Young Jae Lee firmly restricts her work to ceramics for use, rather than sculptural ceramics. Her hand-thrown bowls and jars are inspired by both Korean traditional ceramics and Bauhaus ideas emphasizing the artistic exploration of everyday objects. You can now see this piece on view in “Made by Hand: Contemporary Korean Craft.“  

“Pointed Bowl,” around 2011, by Young Jae Lee © Young Jae Lee, courtesy of Pucker Gallery, Boston 

Happy birthday to the eccentric, witty, and influential fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, born on this day in 1890.

“Woman’s Evening Coat,” Fall 1937, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli 

“Two-Piece Evening Dress: Bodice and Skirt,” Summer 1939, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli 

“Woman’s Dinner Dress,” Summer 1946, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli 

“Woman’s Evening Dress and Veil,” Summer 1938, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli 

The camera and duplication are often associated with photography, but this work defies both ideas. Made without a camera, artist David Lebe laid out an arrangement of dried plant parts on photographic paper and exposed it to light. He later added color by hand, making this work truly unique.

“Landscape #10 ½,” 1985, by David Lebe © David Lebe 

Violet Oakley was among the first women artists to achieve success as a muralist in the United States around 1900. This highly finished study is for the first of sixteen canvases installed around the walls of the Supreme Court Room of the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“Study for ‘Divine Law’,” around 1917, by Violet Oakley 

Many artists of the Harlem Renaissance focused on African images and themes as a way to reconnect with and reclaim their racial heritage and identity. Here, Hale Woodruff depicts an abstract, graphic rendering of an African woman wearing a headdress. A key figure during the Great Migration, Woodruff promoted African American art and civil rights not only through his artwork but also as a teacher and exhibit planner.

“African Headdress,” around 1935; printed 1996, by Hale Woodruff 

The weather this weekend is looking pretty perfect.

“Path on the Island of Saint Martin, Vétheuil,” 1881, Claude Monet 

Peggy Bacon’s witty works often depict scenes from daily life. Here, a bespectacled artist (probably Bacon herself) attempts to work from home in her cramped New York City apartment. She perches on a chair, balancing printmaking materials in her lap. Meanwhile, many eyes look on: neighbors peer out of their windows and even her cat looks up, oblivious to the mouse scurrying behind. Bacon’s playful style and biting caricatures were well-suited to the pages of the “New Yorker” and “Vanity Fair,” which frequently published her illustrations.

“Lady Artist,” 1925, by Peggy Bacon © The Estate of Peggy Bacon

“You don’t paint what you see, you paint what you feel." 

Happy birthday to Romare Bearden, one of the most influential African American artists of his generation. Bearden is best known for his collages and screenprints portraying the daily lives and struggles of African Americans.

“Blue Snake,” 1971, by Romare Bearden © Romare Bearden Foundation / Licensed by VAGA, New York 

Here are some beautiful blooms to brighten your day.

“Zinnias and Phlox,” around 1936, by Eleanor Rogers Copeland 

Manish Malhotra is one of India’s foremost costume and fashion designers. The self-taught illustrator found his first success by styling Bollywood film costumes. His notoriety in films led to the creation of his Mumbai-based haute couture label. Constantly inspired by the world around him, Malhotra combines traditional crafts with new silhouettes and fabric pairings to create truly contemporary designs.

“Woman’s Phulkari Evening Dress,” 2016–17, by Manish Malhotra 

“Woman’s Ensemble: Phulkari Jacket, Kurta (Tunic), and Salwar (Trousers),” 2016–17, by Manish Malhotra 

“Woman’s Ensemble: Phulkari Jacket, Lehenga (Skirt), and Petticoat,” 2016–17, by Manish Malhotra 

“Woman’s Ensemble: Phulkari Saree, Blouse, and Inner Skirt,” 2016–17, by Manish Malhotra 

“Woman’s Phulkari Kalidar (Dress) and Undershorts,” 2016–17, by Manish Malhotra 

“I found that I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say in any other way.” —Georgia O’Keeffe

“Red and Orange Streak,” 1919, by Georgia O'Keeffe 

In addition to photographing clients in his Guarantee Photo Studio, James Van Der Zee would take more portable cameras out into the streets to capture the changing landscape of Harlem.

“125th Street Looking East,” around 1945, by James VanDerZee © Donna Mussenden Van Der Zee

On this day in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. For the last fifty-seven years Americans have been working to fulfill Dr. King’s dream for an end to racism in the US. Today, and everyday, we strive to honor his legacy and his dreams for our country.

“Martin Luther King, Jr.,” 1981, by John Woodrow Wilson © John Wilson / Licensed by VAGA, New York 

Born on this day in 1890, Man Ray was a leader of the avant-garde. His experiments in photography, painting, and sculpture were hugely influential on the course of modern art. Man Ray described “Fair Weather” as the culmination of his Surrealist career. The mannequin figure may be a coded self-portrait and the painting contains quotations from a few of his earlier paintings.

“Fair Weather,” 1939, by Man Ray © Man Ray Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris 

In the late 1960s, artist David Butler began to create on his property an environment of colorful cut-metal constructions made from roofing sheets and decorated with enamel paint and found objects. Many of his earliest pieces are wall-mounted forms depicting religious scenes and abstract patterns. As he grew increasingly comfortable with his medium, he made freestanding metal animals and objects as well as wood and metal whirligigs.

“Large Whirligig with Three Critters,” date unknown, by David Butler