Art History
May 6, 2014

Extraordinary 271-Year-Old Encyclopedia of Colors and Paint

Centuries before the iconic Pantone Color Guide, an artist identified only as “A. Boogert” assembled a comprehensive guide to mixing watercolors. Hundreds of subtly varying colors appear on nearly 800 handwritten pages, as Boogert demonstrates how to mix certain hues and how to change their tones by adding “one, two or three portions of water.

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Photography
May 3, 2014

Beautifully Contemplative Self-Portraits Merged with Nature

In this stunning series that blends landscape and self-portrait photography, Finnish artist Elina Brotherus documents herself facing away from the camera and gazing out towards the world. The scenes, which are both meditative and sad, investigate the strong relationship between a single human figure and the surrounding environment. Viewers will find themselves not only exploring the interesting backgrounds, but will also examine the subject as she peers across the land.

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Art
April 29, 2014

Brooke Shaden Dazzles Again with Beautifully Surreal Photos

Los Angeles-based photographer Brooke Shaden crafts hauntingly-beautiful works that seem to live in their own world. As we've seen before, she's no stranger to composing dark-yet-hopeful images of women in surreal settings. People shine and objects levitate in outdoor landscapes whose dreamy coloring evokes a painterly quality to the work.

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Art
April 28, 2014

Minature Olive Pit Sculpture Masterfully Carved in China in 1737

If no one told you, then you'd probably never guess that this intricate sculpture was carved from the pit of an olive. Chinese artist Ch'en Tsu-chang crafted it in 1737, and this miniature artwork stands at only 16 millimeters tall and 34 millimeters wide. It follows the shape of the pit and depicts a small boat with eight figures, each of which has its own expression and action.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.