Shiva, one of the chief Hindu gods, is a very complex figure. He is the master of life, death, and rebirth; a fertility deity, worshipped in the phalic lingam; an ascetic yogi; and the loving husband of his wife, Parvati.

Suitably, this fascinating god is embodied in one of the richest artistic images in Hinduism, that of Shiva as Nataraja, or lord of the dance.

Shiva Nataraja, 11th Century, Bronze, India

Featured are highlights from the National Gallery of Art's press preview for the landmark exhibition of Itō Jakuchū's Colorful Realm of Living Beings, a set of 30 bird-and-flower paintings on display at the Gallery from March 30 through April 29, 2012. Widely considered one of the greatest achievements in the history of Japanese nature painting, this Edo masterpiece is on view for the first time outside Japan.

John Chamberlain: Choices
February 24–May 13, 2012

One day in early July 1861, Carleton Watkins set up his cumbersome camera along the Merced River and aimed it eastward up the Yosemite Valley toward Tasayac, or Half Dome, a peak that towered a half mile above the valley floor. In that instant, Watkins captured for the first time what millions of park visitors would subsequently shoot from that same vantage point.

Get an inside look at pieces in the High's European Art Collection. Personal insights are from David Brenneman, Curator of European Art. To learn more about European Art @ the High, visit www.High.org/EuropeanArt

The Language of Less (Then and Now) is inspired by the MCA’s rich holdings of Minimalist and post-Minimalist work from the 1960s and 1970s. The exhibition is divided into two distinct parts, one devoted to a fresh reinstallation of this historical material (featuring artists such as Carl Andre, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, and Richard Serra); and a second showcasing five contemporary artists (Leonor Antunes, Carol Bove, Jason Dodge, Gedi Sibony, and Oscar Tuazon) who are working within the stylistic language of their forebears, albeit with entirely new content and concerns.

Go behind the scenes as sculptures are installed in the Bloch Lobby for Rodin: Sculptures from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. The exhibition runs through June 3, 2012. More information, please visit: http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/exhibitions/rodin/

In the Spring of 2011 the Chipstone Foundation and the Milwaukee Art Museum invited sixteen established artists from Britain and America to participate in an unusual experiment. Each artist was asked to lay aside his or her standard tool kit and craft a work of art with one tool alone. The challenge presented to the artists sounds simple: create a work of art with one tool. The material and tool were left open-ended with the purpose of encouraging creativity within the one-tool constraint.