Cover Photo: An image of a wave in the ocean in the foreground and a snow-capped mountain in the background
Detail of Katsushika Hokusai's "Under the Wave off Kanagawa" (ca. 1830–32)/The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Unlearning the Whiteness of Academic Art History

In Taipei, my disengagement with the silk scrolls wasn’t random. It was learned.

Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects

Art historians Barbara Mundy and Aaron Hyman have criticized the use of Vasari and his concept of the singular artist in art history. They argue that Vasari’s society of patrons and commissions limits Vasari’s vision of art, as well as the relevance of his theory for other contexts. Turning their attention to Latin America, they argue that the social conditions were different and therefore the creative production was divergent from Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture. But the difference does not imply less value.

Twilight in the Wilderness

The DrinkersWhite Crucifix

NightlifeNighthawks

The Great Wave off Kanagawa

Wave

Chris Karnadi is a writer, journalist, and editor based in Washington, D.C. Follow him on Twitter @chriskarnadi.