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The Cultural Tutor

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Oct 1

This is Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, built in 1922 and inspired by Ancient Egyptian temples.

It's a perfect example of the "Egyptian Revival", one of the most interesting architectural styles in history...

The story begins with Napoleon and his invasion of Egypt in 1798 — painted below by Jean-Léon Gérôme.

He brought a team of scholars who studied the ruins of Ancient Egypt and published their findings.

It triggered a fashion in Europe and the US known as "Egyptomania".

Over the next few decades Ancient Egyptian architecture became incredibly popular, inspiring the design of all kinds of buildings.

Like the Temple Works Flax Mill in Leeds, England, opened in 1840 and directly based on the Temple of Horus at Edfu:

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The Cultural Tutor

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Sep 26

A brief introduction to John Singer Sargent, one of the greatest portrait painters in history:

John Singer Sargent was born to American parents in Florence, Italy, in 1856.

He spent his early life wandering Europe, studying art in Paris along the way and quickly establishing himself as a painter.

El Jaleo, painted in 1882, was inspired by Sargent's time in Spain:

It was in his early days as a student, in 1879, that Sargent made one of his first great portraits — of his teacher, a man called Carolus-Duran.

It was exhibited at the Paris Salon, an annual exhibition and the most prestigious event in the world of art.

People loved it.

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The Cultural Tutor

@culturaltutor

Sep 23

The best of Autumn in art:

1. Three Worlds by MC Escher (1955)

2. November by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1879)

A painting that makes you feel cold just looking at it.

Grimshaw was a specialist at nocturnal scenes and here he captures perfectly the damp chill of an autumnal night, infusing it with a darkly dreamlike, Gothic atmosphere.

3. Mount Fuji in the Autumn by Kanō Tsunenobu (1690)

A different approach to Grimshaw — rather than depicting the scene in its totality, Tsunenobu essentialises the landscape and focusses on a handful of details, barely even outlines.

The perfect evocation of autumn mist.

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The Cultural Tutor

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Sep 18

This is Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík, Iceland.

And it's the perfect example of an unusual architectural style called Expressionism...

This is about architecture — but the story begins with art.

The Scream by Edvard Munch (of which he made several versions) is probably the most famous example of Expressionism in art.

Expressionism was about painting how the world *felt* rather than how it *looked*.

Hence Expressionist art — which first appeared in the 1890s and really came to life in the 1920s — was defined by unnaturally vivid colours and unrealistic shapes.

Everything is dramatic, restless, and colourful.

Art as pure emotion rather than outward appearance.

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The Cultural Tutor

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Sep 12

Portugal has some of the most delightful architecture in the world.

Why? Because it's normal for buildings to be covered in hundreds of colourful, patterned tiles.

They are called "azulejos" — and they show just how easy it is to make cities more interesting...

The etymology of the word "azulejo" tells you where it originated.

It comes from the Arabic word "al-zillij", or "zellij", a form of colourful, decorative tilework that emerged in North Africa in the 10th century.

Here's an example from the Al-Attarine Madrasa in Fes, Morocco:

Figurative art — depicting humans or animals — is essentially forbidden in mosques, and so Islamic artisans had to master other forms of decoration.

Hence the prevalence of geometric or floral design in Islamic art and architecture, all over the world, from India to Spain:

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The Cultural Tutor

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Sep 10

Why do some cities just feel more interesting?

It's not only because of architecture — it's also details like benches, bus stops, signs, and lighting.

So here's a brief introduction to "street furniture", one of the most underrated parts of urban design...

Architecture and urban design aren't only about buildings.

They're also about "street furniture" — all the details that every city needs to function.

Benches, bins, bus stops, bollards, lights, signs, post boxes, fences, bicycle racks, fountains, manholes, and so on.

The amount of street furniture in the world has increased massively in the last century or so.

See, one of the most striking things about old photographs is how empty the streets feel.

There's just less *stuff* scattered around:

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