art

Japanese bathhouse, woodblock print.

Torii Kiyonaga the Woodcut Artist Who Focused on Women and Erotica

Africa, Asia and South Asia, Early Modern / / ,

This woodblock print from about 1787 is by the Japanese artist Torii Kiyonaga, and it’s one of the most elegant examples of the distinct art from the Edo period in Japan, a time when the country’s artistic creativity generated works admired both at home and by Europeans. “Interior of a bathhouse” shows several women in […]

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Automaton of a Friar.

Automata

Early Modern, History of Science / / , , ,

Automata are machines that operate on their own, and have been around since Ancient Egyptian times. Often they are automated animals or people designed to impress an audience. This one might give you nightmares. Tragically, the “Automaton of a Friar” that you see here is currently not on display at the National Museum of American

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