s labyrinth of transparencies from artist, Leon Golub. Walking around and looking through the violent imagery (seemingly images from war and oppression) gave a more involved experience.

Glaring at me from the corner were these creepy eyeballs that moved and blinked with the aid of a projector.

The highly decorative Americana booth of Ambach & Rice was dotted with baseballs signed by celebrities. I noticed that a few of the autographs were from Kurt Cobain, P.Diddy and Snookie.

It isn’t your eyes fooling you- this dangling phone appeared flattened and protruding from the wall. The guy next to me commented, “I wonder if it’s still useable” and I replied, “but who uses house phones anymore?”

It’s a wooden french macaron, so this self proclaimed macaron connoisseur had to take a picture.

Always one of my favorites and one that helped reinvent my life- El Anatsui. If I could have one piece it would be an El Anatsui. Bright bottle caps and wire made up this dimensional hanging sculpture.

©2012 Danee Gilmartin All rights reserved

Ottonian Art is the art of the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th and most of the 11th centuries. It incorporated strong elements of Carolingian, Byzantine and Early Christian art. Typical sculptures were made in ivory and metalwork in forms such as book covers and altar reliefs (Clarke 2010).

I’m posting an “Art Word of the Day” inspired by a dictionary I bought at the MoMA bookstore that is focused on a broad range of art terms called “Oxford The Concise Dictionary of Art Terms“. I know most people might find it boring to sit down and read a dictionary A-Z, so I want to pick a new word from the book, that I find interesting, and have Darcy present it to you! I hope you enjoy it!

©2012 Danee Gilmartin All rights reserved

Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) was a Japanese-American artist. Although born in Los Angeles, Noguchi lived in Japan in his young life, moving back to the US at age thirteen. While taking evening sculpture classes on New York’s Lower East Side, he decided to become an academic sculptor, training in the US and Paris. In 1938, he was first recognized in the US when he completed a stainless steel relief called “News” symbolizing the freedom of the press on the Associated Press building in Rockefeller Center. He went on to complete many outdoor sculptures in NYC, including my favorite, a modern, bright red and precariously balancing cube called “Red Cube”,  located in the financial district, off of Williams Street. For an example of Noguchi’s outdoor, unrefined sculpture go to Central Park. “Unidentified Object”, done in 1979, sits in the park by the Metropolitan Museum of art off of E 80th Street. My next mission is to get some pictures of these sculptures and post them for you. I’ll link them when I do.

Noguchi opened  and personally designed this museum in 1985, at that point this area was still mainly industrial. Today this area of Long Island City, Queens is quickly developing with brand new high rise condos that overlook the East River and quaint cafes.

©2012 Danee Gilmartin All rights reserved

And remember this one, “Girl, you look so good, someone ought to put you on a plate and sop you up with a biscuit!”

And this one, (Cab Driver, pulling up to apartment) “Is this shitty enough for you?” (Prince Akeem) “Yes it is!”

Ok, I’ll stop now. I couldn’t help myself with a little Coming to America reference.

Not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this to you but I lived in Queens for a bit while I was doing my undergrad degree. This was about 10 years ago, so I was intrigued to see all the development that has taken place in the past 10 years and has as of late started to ramp up even more, especially in Long Island City. The bank of the East River in Long Island City seems like a fantastic place for a sculpture garden, so my first stop was the Socrates Sculpture Park. It’s a 1/4 of a mile trek from the closest stop on the N/Q train but it was a sunny winter day so I was up for it.

The site was previously an abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite until 1986 when sculptor Mark di Suvero lead a group of artists and community members to create an en plein air exhibition space and neighborhood park. Today Socrates Sculpture Park is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and artist residency program that also offers a wide variety of free public programs.

The views of Upper Manhattan and Roosevelt Island were peaceful this Saturday in January with no rats in sight. On to the Isamu Noguchi Museum only one block away…

I love the modern quality of these ancient pieces. Seeing them brought back great memories of discovering Cycladic Art at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens and being in the Greek Islands.

Ottocento is a term used to describe the 19th century in Italian art. (Clarke 2010).

I’m posting an “Art Word of the Day” inspired by a dictionary I bought at the MoMA bookstore that is focused on a broad range of art terms called “Oxford The Concise Dictionary of Art Terms“. I know most people might find it boring to sit down and read a dictionary A-Z, so I want to pick a new word from the book, that I find interesting, and have Darcy present it to you! I hope you enjoy it!

©2012 Danee Gilmartin All rights reserved

This article was submitted by Lori Hutchison. She owns the site Masters in History (a fantastic resource for those looking to advance their education in history and humanities) and is an Art History Professor.

Adolf Hitler did many terrible things when he ruled Nazi Germany. But one of the horrors we don’t often hear about is what he did to the art world.

Hitler’s personal feelings about what “art” should be were influenced by his anti-Semitic beliefs. He preferred classical Greek and Roman art, because he thought it embodied a racial ideal. On the other hand, any type of art that had primitive, abstract, or modern characteristics was labeled as “degenerate.” According to Hitler, any artwork that was indecipherable, distorted, or represented “depraved” subject matter was inherently Jewish in nature.

In 1937, the Nazi party seized thousands of so-called “degenerate” works from German museums. In order to educate the public about the “evils” of modern art, Nazi officials held an exhibition of 650 works in Munich, which was called “Entartete Kunst” (Degenerate Art) and which opened on July 19, 1939.

The pictures were crowded together on the walls, sometimes unframed and hung by cords. There were also slogans painted on the walls mocking the art such as “An insult to German womanhood” and “Nature as seen by sick minds.” Certain artistic movements such as Dada, Surrealism, and Expressionism were criticized in particular.

After the exhibition opened, Goebbels ordered a more thorough confiscation of German artworks. Over 17,000 works of art were confiscated from German museums in total.

Some notable artists whose works were shown at the exhibition include Wassily Kandinsky, Max Beckmann, Franz Marc, Piet Mondrian, Otto Dix, Marc Chagall, and Paul Klee. Even some works by Picasso, Matisse, and van Gogh couldn’t avoid the hand of the Nazis.

Interestingly, another exhibition was held around the same time to show off the art that was approved by the Nazi regime. However, this exhibition was only viewed by a quarter of the number of people who had gone to see the “Entartete Kunst” exhibition.

So what happened to the “degenerate” artists and their art after the exhibition? Many of the artists had to flee the country. Those who remained in Germany were forbidden from creating art or teaching at universities. Some, such as Ernst Kirchner, committed suicide.

The artworks themselves were sold at auction in Switzerland to be bought by museums and private collectors. Some pieces were actually kept by Nazi officials; Göring took fourteen pieces, including one by Van Gogh. Sadly, many of the artwork that didn’t sell at auction was burned in bonfires.

Since the collapse of the Nazi regime, some artwork has actually been found buried underground. Just in 2010, a number of sculptures from the exhibition were found in Berlin when work was being done to extend an underground line. Nevertheless, many other pieces have been lost to history.