There are many reasons to visit Uzbekistan, which I did last fall. As usual, I brought back a Masterpiece column for The Wall Street Journal. It describes and explains the Samanid Mausoleum in Bukhara. The little structure not only survived the 13th Century marauder Ghengis Khan but also many earthquakes and other natural shifts: now it is the earliest example of a Samanid tomb … [Read more...] about A Little Masterpiece in Central Asia
Cultural Heritage
Egypt: Breaking New Ground–Underwater
Like Gold, Picasso and Impressionism, Egypt has generally been a sure-fire subject for art museums. But, you may think, you know the story--basically. An exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum will make you think again. Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds, a traveling show that has previously been shown at the British Museum, in Paris and in Zurich, delves into the underwater finds … [Read more...] about Egypt: Breaking New Ground–Underwater
More On That Revolutionary Art: Unscrolled
As I mentioned yesterday, the soon-to-open Museum of the American Revolution will hang a copy of Louis Charles-Auguste Couder’s Siege of Yorktown (1781). It hangs in the Hall of the Battles at Versailles. The copy, I've now learned--from an advance of a press release that will be issued on Friday--"is believed to have been painted by artist Henry LeGrand in Paris and exhibited … [Read more...] about More On That Revolutionary Art: Unscrolled
Antiquities and ISIS: Something Doesn’t Add Up
I care deeply about cultural heritage, and have spent much time over the last year agonizing about the destruction caused by ISIS in the Middle East. The last thing I want is for ISIS to make money on stolen antiquities or, worse in my opinion (though not of others), blow them up completely. The ultimate goals of these despicable fanatics, who want to destroy everything that … [Read more...] about Antiquities and ISIS: Something Doesn’t Add Up
You Can Help Stop Cultural Destruction: Chartres Chapter
Universally recognized as a masterpiece of cultural heritage--inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979--the Cathedral of Our Lady in Chartres is under attack by its would-be restorers. Now maybe you can help stop the dreadful makeover that has been underway for a while. I wrote about this issue, which was ignited by Martin Filler, last December (see Restoration … [Read more...] about You Can Help Stop Cultural Destruction: Chartres Chapter