Art History
June 7, 2025

Watch Two Art Historians Demystify Hieronymus Bosch’s ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’

There are few other artworks as dense, imaginative, and, at times, preposterous as Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights. It’s perhaps for these reasons that the non-profit and educational resource Smarthistory dedicated its newest video to the renowned triptych. Across fifteen minutes, Smarthistory hosts Beth Harris and Steven Zucker mine the sprawling composition of its symbolism, tracing the narrative thread that binds each of the triptych’s three panels.

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Travel
June 6, 2025

My Modern Met’s Art + Culture Guide to Rome

The Eternal City, there's nothing like it. Rome has captured people's hearts and minds for centuries—all who have been drawn in by the history and allure of Italy's capital. Great creatives like Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, and J.M.W. Turner have all spent extended periods of time in Rome, enchanted by all that it has to offer. And still today, millions of tourists visit Rome annually, charmed by its food, fashion, history, and art.

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Sculpture
June 6, 2025

Kinetic Pendulum Sculptures Harness the Visual Power of Light With Hypnotic Repetition

Even the most cursory of glances reveals Damien Bénéteau’s exceptional command over light. For years, the French artist has played with illuminated surfaces, transforming them into dynamic and mischievous forces. What makes his sculptures so immersive, though, isn’t just how they explore or reflect light—it’s how they harness it. Bénéteau’s work often incorporates pendulums to dramatize how light is constantly shifting.

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Astrophotography
June 5, 2025

Rare Red Sprites Captured Lighting up the Tibetan Night Sky Like Jellyfish-Shaped Firework

Red sprites are as beautiful as they are elusive. These large-scale flashes occur up high in the sky, above thunderstorm clouds. As such, it is nearly impossible to see them with the naked eye from the ground. However, experienced astrophotographers have devoted themselves to study this phenomenon enough to be at the right place at the right time to capture them. One such photographer is Dong Shuchang, who recently captured a red sprite over Tibet.

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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.