Ask someone about the Tree of Life, and you’re likely to get a variety of responses. The image and meaning vary, and someone in Turkey will have an entirely different concept in mind than someone who is familiar with Norse mythology. In the many manifestations of the motif in art,

What do we think when we see an image of skull & bones today? How about a stylized picture of a human skeleton? Although it does depend on the context, we probably don’t think about it too much and place it into the drawer with other “gothic” or “dark” pop

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer season in our country, with the three-day extended weekend kicking off travel and observance rituals all over the country. In enjoying all the retail sales, barbecues, and vacations, it’s easy to forget the actual meaning of the holiday. The first Memorial

Both Pompeii and Herculaneum, its neighbor in western Italy, were thriving in 79 AD. With their location on the Bay of Naples, their affluent residents, and their thriving economies, they were showplaces for displays of wealth among the newly rich merchant classes – as well as the nobility who vacationed

Islamic art, with all of its richness, precise geometry of line, and saturated colors, is united in its origins, but diverse in its applications. Both the time range and geography for its expression is vast, but there are threads that tie together the types of its visual arts. What is

How much does an urban environment affect our daily mood? All of those living in the cities would agree – quite a lot. And if we also agree that a city that is carefully planned, built and embellished influences people in a better way than a chaotic concrete beast, we