Dogs
May 13, 2025

Ancient Roman Epitaphs Show That Family Dogs Were Deeply Loved Even Thousands of Years Ago

There’s one unfortunate and universal experience as a pet owner: in almost all cases, you will outlive your beloved animal. While we can recognize this intellectually, it doesn’t lessen the pain caused when our pets cross the rainbow bridge. Not only is this fact universal, but it’s also timeless. If you need proof, just look at Roman epitaphs from thousands of years ago.

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Academy
May 13, 2025

Artist Shares Secrets To Creating Vibrant and Realistic Botanical Paintings of Flowers [Interview]

Germany-based botanical watercolorist Victoria Beyer has dedicated her life to studying and painting flowers. Her vibrant illustrations capture the delicate nature of these blooms, and it almost feels as though her works are about to leap off the page. Part scientific study, part artistic practice, her process involves real-time observation of plants to create the most true-to-life representations. Thankfully, she also enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge with others.

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Painting
May 12, 2025

New Exhibition Explores the Timeless and Perplexing Tradition of “Trompe l’Oeil”

Much like a puzzle, an illusion demands patience. But it also rewards that endurance, offering, in return, a complete story from its singular and sometimes baffling parts. Fool Me Twice, a new exhibition staged at Robert Lange Studios (RLS), sets up such an agreement: visitors may initially be perplexed by these visual tricks, but those determined enough will decipher them—and to great satisfaction.

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Animals
May 12, 2025

Museum Staff Build Disabled Turtle a Custom Mobility Aid Made of LEGO Parts

All animals—big and small—deserve to live their best life. So when a wood turtle named Root showed up at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, Nova Scotia, missing his right foot, the staff got creative. They built him a tiny mobility aid out of LEGO to help him move around more easily. Root arrived at the museum in September 2024, but he hasn’t lived in the wild for nearly 20 years.

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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.