Named after the small red sticker that once guided scholars through legacy 35mm slides, The Red Dot is here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of visual and material research. While rooted in the University of California, Santa Barbara community, our posts are open to all.
At MIRL, we engage with art history, digital humanities, and material culture through hands-on research and archival projects. Guided by our core principles—critical engagement with visual and material culture, ethical stewardship of images and data, and innovative approaches to research and pedagogy—we work at the intersection of technology and the humanities. We are especially interested in how digital tools can expand the study of images, objects, and spaces.
Here, we’ll share insights on Digital Art History and Architectural History, highlight new image and data resources, discuss copyright and ethical considerations, and spotlight events that shape our field.
The Red Dot © 2025 is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
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One-minute art history
A beautiful feat of animation by artist and educator Cao Shu, One-minute art history incorporates an astonishing range of styles in this short narrative. Read more
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Expansion of Artstor’s collections and services
You may have seen some changes to the look and functionality of Artstor in recent months. They have moved to a more robust platform and unveiled a new interface. Among the many improvements is the access to information for any image or media file – no more pop-ups! You can also easily access Commons (open… Read more
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Thank you for everything, Linda Nochlin
Feminist art historian Linda Nochlin died on the weekend. There’s a lengthy obituary in Art News. And you may want to read this illustrated guide to her 1971 essay, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” Or view this video of her 2009 lecture at the Smithsonian, “Consider the Difference: American Women Artists.” Read more
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Artstor announces three major releases in material culture and Anthropology
Artstor has just released more than 170,000 new images in Anthropology from three major institutions: Réunion des Musées Nationaux and Art Resource are contributing nearly 1,400 images of works from the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia has released approximately 75,000 images of art and cultural… Read more
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New Artstor resource: 36,000 images from the Center for Creative Photography
The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona has contributed nearly 36,000 images to the Artstor Digital Library. The Center is recognized as one of the world’s finest academic art museums and study centers for the history of photography. The Center opened in 1975 with the archives of five living master photographers —… Read more
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British Library releases Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Arundel online
Tthe British Library and Microsoft have partnered to make Leonardo da Vinci’s Notebook, known as The Codex Arundel, available online. There are two ways you can explore it: Turning the Pages: as it sounds, view the notebook by “turning” pages with your mouse, and read notes from the British Library as you go. Note: depending on your internet… Read more