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Fuji (Wisteria) Matsuri: Utagawa Hiroshige

Monday, April 27, 2020 | Karl Cole

In Japan, April 21 to May 6 is the time of the Fuji Matsuri, or “Wisteria Festival.” During the festival, traditional music and dance are performed at the Kameido Tenjin shrine on the outs ...

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Curator's Corner

Women's (Art) History Month: Tomoe Yokoi, Anna Atkins, and Agnes Northrop

Monday, March 23, 2020 | Karl Cole

This week of Women’s Art History Month, we’ll look at a printmaker, a pioneer photographer, and one of the secrets to Tiffany’s success in stained glass. ...

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Curator's Corner

Women's (Art) History Month: Sarah Wyman Whitman, Sabina Elliott Wells, Seikō Okuhara

Monday, March 9, 2020 | Karl Cole

Women’s (Art) History Month continues with tributes to three more interesting artists I have encountered in my art historical travels. ...

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Curator's Corner

Wearable Art for Winter: Yuh Okano

Monday, January 27, 2020 | Karl Cole

It’s winter in New England, and scarves really come in handy here. Unfortunately, they need to be warm and aren’t likely to be worn as fashion statements, as these two Yuh Okano artworks s ...

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Curator's Corner

What Was Happening in the 20s?

Monday, January 6, 2020 | Karl Cole

As a celebration of the new year, let’s look back at what was happening in the ‘20s of centuries past. ...

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Curator's Corner

Chrysanthemum Day and Festival

Monday, September 9, 2019 | Karl Cole

I’ve shown this print on this blog before, but only in passing with other works concerning vacations. I’ve never gone into depth about a holiday that I think should be adapted around the w ...

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Curator's Corner

Gem of the Month: Tokuyama Gyokuran

Monday, August 19, 2019 | Karl Cole

A nice way to spend a summer day: imagining yourself wandering in this landscape by my Gem of the Month, Tokuyama Gyokuran. (As a side note, Chinese scholars considered a painting successful if it inv ...

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Curator's Corner

Cool Off with Cool Colors: Asano Takeji

Monday, July 15, 2019 | Karl Cole

July can be moderately hot in Massachusetts, but I understand some regions of the world are having the hottest July ever recorded (probably due to climate change). So, if it’s hot by you, just s ...

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Curator's Corner

Earth Appreciation Month: Rajput Painting

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | Karl Cole

There is nothing I like more than the colors of nature awakening to spring. I especially love the arrays of greens that are seen in the grass, foliage, and trees. To celebrate Earth Appreciation Month ...

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Curator's Corner

Let It Snow in Ukiyo-e Prints

Monday, February 25, 2019 | Karl Cole

We have had several snowfalls in the past couple of weeks. On Presidents’ Day I found myself staring at a snow-laden tree across the street and thinking, that looks like a Japanese woodcut of a ...

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Curator's Corner

Surimono Time for the New Year

Wednesday, January 2, 2019 | Karl Cole

I did it before and I’m doing it again: surimono to celebrate the New Year. In the West, we don’t really make little works of fine art to celebrate the New Year. In Japan, the surimono&mda ...

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Curator's Corner

It's Scarf Weather: Yuh Okano

Monday, December 17, 2018 | Karl Cole

I’m not sure how warm these scarves would be in winter, but they sure would be fabulous displayed over a black overcoat! The honor accorded Japanese textile art equals that of ceramics, and cert ...

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Curator's Corner

"Hmm, Ginko Leaf or Toothbrush?"

Monday, August 27, 2018 | Karl Cole

I just got a crown on a tooth this week, so I thought I’d do a teeth-themed posting. Goodness knows I don’t love going to the dentist, but he’s a really good one, so I’m no lon ...

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Curator's Corner

A Lyrical August Gift: Tam Van Tran

Monday, August 20, 2018 | Karl Cole

I’m always wowed by color. And when I found out that the landscape-like backgrounds of this artist’s work are derived from pond scum powder (spirulina is the source, considered a healthy a ...

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Curator's Corner

Artists with August Birthdays: Sakai Hōitsu and George Bellows

Monday, August 6, 2018 | Karl Cole

Monthly artists’ birthdays are a good way to introduce you to a variety of artists I actually adore, while contrasting art from vastly different cultures. I’m not going to call it “i ...

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Curator's Corner

Architecture as Sculpture: Hoysala Empire

Monday, April 30, 2018 | Karl Cole

When Western art history books talk about “architectural sculpture,” it is usually in the context of Romanesque and Gothic churches/cathedrals in Europe. When one is looking at temple arch ...

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