A Haggardly Beautiful Mary Magdalene
This Mary Magdalene was sculpted by Donatello. Artistically and materialistically, the sculpture departs from his smooth bronze and marble work. Mary stands over 6′ tall, made of wood and gesso. More than stone or marble, I believe the wood and…
The Massacre at Chios
Note: I wrote the following essay excerpt for UCLA’s 19th Century European Art course. It was written against the backdrop of life change, excitement, death, and grief. The class was my first at UCLA, and the course’s professor was the…
On the Power of Aesthetics and Artistic Intent
I remember the first and only time I’ve experienced something close to Stendhal’s Syndrome. I was traveling in Rome. It was 2007, and I was 18. I had just seen the Pantheon, eaten chocolate gelato for a refreshing treat, and was…
What is Resemblance?
This brief exploration stems from a conversation I had with an art history professor earlier this year. “Well, what is resemblance?” he mused. Ever since he asked, I’ve had it nipping at the back of my brain, waiting to be…
Digital vs. Classical Art
My father, David Shatto, wrote a brief essay in 2009 called “Digital vs. Classical Art: Or Rather, Digital vs. Physical Art.” The concepts and ideas presented are succinctly explored with wonderful language. The essay raises questions regarding the existence of art, its form and…
Why Choose Art History?
I’ve discussed what art history is and thought I’d follow up with why prospective art history students should choose art history (either as a major or minor) and the different career paths art history majors and minors can take. Let’s…
Art History as a General Education Requirement
Few high schools teach art history, and when they do, the course is often an AP Art History course, designed for rigorous study. Solely teaching AP Art History excludes the majority of students in most schools who may not have…
What is Art History?
Throughout my undergraduate study, I encountered many people who were admittedly or indirectly clueless as to what art history, by definition, is. The most common misunderstanding I run into is that art history is the study of how artists create…
Forthcoming Articles
Dear Readers, I am working on a few articles that will be “published” here hopefully by the end of the month. They are, in order: What is Art History? Why Choose Art History? (Including a discussion of career options and…
