Sculptor James Surls affirms that drawing is not only closely related to his sculptures, but also is the essence of his art, the key to his thinking. His drawings, like his sculptures, are what he calls registered mental pictures or psychic images.

Brice Marden's paintings demonstrate that abstract art, particularly what has been termed Minimalism, need not be coldly clinical nor removed from sensory pleasure.

Abyssinia is a historical regional name used to describe the Ethiopian Empire, located in eastern Africa, from the 11th century forward. It was used by outsiders to refer to the territories occupied by Christian peoples in present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea. Today, the term is used infrequently and largely confined to specialized contexts (such as descriptions of artistic style.) 

The prosperous Axumite Empire developed in the 1st century CE in what is now northern Ethiopia. Due to its rich natural resources and agricultural production, as well as its strategic position on the Red Sea, Axum traded far and wide. The Axumite Empire exported incense, ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoiseshell, apes, and slaves through the port of Adulis on the Red Sea and imported goods and ideas from Syria, Egypt, and other lands. During the 4th century, the Axumites defeated the Nubian empire of Meroë.

Modern Maya religious practice generally blends pre-Hispanic rituals and beliefs with Spanish Catholicism introduced after the 16th century. Particular Catholic saints are venerated in each Maya community and cared for by a local religious brotherhood, or cofradía. Miniature Maya vestments are often made as tribute for statues of the saints.