Erica X Eisen researches and writes about art history.
Latest by this author
In Georgian Britain, Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine sparked panic over “beastly” side effects, exposing how new science can collide with old beliefs.
More about this author
Erica X Eisen’s work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Baffler, n+1, the Boston Review, AGNI, and elsewhere. She received her bachelor’s degree in the history of art and architecture from Harvard University, with a focus on Japanese art, and her MA in Buddhist art history and conservation from the Courtauld Institute of Art. She is an editor at Hypocrite Reader. Her writing can be found at www.ericaxeisen.com.
External
Drawing on Tradition
Elena Izcue’s Peruvian Art in the School (1926)
Public Domain Review | June | 2025
In 1930, Lima’s National School of Fine Arts introduced an Inca art class that provoked public debate. Critics like Antonino Espinosa Saldaña claimed Inca art didn’t exist, while others saw it as part of Peru’s growing Indigenist movement, which looked to pre-Columbian roots for national identity. Designer Elena Izcue advanced this vision with her 1926 book El arte peruano en la escuela, using Indigenous motifs from ancient textiles and pottery. Her work aimed to instill pride in Peru’s heritage, unify its people, and modernize design through pre-Hispanic artistic traditions.
Kitagawa Utamaro’s Prints of Yamauba and Kintarō (ca. 1800)
Public Domain Review | April | 2025
Yamauba is a mountain demon woman from Japanese folklore. Early stories described her as a frightening, wrinkled old monster who caused storms and even ate humans. Over time, writers like Zeami showed her as more complex—a being with a demon’s form but a human heart. In the late 1700s, the artist Kitagawa Utamaro transformed her image in woodblock prints. He depicted Yamauba lovingly caring for the child Kintarō, highlighting warmth, humor, and tenderness. Instead of a monster, Utamaro showed her as a devoted mother whose love reshapes how people see her.
Wari Tie-Dye Textiles (ca. 425–1100)
Public Domain Review | February | 2025
When the Spanish took control of the Inca Empire, the Inca paid part of their tribute using cochineal—insects that produce a powerful red dye. Andean peoples had long mastered textile making, breeding animals for fine wool and developing complex dyeing methods. Earlier Wari societies created highly advanced patchwork tunics using tie-dye and a difficult weaving method called discontinuous warp and weft, which allowed them to form shapes without cutting fabric. These textiles, rich with symbolic designs, were once important cultural objects. However, many pieces in museums today lack proper origin records and have been altered by collectors.
The Laughing Prince: A Book of Jugoslav Fairy Tales and Folk Tales (1921)
Public Domain Review | January | 2025
“The Silver Tracks,” the final story in The Laughing Prince (1921), ends with a beggar revealing he is Christ and welcoming a poor man into paradise. The book collects fairy tales from various Slavic and Eastern European cultures, illustrated with expressive drawings. The stories range from adventures to gentle moral lessons, often rewarding humble, virtuous characters with love or royalty. Unlike darker fairy tales, danger is overcome through faith and goodness. Author Parker Fillmore adapted the tales for children, believing storytellers should highlight hidden meanings rather than strictly follow original versions.
Baffler | July | 2022
In 2020, a New York jail settled a lawsuit after inmates said they were starved, receiving so few calories that they lost hair and teeth, and some ate toothpaste to survive. Across the U.S., prison food has become cheaper, smaller, and less nutritious as prisons cut costs and private companies take over kitchens. Complaints are hard to pursue because a 1996 law makes it difficult for prisoners to sue, and lawmakers often mock food complaints as “frivolous.” Poor food is used as punishment and control, leading to hunger, illness, and loss of dignity.
Media by this author
Feature | March | 2021
This video is a a talk given as part of AUCA’s Creative Writing Club. In this talk, Writing & Academic Resource Center Coordinator Erica X Eisen discusses different kinds of creative nonfiction and how authors choose literary forms to best fit the needs of the story they are telling.
Feature | December | 2019
The Creative Writing Club at the American University of Central Asia is a joint effort of the Academic Advising Center and the Writing & Academic Resource Center. In the Creative Writing Club’s latest talk, writer Erica X Eisen talks with students about how to hone their observation skills to create unique and memorable characters, settings, and descriptions.
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