Tom has a PhD in Physiology, is a serial entrepreneur in the life sciences, teaches biology at junior colleges in California, and is a fan of the painters of the Dutch Golden Age. He takes particular joy in finding the hints that artists leave us to help us understand the stories they are telling us. Contact him at [email protected].
Carel Fabritius in 10 Paintings: Rembrandt’s Most Promising Pupil
Any biography of Carel Fabritius (Dutch, 1622–1654) is necessarily short; there simply is not much known about him. He was born in Beemster, a...
Tom Anderson 18 December 2025
QUIZ: 8 Fun Things to Know about Vermeer’s View of Delft
Tom Anderson 22 November 2025
Art and Science in Vermeer Paintings
As a scientist, I have always been attracted to images of science in works of art—whether a portrait of Newton, a depiction of Galileo using his...
Tom Anderson 14 October 2025
10 Things You Must See When You Visit the Frida Kahlo House
Frida Kahlo is the most famous female Latin American artist in history, a politically active feminist, and a cultural icon. After her death, her...
Tom Anderson, Guest Author, 3 July 2025
Vermeer’s Love Letters: Vermeer Paintings on Display in New York
Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) left us with a small collection of paintings. Only about 36 survive, scattered in 12 different collections around the...
Tom Anderson 24 June 2025
Amy Sherald: American Sublime at the Whitney Museum
Amy Sherald (b. 1973) has identified herself as “an American realist painter painting American people.” The current retrospective of her work...
Tom Anderson 5 May 2025
What Can Art Tell Us About Love?
This aptly titled book examines ideas about love through the eyes of various artists: idealized love, passionate love, unrequited love, resentments...
Tom Anderson 28 April 2025
The Feel of the Newly-Restored Frick Collection
There has been plenty of press around the reopening of the Frick Collection in New York this month. There is a lot to say: $220 million spent over...
Tom Anderson 17 April 2025
A New Take on the Iconic Girl Reading a Letter by Vermeer
The recently restored Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) is often said to be that of a young woman reading a...
Tom Anderson 13 April 2025
