To be or not to be a painting by Byam Shaw?
Joshua Risner Joshua Risner

To be or not to be a painting by Byam Shaw?

A brief description of finding the true identity of the artist who atucally painted the painting in question. It was previously attributed to Byam Shaw, but we now know with out a doubt that it was actually done by Francis Sydney Muschamp.

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First official acquisition
Joshua Risner Joshua Risner

First official acquisition

The official start of my art collecting journey. A small oil painting by the late 19th century art Sarah Louis Kilpack.

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The Archeology of Allegory
Joshua Risner Joshua Risner

The Archeology of Allegory

The reputation and role of allegory has fluctuated throughout its long history. It has gone from being a valuable mode of interpretation for poets and philosophers to a manipulation tool for politics and preachers. For the past two centuries, due in part to its insistence on looking backwards and reliance on historical knowledge, allegory was condemned “as aesthetic aberration or the antithesis of art”. However, in the recent past allegory has re-emerged as a viable mode of exploration. This begs the question, what has changed that has allowed allegory to re-emerge? To answer this question a brief look back at the history is required. The goal of this exploration into allegory is to reveal the stimulus for its fluctuation, as well as what makes it still relevant today.

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