Mari Otsu
Author
Mari Otsu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Art History, a Master of Arts in Humanities, and completed the Classical Draftsmanship and Oil Painting program at Grand Central Atelier. She has interned at Harvard University’s Gilbert Lab, New York University’s Trope Lab and the West Interpersonal Perception Lab—where she served as lab manager—as well as at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Mari Otsu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Art History, a Master of Arts in Humanities, and completed the Classical Draftsmanship and Oil Painting program at Grand Central Atelier. She has interned at Harvard University’s Gilbert Lab, New York University’s Trope Lab and the West Interpersonal Perception Lab—where she served as lab manager—as well as at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
LATEST
Transformation in Bernini and Botticelli’s Masterpieces
Inspired by Roman and Italian poets, painter Sandro Botticelli and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini both portray the beauty of transformation in their artworks.
The Benefits of Connecting With Childhood Friends
Old connections go beyond nostalgia—they reduce depression and increase belonging.
Golden Age Nostalgia: Empress Livia’s Summer Triclinium
Livia’s ‘Gardenscape’ fresco illustrates the finest beauty of all four seasons, brought together at a single moment in time.
Empathy: A Trait 3 Generations Will Inherit
New research shows parents pass down qualities that safeguard their children and grandchildren from loneliness in our increasingly disconnected world.
‘Cotopaxi’: Forging National Identity in Frederic Church’s Painting
Amidst the chaos of the Civil War, Frederic Church’s “Cotopaxi” was interpreted as an allegory for the triumph of good over evil.
The Sacredness of Domesticity: Spanish Bodegón Paintings
By elevating the beauty of ordinary objects, Spanish bodegón paintings evoke an atmosphere of comfort and domestic tranquility.
An Entire Epoch Within Her: Portraits of Unknown Women
Portraiture was a vehicle to elevate the sitter’s identity through associations with intangible ideals and the magnificence of spiritual tradition.
Yielding Gently to Destiny: Agnus Dei and Sacrificial Gestures
Throughout centuries of artistic imagination, the gentle lamb has symbolized sacrifice, purity, and humble acceptance of fate.
A World in His Brush: Ambrosius Bosschaert’s Microcosm
At a time of intense scientific inquiry, the Dutch painter catered to the taste for the exotic and for natural sciences—especially during ’tulip mania.’
‘America Receiving the Nine Muses’: A 20th-Century Adaptation of Greek Mythology
Thomas Wilmer Dewing’s poetic inspiration for the first White House piano dates back to ancient Greek epics and the nine muses.
