It’s Fine Art Week on Cool Weird Awesome
This week we’re replaying some of our finest episodes about some of the finest works ever created.
Jackie Ormes Brought Black Characters To The Comics Page
Today in 1911, the birthday of Jackie Ormes, the first Black woman to have syndicated comic strips in newspapers.
For Michelangelo, Painting The Sistine Chapel Was Literally A Pain
Today in 1475 Michelangelo was born. One of his masterworks was the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, though if a poem he wrote about the job is to be believed, making all that great art was pretty painful.
Sarah Biffin, A 19th Century Painter “Without Hands” Who’s Getting 21st Century Recognition
Today in 2019, the sale of a portrait by 19th Century English miniaturist Sarah Biffin, a renowned artist who was born without full arms or legs and whose life and work are the subject of an exhibition now running in London.
Why So Many Old Paintings Have Dogs Holding Lit Flares In Their Mouths
There's a phenomenon in art history where some paintings feature dogs with lit flares in their mouths. They're not committing arson or leading Indiana Jones through a dark cave... but what are they doing?
A Mirror From The 16th Century Just Revealed Its Secret
In the collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum, there’s a mirror from 16th Century China that has been keeping a secret for centuries. And, at long last, that secret is out.
“Mummy Brown” Was A Paint Made From Actual Mummies
Today in 1923, King Tut's tomb was opened and entered. That may not have been the afterlife the young pharaoh had hoped for, but it could have been worse: for centuries artists used a paint called Mummy Brown, which was made with actual mummy parts.
What Did Ghosts Look Like To People 3,500 Years Ago?
The new book "The First Ghosts" looks at how humans have been describing and depicting ghosts for thousands of years, including a Babylonian tablet showing a lonely, bearded ghost dude from 1500 B.C.E.
Edmonia Lewis, A Sculptor Who Brought Her Subjects To Life
On Indigenous Peoples Day, here's the story of sculptor Edmonia Lewis. She was born in the 1840s to a Black father and a Chippewa mother, and became the first Native American and Black woman to become an acclaimed sculptor.
Mount Everest May Soon Be Getting Cleaner, And More Arty
Sagarmatha, aka Mount Everest, is the world's highest mountain, and the site of a growing environmental problem. A new initiative wants to remove trash and recyclables from the peak and turn some of them into art.