Arts & Culture
Why Babies in Medieval Paintings Look So Weird
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Article
Spend any time gazing at medieval European paintings, and one question tends to emerge: What is going on with those babies? Far from the sweet, chubby cherubs we might expect to see, these infants often resemble balding middle-aged men, complete with wrinkled foreheads and dour expressions. What could possibly explain this bizarre artistic choice? To understand, we have to dive into how European art — and the perception of children — evolved from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Credit: DEA / G. NIMATALLAH/ De Agostini via Getty Images Religion Influenced Art The unsettling “man-baby” ...Read More
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Arts & CultureArticle0Who Portrayed Abraham Lincoln Most Accurately?
Only one person has been portrayed on-screen more than Abraham Lincoln, and he doesn’t actually exist: Sherlock Holmes. Honest Abe has been inspiring filmmakers since 1908, when Van Dyke Brooke…
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Arts & CultureArticle1Why Do We Throw Rice at Weddings?
If you’ve been to a few weddings, you probably know the flow by now: the vows, the kiss, and then the party, with a few time-honored traditions woven in. One…
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Arts & CultureArticle103Why Do We Call Them “Ivy League” Schools?
“Ivy League” is a term that evokes images of the hallowed vine-covered walls of some of the most elite educational institutions in the world. The Northeastern United States is home…
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Arts & CultureArticle49We Tried To Write an Entire Article in Middle English
When William of Normandy invaded England in 1066, it began a transformation of the Old English language. The Norman conquerors replaced the Anglo-Saxon ruling class, bringing with them their Anglo-Norman…
