Art Viewer
@arthistory.bsky.social
art historian with eclectic interests
early modernist & medievalist, believe it or not
early modernist & medievalist, believe it or not
Did I become an Italian Renaissance specialist because I saw Filippo Lippi's Madonnas as an impressionable tween and wanted her hairdo for myself? Quite probably.
Fra Filippo Lippi, Madonna and Child with two Angels, c. 1460–65, tempera on panel, 95 x 63.5 cm. Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi.
Fra Filippo Lippi, Madonna and Child with two Angels, c. 1460–65, tempera on panel, 95 x 63.5 cm. Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi.
December 15, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Did I become an Italian Renaissance specialist because I saw Filippo Lippi's Madonnas as an impressionable tween and wanted her hairdo for myself? Quite probably.
Fra Filippo Lippi, Madonna and Child with two Angels, c. 1460–65, tempera on panel, 95 x 63.5 cm. Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi.
Fra Filippo Lippi, Madonna and Child with two Angels, c. 1460–65, tempera on panel, 95 x 63.5 cm. Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi.
So for anybody new here: yes, I got laid off from my tenured faculty job in my revenue positive department.
I'm still bloody furious. But good news: I'm employed.
And my job is humanities research. And it's free from ed tech, plagiarism, and the expectation to work round the clock.
I'm still bloody furious. But good news: I'm employed.
And my job is humanities research. And it's free from ed tech, plagiarism, and the expectation to work round the clock.
December 15, 2025 at 2:44 PM
So for anybody new here: yes, I got laid off from my tenured faculty job in my revenue positive department.
I'm still bloody furious. But good news: I'm employed.
And my job is humanities research. And it's free from ed tech, plagiarism, and the expectation to work round the clock.
I'm still bloody furious. But good news: I'm employed.
And my job is humanities research. And it's free from ed tech, plagiarism, and the expectation to work round the clock.
Reposted by Art Viewer
The humanities' financial ROE is high. We require almost nothing in terms of resources aside from decent, enthusiastic faculty, a typical university library with journal subscriptions, and some rooms with desks.
What the humanities lack is 'showiness'. And admin fking loves to show off.
What the humanities lack is 'showiness'. And admin fking loves to show off.
My humanities dept was relevant. Majors were up. Courses were 100% enrolled. Revenue positive, GE serving, etc etc. We were still eliminated.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
'For humanities departments to continue to matter, they must challenge the modern world rather than accommodate it. Indeed, the most useful lesson the humanities have to offer today is a profoundly countercultural one: Difficulty is good, an end in its own right.' 2/2
December 15, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The humanities' financial ROE is high. We require almost nothing in terms of resources aside from decent, enthusiastic faculty, a typical university library with journal subscriptions, and some rooms with desks.
What the humanities lack is 'showiness'. And admin fking loves to show off.
What the humanities lack is 'showiness'. And admin fking loves to show off.
Reposted by Art Viewer
one of the great, pernicious myths perpetrated about higher ed—which media, higher ed administrators, politicians, and a number of faculty are complicit in spreading—is that humanities departments close due to some combination of cratering student demand and unjustifiable cost. It’s not true
My humanities dept was relevant. Majors were up. Courses were 100% enrolled. Revenue positive, GE serving, etc etc. We were still eliminated.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
'For humanities departments to continue to matter, they must challenge the modern world rather than accommodate it. Indeed, the most useful lesson the humanities have to offer today is a profoundly countercultural one: Difficulty is good, an end in its own right.' 2/2
December 15, 2025 at 1:37 PM
one of the great, pernicious myths perpetrated about higher ed—which media, higher ed administrators, politicians, and a number of faculty are complicit in spreading—is that humanities departments close due to some combination of cratering student demand and unjustifiable cost. It’s not true
Reposted by Art Viewer
YES! As someone said the other day in another context, it’s “decision-based evidence- making.”
My humanities dept was relevant. Majors were up. Courses were 100% enrolled. Revenue positive, GE serving, etc etc. We were still eliminated.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
'For humanities departments to continue to matter, they must challenge the modern world rather than accommodate it. Indeed, the most useful lesson the humanities have to offer today is a profoundly countercultural one: Difficulty is good, an end in its own right.' 2/2
December 15, 2025 at 1:54 PM
YES! As someone said the other day in another context, it’s “decision-based evidence- making.”
Reposted by Art Viewer
As former humanities dean, I learned "ROI"/"data" matter if they serve the larger narrative, which is set by not just admin and trustees, but by the public. The narrative is that (a) humanities is irrelevant and (b) costs are too high. So, sacrifice hum to serve costs, even if data show otherwise.
December 15, 2025 at 2:20 PM
As former humanities dean, I learned "ROI"/"data" matter if they serve the larger narrative, which is set by not just admin and trustees, but by the public. The narrative is that (a) humanities is irrelevant and (b) costs are too high. So, sacrifice hum to serve costs, even if data show otherwise.
My humanities dept was relevant. Majors were up. Courses were 100% enrolled. Revenue positive, GE serving, etc etc. We were still eliminated.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
'For humanities departments to continue to matter, they must challenge the modern world rather than accommodate it. Indeed, the most useful lesson the humanities have to offer today is a profoundly countercultural one: Difficulty is good, an end in its own right.' 2/2
December 15, 2025 at 1:24 PM
My humanities dept was relevant. Majors were up. Courses were 100% enrolled. Revenue positive, GE serving, etc etc. We were still eliminated.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
The problem is ideological administrative destruction. Couldn’t write a report, a self study, or a spreadsheet against that.
"Arc de Triumph" FFS.
Worth a read for how The Guardian's covering Trump — with some honesty.
Worth a read for how The Guardian's covering Trump — with some honesty.
Trump says building DC triumphal arch is domestic policy chief’s ‘primary thing’
Trump praises Vince Haley, his ex-speechwriter tasked with creating Arc de Triomphe knockoff amid affordability crisis
www.theguardian.com
December 15, 2025 at 1:32 AM
"Arc de Triumph" FFS.
Worth a read for how The Guardian's covering Trump — with some honesty.
Worth a read for how The Guardian's covering Trump — with some honesty.
Reposted by Art Viewer
Maybe instead of pouring billions of dollars into their plagiarism machine, they should give that money to the many, many brilliant scholars and creatives who have a surplus of ideas but lack the time and resources to execute them.
December 14, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Maybe instead of pouring billions of dollars into their plagiarism machine, they should give that money to the many, many brilliant scholars and creatives who have a surplus of ideas but lack the time and resources to execute them.
It's also worth noting that scholars went and did the work: Mussolini did not actually make the trains run on time. Fascism doesn't get you anything, not even a timely train.
Someone apparently didn't read the last five pages in Mussolini's biography.
INBOX: James Fishback, a Republican candidate for Florida Governor who is accused by his competitor Rep. Byron Donald of statutory rape, released a campaign video today pledging "to make the trains run on time," a direct reference to the Fascist dictator of Italy Benito Mussolini
December 13, 2025 at 8:09 PM
It's also worth noting that scholars went and did the work: Mussolini did not actually make the trains run on time. Fascism doesn't get you anything, not even a timely train.
Reposted by Art Viewer
“Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write and think when others once risked their lives and died for the freedom to do so.”
Historian here he is right and regrettably the AHA is wrong on AI and its classroom use www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
I Set A Trap To Catch My Students Cheating With AI. The Results Were Shocking.
"Students are not just undermining their ability to learn, but to someday lead."
www.huffpost.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:17 AM
“Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write and think when others once risked their lives and died for the freedom to do so.”
Ghiberti, Nativity from North Doors. Florence Baptistry, early 15th c.
December 11, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Ghiberti, Nativity from North Doors. Florence Baptistry, early 15th c.
Again, we can’t just hire random people to mechanically scan archives. We can’t even assume the maps will get scanned.
As a historian focusing on news media, working with digital copies is truly great and opens up a lot of perspectives older generations of #skystorians did not have so easy (or at all).
However, this sucks: printed images (maps, woodcuts, engravings, etc.) not being digitized with the text pages.
However, this sucks: printed images (maps, woodcuts, engravings, etc.) not being digitized with the text pages.
December 11, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Again, we can’t just hire random people to mechanically scan archives. We can’t even assume the maps will get scanned.
Reposted by Art Viewer
*spits coffee while laughing*
Time again for my favorite christmas post ever, one that still makes me laugh every time i read it
December 10, 2025 at 3:39 PM
*spits coffee while laughing*
Blue Valentine. The pure excruciating misery of a relationship’s death.
Never mind movies you’ve watched multiple times, name a movie you’ve watched once and would never watch again.
December 10, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Blue Valentine. The pure excruciating misery of a relationship’s death.
Reposted by Art Viewer
IT NEVER WORKS. NEVER. EVER. NEVER WORKS. IT HAS NEVER WORKED. AUSTERITY LEADS TO ENROLLMENT COLLAPSE LEAVES TO UNIVERSITY CLOSURE. EVERY TIME. ALWAYS.
December 9, 2025 at 4:55 PM
IT NEVER WORKS. NEVER. EVER. NEVER WORKS. IT HAS NEVER WORKED. AUSTERITY LEADS TO ENROLLMENT COLLAPSE LEAVES TO UNIVERSITY CLOSURE. EVERY TIME. ALWAYS.
Reposted by Art Viewer
Posting this again because a lot of people said they found it helpful! Guide to ALT text: www.perkins.org/resource/how...
April 19, 2024 at 8:18 PM
Posting this again because a lot of people said they found it helpful! Guide to ALT text: www.perkins.org/resource/how...
It's the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception and I'm writing about Marian dogmas, yay
December 8, 2025 at 7:23 PM
It's the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception and I'm writing about Marian dogmas, yay
@katejackson.bsky.social Please use alt text and link to screenshotted sources. We're trying to combat misinformation in this age and documentation is key.
December 7, 2025 at 5:46 PM
@katejackson.bsky.social Please use alt text and link to screenshotted sources. We're trying to combat misinformation in this age and documentation is key.
Breaking my rule of not reposting w/o alt text (I'll add it below) because the ideologically driven partisan cuts keep happening at university after university. Stop letting them claim it's the budget. It's not. It's their agenda.
“The Daily Nebraskan found in the leaked spreadsheet that every program eliminated appeared to be profitable…every program that the chancellor proposed eliminating generated more money from tuition dollars than the department costs to run”
December 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Breaking my rule of not reposting w/o alt text (I'll add it below) because the ideologically driven partisan cuts keep happening at university after university. Stop letting them claim it's the budget. It's not. It's their agenda.
Another day of high functioning in the dismal denouement
December 7, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Another day of high functioning in the dismal denouement
Reposted by Art Viewer
My employer, Dartmouth College, today boasts it's 1st Ivy "to launch AI at an institutional scale." It is doing this by partnering--"more than a collaboration"--with Anthropic, a company that stole the books of many faculty, me included, which many of us are suing.
December 4, 2025 at 9:38 PM
My employer, Dartmouth College, today boasts it's 1st Ivy "to launch AI at an institutional scale." It is doing this by partnering--"more than a collaboration"--with Anthropic, a company that stole the books of many faculty, me included, which many of us are suing.
Reposted by Art Viewer
I hate to say that sex workers tried to warn y'all this wasn't going to stop at just porn sites, but...
Y'all, I was in Mississippi today for my nephews J-State graduation and got this when I opened Blue Sky
December 6, 2025 at 12:32 AM
I hate to say that sex workers tried to warn y'all this wasn't going to stop at just porn sites, but...