Peggy Guggenheim was an American heiress and eccentric who made a name for herself by amassing one of the broadest and most important private collections of modern art in the world. Born and raised in New York, she moved to Europe and spent time with her first husband running in the bohemian circles of the…
Considering a visit to one or more of the great cities in Europe? Getting the most out of your city travel experience takes a special kind of planning, especially as we navigate COVID and how it has altered the way we dine and sightsee. You can still enjoy the best of Europe’s cities. Many have…
From his mid 60s to the end of his life in his 80s, Henri Matisse worked in paper. After a long and illustrious art career as a painter, his move into this new art realm pushed modern art and design forward. He cut forms from brightly painted and colored paper and worked with gallery assistants…
You might have heard of the Stendhal Syndrome, or the Florence Syndrome. You may have even experienced a mild case of it yourself. It is the feeling of being overwhelmed by too much art: too many beautiful paintings, sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, architectural wonders. It is a particular physical and mental response to art that was…
When we say Renaissance, what is the first city that comes to mind? For us, and for most, it is Florence. A cradle of architecture and artistic growth under the patronage of the Medici, Florence was seminal in the development of western art and culture. On our upcoming Virtual Weekend in Tuscany, we will explore…
The Scuole Grandi (Great Schools) of Venice were fraternal organizations, established between the 13th and 16th centuries. They operated as charitable and social organizations for non-noble Venetian citizens of standing and wealth. They played an important role in their communities and in the arts. The schools were normally associated with a church and built nearby….
In our first in a series on overtourism, we talked about finding alternatives to very popular cities, like seeing Holland from a base in Leiden rather than Amsterdam. You can read more about that here. We still find ourselves in popular tourist cities though, and you will too. After all, we all want to see…
Cordoba is a beautiful, multifaceted city where the legacy of multiple religions and civilizations interact and overlap. The old Arabic and Jewish quarters surround the Mosque, where crooked narrow streets still possess the feel, taste, and smells of ancient times. History has settled here in rich and complex ways, making it a compelling home base…
There are countless museums in London, something for everyone. While the British Museum, the National Gallery, and the Tate(s) may be top of mind, it could be easy to overlook some splendid museums in Kensington, a museum district with a strong appeal for Londoners. Here are the three museums that rank among the locals’ favorites….
Paul Klee may be Switzerland’s most famous artist. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, it seems a fitting time to visit the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern. One of the 20th century’s most influential artists, Klee was an abstract expressionist painter who studied color and took inspiration from music, his global travels,…