Jane Alexander

Joined: Apr 26, 2021

Jane Alexander is a freelance writer based in the UK. She focuses on literature, history, and the visual arts, and has previously written for Londonist, among other publications.

One of Henri Matisse’s cut-out artworks.

5 Artists Who Created Work While Recuperating From Illness or Injury

5 Defunct Calendars

Not a place you would expect to see members of a clergy playing a game.

5 Old-Timey Easter Traditions We Don’t See Anymore

Why Does Easter’s Date Change Every Year?

James Cowan Smith really wanted people at the National Gallery in Edinburgh to see this painting of his deceased dog, Callum.

6 Unusual Bequests Left to Art Galleries and Museums

People donate artwork, objects, and even money to the institution of their choice. But sometimes, museums and galleries wind up receiving something odd—or something fairly normal, but with strange stipulations attached.

This winged being is the Archangel Raphael, not Cupid.

8 Other Patron Saints of Love Besides St. Valentine

St. Valentine may get the romantic holiday, but he isn’t the only religious figure linked to love.

The History of How Each Month’s Full Moon Got its Name

Each month’s full moon marks the changing seasons.

A man checking out Caspar David Friedrich’s ‘The Sea of Ice.’

9 Winter Paintings Inspired by Real Events

From post-battle landscapes to cold weather fun, the events that occurred during frosty temperatures have led many an artist to pick up their brush and get painting.

A dreidel and pile of chocolate gelt are a common sight during Hanukkah celebrations.

The Surprising History of the Hanukkah Dreidel

It’s often said the dreidel was a way Jewish people communicated their faith during ancient times of oppression. But the Hanukkah game is actually a lot more recent.

The Lord of Misrule overlooking Christmas revelry.

10 Old Christmas Traditions We Don't See Anymore

These lost festive traditions are no longer part of modern Christmas celebrations.

Charles Dickens is just one person who left a mark on the holiday season.

9 People Who Shaped Christmas

Historical figures like Charles Dickens, Thomas Nast, Washington Irving, and even Queen Charlotte all helped create Christmas as we know it.

You may not want to be alone in some of these libraries.

6 Supposedly Haunted Libraries

Libraries are usually quiet, secluded spots. But not all are as peaceful as they may seem.

7 Supposedly Haunted Artworks

From a weeping statue to painting that moves on its own, the stories behind these supposedly haunted pieces of art are downright spooky.

Who pulled off these heists has never officially been determined.

6 Infamous Unsolved Bank Robberies

Whether they were tunneling into vaults or blowing their way into them through church walls, these thieves were brazen—and in each case, whodunit remains a mystery.

7 Tips for Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh

Unfortunately, those blooms you clipped from your home garden or snagged from a local farmer’s market won’t last forever.

Vanderlei Lima getting attacked by Neil Horan at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

10 Scandals That Rocked the Summer Olympics

Though the Games are meant to foster a sense of unity among nations, they’ve seen their fair share of scandal—and even tragedy.