Traditional Chinese Ink Painting
Explore traditional Chinese ink painting with one of the most famous examples from the Yuan dynasty!
New multimedia glossary for art history
ARTSQ launches a multimedia glossary of important symbols, subject matter, materials, and techniques in art history.
Chinese Music for the Dead: The Marquis Yi of Zeng’s Bells
In the 1970s, archaeologists in China made one of the most impressive archaeological discoveries in world history from the tomb of a marquis (the Marquis Yi of Zeng) who lived and died in south China in the 5th century BCE.
A symbol of Heaven? A Chinese jade bi disk
What can a jade disk crafted in Neolithic China tell us about the cosmos? These circular disks may be connected to early Chinese views of the universe that consisted of a square Earth and a round (circular) canopy that represented Heaven.
The largest pyramid in the world
The largest pyramid in the world isn’t in Egypt. Do you know where it is?
Famous paintings everyone should know: Miguel Cabrera’s Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
It's a painting everyone should know but probably doesn't! The portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was painted by the most famous artist of New Spain (colonial Mexico) in the 18th century.
Close looking at abstract art | Olga Albizu's 900-50-80
How should we understand an abstract painting like Olga Albizu’s 900-50-80 from 1978?
Five fun facts about the Tomb of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui)
This year archaeologists in China are celebrating the 52nd anniversary of the excavation of the Tomb of Xin Zhui (popularly known as “Lady Dai”) discovered at Mawangdui, in Hunan province, China in 1972. Over the next several months, we’ll be celebrating the excavation of Xin Zhui’s tomb in many different ways, but let’s start with five fun facts!
Learn about Chan (Zen) Buddhism with Muqi’s Six Persimmons
Muqi, a 13th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, created this famous monochrome ink painting of six persimmons. The monk painter captured the essence of these sweet fruits using very few brushstrokes.
Close Looking at surrealist artist Leonora Carrington's Self-Portrait with Rocking Horse
Is that a hyena, a rocking horse, and monster claws?
Learning about ancient Chinese bronze casting and the piece mold process
Did you know that around 4,000 years ago the ancient Chinese invented their own unique metallurgical technique to cast bronze objects?
Getting kids excited about art history
I am passionate about getting kids excited about art history. When I was a professor of art history, most of my colleagues outside of art history (even historians!) had no sense of what I did or what my field does. So how can I expect children (or really anyone for that matter) to understand? A discussion about how to engage my own kid by making a video about Hokusai’s The Great Wave by Hokusai.
Miguel Cabrera, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, c. 1750
It's a painting everyone should know but probably doesn't! The portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was painted by the most famous artist of New Spain (colonial Mexico) in the 18th century.
Discovering an ancient Maya king’s tomb at Palenque
Deep in the thick rainforest of Chiapas, Mexico, archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier would stumble upon one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth while digging at the ancient Maya site of Palenque: the tomb and sarcophagus of the ruler K’inich Janaab’ Pakal.
Hi, there! We’re ARTSQ!
We’re on a quest to ignite a passion for world history by bringing it to life through art! Our mission is to instill a lifelong love of art and history in everyone, from kids to kids-at-heart. We believe that learning should be fun and accessible, with books and videos and creative projects to make history come alive!