Alexandra Kiely

Alexandra believes that enjoying the art of the past is the closest she can get to time travel, only much safer. When she's not being an art historian, she can usually be found ice skating and dancing. Visit her at ascholarlyskater.com.

Stories By Alexandra Kiely

featured

Angelica Kauffman – Paintings by the Queen of Neoclassical Art
By Alexandra KielyJuly 4, 2020
Swiss artist Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) was one of the greats amongst the Neoclassical artists. Through her portraits and history paintings, she became one of the most successful artists of 18th-century Europe. Now is a good time...
19th Century

Around the World With a Painter: Frederic Edwin Church’s Travels
By Alexandra KielyJune 25, 2020
Hudson River School painter Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900) was a true world traveler. In his lifetime, Church visited the Arctic, Mexico, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. He painted gorgeous landscape scenes based...
20th century

Everything You Need to Know About Primitivism
By Alexandra KielyJune 10, 2020
Primitivism was a facet of Modern art inspired by the works of untrained artists in non-industrialized societies, namely tribal Africa and Oceania. Although it was not itself a fully-fledged artistic style, Primitivism inspired many of the...
Architecture

Julia Morgan, America’s First Successful Female Architect
By Alexandra KielyJune 5, 2020
America’s first successful female architect, Julia Morgan ran her own architectural firm for almost half a century. Although best known as the designer of Hearst Castle, she also created hundreds of other buildings. This is her...
featured

Art-Inspired Floral Designs at the San Diego Museum of Art
By Alexandra KielyMay 8, 2020
Every year since 1981, the San Diego Museum of Art has set aside a spring weekend for Art Alive, an exhibition of art-inspired floral designs. For Art Alive, floral designers create artistic flower arrangements inspired by...
20th century

Art in the Mail: Wisława Szymborska’s Cut-and-Paste Postcards
By Alexandra KielyApril 16, 2020
Wisława Szymborska (1923-2012) was a Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet, but she was also an occasional artist. Her main medium was quirky cut-and-paste postcards (or wyklejanki) that she would create once a year and send to family...
Architecture

Notre-Dame de Paris – One Year Later
By Alexandra KielyApril 15, 2020
On April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as fire swept through the famous cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. For several heartbreaking hours, it seemed likely that this beloved church would be destroyed. In the...
Art State of Mind

Teach Kids About Art During Quarantine
By Alexandra KielyApril 14, 2020
All over the world, children are home from school for as long as quarantine lasts. Since it is never too early to cultivate a (hopefully) lifelong love of art, this is a perfect time to introduce...
Museums And Exhibitions

150 Years of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
By Alexandra KielyApril 13, 2020
It’s time to celebrate 150 years of the Met! The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is America’s largest and most important art museum. It’s also one the most significant museums in the whole...
Middle Ages

The Unicorn Tapestries – Allegory of Christ, or a Happy Husband?
By Alexandra KielyApril 9, 2020
The Unicorn Tapestries are a set of medieval tapestries depicting the hunt for a unicorn. They’re probably the most famous tapestries ever, and they’re definitely among the most famous medieval artworks. The Unicorn Tapestries include seven...