#rome

Caravaggio, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, 1610, Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano, Naples, Italy. Baroque

Caravaggio’s Last Painting: The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula

In May 1610, Caravaggio completed The Martyrdom of St Ursula. Two months later, he was dead. We investigate the story behind his last commission,...

Catriona Miller 17 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David

In a Neoclassicist masterpiece painted on the eve of the French Revolution, Jacques-Louis David depicts the beginning of an epic Roman story in The...

Coleman Richards 15 March 2024

Ancient Rome

Masterpiece Story: Mithras Slaying the Bull

Mithras Slaying the Bull is a compilation of the entire religious and symbolic images of Mithraism. It reflects promised immortality and personal...

James W Singer 21 January 2024

Baroque

Masterpiece Story: Apollo and Daphne by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Apollo and Daphne, one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s first major commissions, was completed between 1622 and 1625 for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a...

Maya M. Tola 2 November 2023

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, 1647-1652, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Roma, Italia. Masterpiece Stories

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini: Divine Bliss or Pure Erotic Pleasure?

Among the works of the famous sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), the sculptural group called Ecstasy of Saint Teresa remains...

Montaine Dumont 18 October 2023

Ancient Rome

The Evolution of Art During the Fall of Rome

The Fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE was a pivotal moment in history, signifying the end of a dominant civilization that had reigned...

Maya M. Tola 16 October 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Interior of a Picture Gallery by Giovanni Paolo Panini

Interior of a Picture Gallery with the Collection of Cardinal Silvio Valenti Gonzaga by Giovanni Paolo Panini shows a truly spectacular assembly of...

Alexandra Kiely 26 September 2023

Baroque

Bernini vs Borromini – The Greatest Chisel Off in Art History

“Bernini vs Borromini” could be the main headline on today’s newspaper – a lawsuit, fascinating dispute, or even political elections. It has...

Giordana Goretti 25 September 2023

Hubert Robert, Roman Ruins, ca. 1776. Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris, Paris, France. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Academic Art

Robert of the Ruins: Idealized Ruins by Hubert Robert

Hubert Robert was an immensely popular French painter from the 18th century best known for his skillful landscapes, particularly his landscapes that...

Maya M. Tola 11 September 2023

Art Travels

Wishes & Streams: Trevi Fountain in Rome

During long, warm summer days it is hard not to dream about much-needed holidays. With that said I was reminded of my visit to Rome some time ago...

Nadine Waldmann 27 August 2023

Review

The Artist and the Eternal City: Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Career in Rome

Can an artist single-handedly impact an entire city? Considering that the city in question is Rome, probably not. But add to the mix an influential...

Joanna Kaszubowska 8 June 2023

Baroque

Four Groundbreaking Buildings by Francesco Borromini

Francesco Borromini (1599-1667) was the most innovative and imaginative architect of the Italian Baroque tradition. Along with his contemporaries...

Alexandra Kiely 10 April 2023