For conservators, fabrics incorporating metallic components raise complex questions about construction, materials, and manufacturing techniques, all of which impact how an object will be stabilized and displayed
Embroidery samplers are inextricably linked to an image of colonial America: farmhouses waved sheets of linen like flags of surrender, with fields of flax extending beyond, as far as the eye could
Architects have been recognized as key figures in furniture design since the late 19th century, although they've certainly been designing furniture for far longer. But what compels them to do so?
RISD's ancient art collection includes a vase that demonstrates how one Greek potter perfected international marketing and became one of the most prolific artisans in ancient Athens.
This article explores the concept of purity in criticisms of Inuit prints by briefly introducing the history of printmaking in Cape Dorset and looking at 1970s Western art historians' expectations of Inuit art.
Marking the Museum’s entrance into online publishing, Altered States: Etching in Late 19th-Century Paris combines a scholarly collection of essays with a video glossary of printmaking techniques.
Why is an Etruscan situla, or pail, one of the most important objects in RISD's ancient collection? We examine its form, decoration, and context to understand its unique place in European archaeology.
Inspired by the European galleries, graphic designer Kelly Walters explores 19th-century notions of exoticism and beauty through the creation of a folded broadsheet poster.
For many of us, a line is the first mark we make. It is a huge developmental milestone when a young child's first scribbles are set to the page (or wall!).
How do you lay an Egyptian mummy to rest in a museum? Our curator considered a number of factors in orienting Nesmin, RISD's Egyptian mummy, in his new case in the freshly renovated gallery, but found a strange coincidence in her final decision.
Richard Merkin was for decades the go-to authority for all things dandyish. As we see in the ephemera from his life and his tailored clothing on view in the exhibition "Artist/Rebel/Dandy", his personality and fashion sense live on at RISD.
RISD student Joanna Cortez shares how the RISD Museum served the Providence community during World War II. Joanna participated in the Museum's Andrew W. Mellon Summer Internship Program this summer.
Books of hours made during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance were products of collaboration between scribes, illuminators, bookbinders, and, sometimes, the original patron or owner. A recent acquisition of a French book of hours made in Rouen around 1510 tells the story of this collaboration through the structure of its contents, iconography, and assembly.
A rare female artist, Diana Mantuana's engraving of Atilius Regulus in a Barrel plays an important role in the history of the practice of printmaking and its reception in Renaissance Italy.