#religious art

Architecture

The Art of Mihrab – Little Masterpieces of Islamic Art

What is a mihrab? It’s a typically semi-circular niche in a mosque. It’s usually inserted in the center of a Quibla wall, the wall which points...

Magda Michalska 10 April 2024

Realism

Eid Al-Fitr – Islamic Prayer in Art

The distinctive ritual of Islamic prayer, known as namaz (in Urdu) or salah (in Arabic) has captivated the imagination of many Orientalist painters.

Maya M. Tola 10 April 2024

Asian Art

Colors Shimmering in the Light: Islamic Mosaics Panorama

One of the most characteristic aspects of early Islamic architecture all over the world is the abundant use of mosaics, both in secular and religious...

Magda Michalska 10 April 2024

Art History 101

Everything You Should Know About Islamic Art

Bright colorful mosaics, stunning arches, amazing constructions in the middle of the desert, beautifully ornate calligraphy, incredible rock crystal...

Irina Diana Calu 10 April 2024

Great Princess Mama Occollo, ca 1850-70, oil on canvas mounted on wood, Cuzco, Peru, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Great Princess Mama Occollo

Great Princess Mama Occollo is an amazing masterpiece of South American art from the 19th century in the collection of the Denver Art Museum. It...

James W Singer 7 April 2024

Quiz

QUIZ: Can You Guess This Ancient God?

Ania Kaczynska 6 April 2024

Painting

Jesus Christ the Gardener: Noli Me Tangere in Art

How did Jesus inadvertently become a gardener in art? Well, it all started with a simple mistake. But maybe there’s a profound symbolic meaning...

Ela Bobek 1 April 2024

Architecture

10 Gorgeous French Churches (That Aren’t Notre-Dame de Paris)

Do you still remember the Notre-Dame de Paris? It suffered a horrible fire in April 2019. Notre-Dame is by far France’s most famous church, but it...

Alexandra Kiely 28 March 2024

Bizarre

Chilling Beauty: Exploring Europe’s Bone Churches

From the ancient period through the 18th century, European Catholics and Orthodox Christians displayed and maintained bones of the deceased to honor...

Julia Bourbois 28 March 2024

Ende, Prologue, On the Church, Gerona Beatus, Miniature, ca. 975 CE Women Artists

Ende: The First Documented Spanish Female Manuscript Illuminator

She is an enigma, an ancient, foggy artist from northern Spain in the Middle Ages. We learn nothing about Ende’s identity, life, or whether she...

Wen Gu 26 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Merode Altarpiece by Robert Campin

The Merode Altarpiece is one of the most famous works by Robert Campin and his workshop. It serves as a link between the medieval tradition and...

Alexandra Kiely 21 March 2024

Medieval Art

Celebrity Sculptors, Medieval Fraud and Nazi Looting – An Outrageous Story of the Golden Veit Stoss Altarpiece

This is the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world and a national treasure of Poland. Carved over a period of 12 years, the 15th century Veit Stoss...

Candy Bedworth 21 March 2024