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Monday with Raphael

Masterpiece Stories

Is This Unicorn a Dog? Uncovering the Mysteries of Raphael’s Masterpiece

Portrait of a Young Woman with Unicorn by Raphael is one of the gems from the Galleria Borghese in Rome. Long misattributed and repainted, this...

Ela Bobek 6 April 2026

Renaissance

Raphael—Renaissance Prince of Painters

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, in English known as Raphael, is famous for the harmony and clarity of form within his visually brilliant paintings. He...

Candy Bedworth 6 April 2026

History

The Story of Raphael’s Lost Portrait of a Young Man

Have you ever seen this painting? It is currently missing; in fact, it has been missing since 1945. Let’s explore the story of one of the most...

Zuzanna Stańska 6 April 2026

Artist Stories

Too Much Love Will Kill You—The Death of Raphael

Raphael Sanzio, one of the greatest Renaissance painters, died on Good Friday in 1520. He was only 37 years old and at the peak of his artistic...

Zuzanna Stańska 6 April 2026

Renaissance

Masterpiece Story: Sistine Madonna by Raphael

We’ve seen them on postcards, gift wrap, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and even tattoos. With their serene expressions and relaxed posture, Raphael’s...

Javier Abel Miguel 6 April 2026

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Hieronymus Bosch, Death and the Miser, ca 1485-90, oil on panel, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Death and the Miser by Hieronymus Bosch

Death and the Miser is a masterpiece of morbid curiosity. It reflects on the tension between the pursuit of wealth and the inevitability of death,...

James W Singer 5 April 2026

Baroque

The Veiled Christ: Art or Alchemy?

In the nave of the Sansevero Chapel in Naples there is a unique sculpture depicting Jesus after the crucifixion. His body is covered with a thin...

Rachel Istvan 5 April 2026

Jan van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, 1432, detail Masterpiece Stories

Ghent Altarpiece: The Charmed Life of the Mystic Lamb

Come with us to visit the Van Eyck brothers, their monumental Ghent Altarpiece, and explore 500 years of intrigue, theft and revolutionary painting techniques.

Candy Bedworth 5 April 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden

The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden is a masterpiece of Northern Renaissance art that captures a crucial moment in the Passion of...

James W Singer, Elizabeth Provost 5 April 2026

Sculpture

Masterpiece Story: Penitent Mary Magdalene by Donatello

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, better known as Donatello, was a sculptor born around 1386 in Florence, which is also the city in which he died in...

Soledad Castillo Jara 5 April 2026

Quiz

QUIZ: Feminist Art (That Changed the Art World)

Ania Kaczynska 4 April 2026

Quiz

QUIZ: Museums Around the World! How Much Do You Know About Them?

Sandra Juszczyk 4 April 2026

Quiz

Bon Appetit! Foodie Quiz for Art Lovers

Candy Bedworth 4 April 2026

Quiz

12 Portraits QUIZ: One Painter by Another

Guest Author 4 April 2026

Quiz

QUIZ: Édouard Manet—Modernity on Canvas

Joanna Kaszubowska 4 April 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Rainy Season in the Tropics by Frederic Edwin Church

In our Masterpiece Stories series we have something truly beautiful for you. I want to discuss Rainy Season in the Tropics by Frederic Edwin Church,...

Zuzanna Stańska 3 April 2026

Alma Thomas, Earth Sermon – Beauty, Love And Peace, 1971, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. Women Artists

Celebrating Alma Thomas: An African American Expressionist

Abstract Expressionism was a movement dominated by male artists. Painters such as Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning have held center...

Heather Johnson 3 April 2026

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The Rainbow Portrait Renaissance

Masterpiece Story: The Rainbow Portrait

Queen Elizabeth I is known throughout history as one of the most famous British Queens. Even without a husband, she successfully ruled England for 45...

Anna Ingram 3 April 2026

Painting

Rainbows in Art History: A Symbol of Hope for a Better Future

Let us look at the significance of rainbows in art history across different cultures. Even though we now know the scientific reason behind rainbows,...

Anuradha Sroha 3 April 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Rainbow at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro

Camille Pissarro has an interesting portfolio of paintings. His works are divided between cosmopolitan views of Paris and countryside views of...

James W Singer 3 April 2026

Artist Stories

Let’s Sing Praises to Song Dynasty Genius Artist Ma Yuan

Ma Yuan (1160–1225) was a Southern Song Dynasty Chinese painter from an illustrious family of academy artists. He lived during a cultural zenith...

Barry Russell 2 April 2026

Herstory

When Mary Cassatt Painted in Spain

Mary Cassatt is one of the most exciting artists of the 19th century, but little is known of her trip to Spain between 1872 and 1873. During her...

Justin Fenech 2 April 2026

Face to face Painting

Georges Papazoff: The Surrealist Who Refused to Behave

Too wild for the canon, too slippery for nationalism, and too early to be officially celebrated: that’s Georges Papazoff—a 20th-century Bulgarian...

Katie Mikova 2 April 2026

Herstory

Marvellous Moomin Madness

Explore the world of Tove Jansson's Moomins, where adventure, friendship and a love of nature create a delightful narrative for readers of all ages.

Candy Bedworth 2 April 2026

Women Artists

Tar Beach: Faith Ringgold’s Journey from Story Quilts to Picture Books

With the publication of Tar Beach in 1991, Faith Ringgold launched her career as a picture book author and illustrator. Her interest in picture books...

Guest Author 2 April 2026

Literature

Christmas Carol Illustrations by Arthur Rackham

Have a nostalgic look at Arthur Rackham’s illustrations of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in the British Library edition from 1915. Arthur...

Magda Michalska 2 April 2026

Literature

The Snow Queen—Book Illustrations

The Snow Queen is one of the most beautiful winter tales. It was originally published on December 21st, 1844. The fairytale has been continuously...

Errika Gerakiti 2 April 2026

Women Artists

A Lesson in Illustration—The Whimsical Characters of Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter, best known for the charming tale of Peter Rabbit, inspired the minds of budding young novelists and illustrators alike. Her most...

Tony Heathfield 2 April 2026

WTF Art History

Attention, Dangerous Art! How Art Can Hurt You

Every once in a while, an accident involving an artwork happens. Usually, it is the artwork that ends up damaged, but sometimes it is the audience...

Joanna Kaszubowska 1 April 2026