ARTES MAGAZINE

ARTES Magazine was recently made aware of a possible threat to a national treasure. As part of its austerity measures, the United States Post Office is in the process of selling its Bronx General Post Office building, in New York City. While the exterior of the building has been identified as a national landmark, a [...]

Editor’s Note: Occasionally making the ‘pages’ of the ARTES Publisher’s Blog available to contributing writers with something insightful to add to the cultural dialogue: What We Do “In criticism, I will be bold, and as sternly, absolutely just with friend and foe. From this purpose nothing shall turn me.” ~Edgar Allan Poe Left: Honore Daumier, The [...]

A Brief Artistic History of Valentine’s Day to Impress Friends and Lovers Passion for life is often spoken through the heart. This powerful organ beats an average of about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion [...]

In the midst of the Holiday season it’s prime time for cultural tourism in the Big Apple. So why did a visit to the Whitney Museum of American Art seem so blah humbug? The museum is counting down its last days on Madison Avenue before a move to the Meatmarket District, downtown near the popping [...]

It wasn’t until I visited the Doge’s Palace in Venice and came face to face with Paradise, Tintoretto’s large painting that hangs majestically in the Ducal Hall, that I discovered that Tintoretto was still alive. Here he was, some 400 years later, looking down at me, looking up at him. I didn’t have to read [...]

On this, the eve of a national election, in a climate of divisiveness and impending change, together with our recent natural disaster affecting so many millions of Americans, now Veterans Day will fall in a few days. This is a cogent reminder for us of sacrifice, loss and sense of duty, as now less than 1% of [...]

It was a year ago, I was giving my friend a tour of the Prado, when I found her – the same eyes and smile staring out from a black background. I’d never come across Prado’s Mona Lisa twin before, nor did I even know it existed, but hidden in a small room on the [...]

 The exuberance of a child exploring her world is a pleasure to watch. Children convey an unbridled truth and inventiveness in their observations of the people and objects around them. Most importantly, they believe in the absoluteness of their place at the center of the universe and the fantastic possibilities of everything within their reach. [...]

On special occasions, the Publisher’s Blog relinquishes its space to a contributing writer who has been moved to put thoughts and emotions to paper. Art that speaks to important issues of the day is often controversial, and the debate that often ensues can hold a magnifying glass to values and tastes that sometimes divide us. [...]

While auction houses continue to report monumental prices for paintings by some of the great masters of 20th century art, this article—originally published in the LA Times on June 28, 2006— provides a fascinating and timeless glimpse into the behind-the-scenes machinations that drive the price of masterpieces in any era. Portions excerpted from, Duveen: A [...]