
Decorative Arts
Decorative arts are windows into the culture and styles of their periods. More than just decoration, they tell stories about customs and values. The metalworkers, ceramicists, weavers, cabinetmakers, or glassblowers who created the works are often anonymous. But they left a mark on history through their technical skills and innovative styles.
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Video: The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture
Discover the role of animals in Japanese art and culture through this symposium, featuring a series of talks by renowned curators and scholars.

Video: The Art of Power: Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain, The Iconography of Power
David Brown, Curator of Italian and Spanish paintings at the National Gallery of Art, describes this subtle advertising campaign waged by the Spanish throne to advance its goals and reputation as seen in the exhibition The Art of Power: Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain, The Iconography of Power.

Article: Potter Richard Bresnahan Navigates an “Eco-mutual” Future
The Minnesota artist's humanist, ecological pottery contains operating instructions for our shared survival.

Video: Five Byzantine Churches
Set to the music of Byzantine hymns and chants, the film evokes the original context of many works of art in the exhibition Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections at the National Gallery of Art, on view from October 6, 2013, to March 2, 2014.

Article: David Drake’s Poetic Pottery Was Resistance
We know so much more about Dave than we otherwise would because he signed his vessels, and also inscribed them with poems, during a period of harsh anti-literacy laws.

Interactive Article: Art up Close: Starting from Clay, David Drake’s Storage Jar
A close look at the unseen labor that went in to David Drake’s stoneware pottery and inscribed poetry.
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Architecture
Artists often depict the built environment. We can visit some of the world’s most magnificent buildings and architectural innovations through artworks.

Baroque
In the 1600s, following the Renaissance, an expressive style took hold of European art, architecture, and music. Baroque art often features dramatic contrasts in elements such as shapes or lighting. This creates a sense of movement and intense emotion.