Artist David Hockney has been critical of artists such as Johannes Vermeer, saying he may have 'cheated' by projecting and tracing images onto his canvas. I'll explain the camera obscura and how contemporary artists such as Jeff Koons and Abelardo Morell use technology to produce their art.

'The Scream' was an 1893 painting that became an iconic symbol for a stressful life in twentieth and twenty-first century pop culture. Did the Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch intend for 'The Scream' to have such mass appeal?

The past exhibition of loaned artwork from the Mauritshuis, The Hague proved to be a record breaking exhibit at the Frick Collection, New York. Other museums worldwide benefited from their two year renovation. I will discuss the collection.

In my interpretation of Michelangelo’s fresco on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, what did God’s finger bring to Adam? Was it life or intelligence? I’ll introduce a third theory.

In the history of art, the popularity of any given artist may wane. What are the requirements of a work of art to be deemed a ‘masterpiece’?

When we hear 'Bonfire of the Vanities' we think of a novel by Tom Wolfe, with a movie version in 1990. An actual event during the Renaissance, I’ll discuss its significance as it relates to art and the artist Sandro Botticelli.

The 'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo da Vinci is an enigmatic painting raising questions as to the identity of the sitter, why Napoleon’s obsession and inspiring a song and movie in modern times. What really lies behind that mysterious Mona Lisa smile?

The annual Venetian Carnival or 'mardi gras' begins two weeks before Ash Wednesday. I will discuss the history 'behind' the illustrious masks worn by partygoers in Venice.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC is 'encyclopedic' in that it can exhibit over 5,000 years of art history. Adding to their fine collection of modern art is Leonard Lauder's gift of 78 Cubist paintings.

Van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who was fond of using the color yellow in many of his works. Did he have a vision problem, was it from drinking Absinthe, or was it just a matter of self expression?