About The Blog

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This blog is an effort to de-mystify the art history research process. I do a lot of it (for fun!) and I also write frequently. It seemed like a natural choice to combine the two. 
 
Many times I've found myself wondering "how did they figure that out?" while reading about rediscovered artworks. I've also been known to enjoy certain documentary television presentations of art research. So, in the spirit of that concept, this is a place to write up and post my own research for paintings that have not, for whatever reason, been fully figured out. 
 
It's intended to be entertaining. I may or may not be succeeding at that. Let me know. 

Questions that might be asked frequently, in theory:
 
Q: Are there any specific artists you specialize in?
A: Yes, the Massachusetts folk artist and abolitionist Deacon Robert Peckham is one of my specialties (hence so many articles on him), and I'm working on a Peckham catalog. I have a decently broad knowledge of most of his contemporaries and write articles on them from time to time, so you'll see a good range of folk art portraitists on here. I also like to go outside my comfort zone from time to time, hence the inclusion of European art as well.

Q: How often does it take to research a piece? 
A: Anywhere from days to weeks. I have pieces in my drafts from months ago that I still haven't figured out and will require much more work. Other times I'll spot a piece and have it figured out very quickly if it's an artist I know by heart. I try not to dwell on pieces that clearly can't be solved, but on the other hand, there's quite a few where I just can't bring myself to give up.
In one particularly memorable instance, a group of portraits lived in a folder labeled "That One Artist" for a long time, until that artist's work finally came up at auction (signed!) and I was able to put a name to the face. More research forthcoming.
EDIT 12/3/24: Now it's here! The artist is Jonas Welch Holman.
 
Q: Where do you find pieces to look at? 
A: With American folk art, for my initial searches, I use a combination of publicly available image aggregators (like Google and Pinterest) and sales databases (like Invaluable, MutualArt, Artnet, ArchivedAuctions, etc). 
Be careful with the databases, however, as many pieces are sold with incorrect or questionable attributions; for instance, at the time of this writing, Peckham's most recent Invaluable sales are all not by Peckham. 
For that reason, in pursuit of correctly attributed paintings, it's vitally important to consult specific websites for museums and historical societies in the relevant state or area. These are often not indexed by image search algorithms, which requires a thorough manual search. I recommend the Smithsonian SIRIS Art Inventories for a comprehensive (though sometimes outdated) list of an artist's works, and the Frick's Digital Collections to unearth records of paintings from the 70s and 80s that may have slipped through the cracks.
For European art, I like to browse the Unknown Artist tag on ArtUK, though my very first discovery came from a happenstance find on a stock photo website. (If only we had an equivalent like ArtUS!)
 
Q: Do you have any affiliation with an institution?
A: Not at the moment, but I've had the good fortune of corresponding with a wide number of experts in various areas and disciplines.
 
Q: Are you actually qualified?
A: I'd like to think so, although you can make up your own mind. Though much of my folk art study is self-guided (as those artists were themselves), I got my degree from Princeton University in Art & Archaeology in 2018. I've also been a visual artist in various disciplines, specializing in characters and portraiture, for about fifteen years now. It's partly my art historical studies, and partly my work as a character artist, that seems to give me some kind of affinity for recognizing portraiture.
 
Q: Do you take research requests?
A: Yes, I would, if/when I receive any.
 
Q: Are you on social media?
A: No, which is probably why I have time to do this. Email me if you want to get in touch.

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