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Masterpiece Sunday: Marriage

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The First Cloud by Sir William Orchardson

At first glance, Sir William Orchardson’s The First Cloud is a late Victorian domestic scene that appears to be tranquil, refined, and placid.

James W Singer 22 March 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Major’s Marriage Proposal by Pavel Fedotov

When you think of 19th-century Russia, images of Anna Karenina with black furs and white diamonds may come to mind. The lives of the wealthy...

James W Singer 22 March 2026

Rococo

Masterpiece Story: Marriage A-la-Mode by William Hogarth

The 18th-century British painter William Hogarth created an insightful series of paintings about the arranged marriages of his times, entitled...

Pola Otterstein 22 March 2026

Love Story

Unhappily Ever After: Unequal Marriage by Vasili Pukirev

Vasili Pukirev’s painting, Unequal Marriage, has a legend surrounding it. Allegedly, after looking at it all the elderly grooms refused to marry...

Elizaveta Ermakova 22 March 2026

Reluctant Bride. Auguste Toulmouche, The Reluctant Bride, 1866, Private collection. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Reluctant Bride by Auguste Toulmouche

Have you ever seen a bride more… angry? Should this not be the happiest day of her life? The Reluctant Bride or The Hesitant Fiancée by Auguste...

Jimena Escoto 22 March 2026

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Quiz

QUIZ: Guess the American Women Artists

Theodore Carter 21 March 2026

Quiz

QUIZ: Contemporary Art Masterpieces

Carlotta Mazzoli 21 March 2026

Quiz

QUIZ: How Well Do You Know Salvador Dalí?

Joanna Kaszubowska 21 March 2026

Quiz

QUIZ for Art Lovers! Do You Know These 15 Famous Artworks?

Kate Wojtczak 21 March 2026

Quiz

QUIZ: So You Think You Know Marc Chagall?

Catherine Razafindralambo 21 March 2026

European Art

Proserpina and the Myth of Spring Explained in 3 Masterpieces

Because we like myths, tales, and legends, with the arrival of spring we take the opportunity to tell you a tale related to this magical season. We...

Andra Patricia Ritisan 20 March 2026

Post-Impressionism

10 Van Gogh Paintings to Celebrate Spring

Spring blossoms held a special power for Vincent van Gogh and inspired paintings of remarkable beauty, often concealing the difficulties he faced...

MJ Rivera 20 March 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Almond Blossom by Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime. He was not a financially successful artist, and he was entirely dependent on his...

James W Singer 20 March 2026

Painting

Carnations in Art

Carnations have been called the flower of the gods and have a long history that dates back thousands of years. This beautiful flower has many...

Maya M. Tola 20 March 2026

Impressionism

10 Impressionist Paintings for Spring

The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming. It is officially spring! And what style captures spring’s delicate essence better than Impressionism?...

Sandra Juszczyk 20 March 2026

Literature

Book Review: Sofonisba, Portraits of the Soul

Sofonisba, Portraits of the Soul is a book by Chiara Montani about the life and work of the Italian artist Sofonisba Anguissola. Sofonisba was an...

Errika Gerakiti 19 March 2026

Sofonisba Anguissola, The Game of Chess, 1555. Women Artists

Masterpiece Story: The Game of Chess by Sofonisba Anguissola

Sofonisba Anguissola is known for her self-portraits and portraits of Spanish royalty. But her most provocative painting is perhaps The Game of...

Anna Ingram 19 March 2026

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Sofonisba Anguissola, Elisabeth of Valois Holding a Portrait of Philip II Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Elisabeth of Valois by Sofonisba Anguissola

The portrait of Elisabeth of Valois by Sofonisba Anguissola depicts a beautiful young Queen of Spain. However, while the imagery is intriguing, the...

Anna Ingram 19 March 2026

Sofonisba Anguissola, Self-Portrait Painting the Madonna, 1556, 66 x 57 cm, Lancut Museum, Poland. ArtStor digital library. Women Artists

Sofonisba Anguissola: The Life of a Rule-Breaker Painter

During the Italian Renaissance, women artists did not have the same access to artistic education as men. Sofonisba Anguissola, however, was very...

Nina Relf 19 March 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Sofonisba Anguissola by Anthony van Dyck

Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641) was a Flemish painter from Antwerp. Between 1621 and 1627, he worked in Italy, mainly in Genoa, studying the great...

Soledad Castillo Jara 19 March 2026

Painting

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey: Unveiling the Life of England’s Nine-Day Queen

Paul Delaroche’s Execution of Lady Jane Grey is a mesmerizing piece that captures the essence and tragedy of one of England’s most ill-fated...

Sabrina Phillips 18 March 2026

European Art

Queen Elizabeth I—Portraits of the Last Tudor

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was the only surviving child of King Henry VIII of England and his second wife Anne Boleyn. Being a girl was hard...

Sarah Mills 18 March 2026

Rococo

Queen Marie Antoinette in 10 Portraits

Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France and Navarre before the French Revolution, is renowned for numerous portraits that depict her life.

Zuzanna Stańska 18 March 2026

European Art

Royaltastic Queens: Women Who Fought the Patriarchy and Won!

Follow us on a short historical tour of thriving royal women across Europe who enjoyed power and success on their own terms. How we measure royal...

Candy Bedworth 18 March 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Queen Mother Idia of Benin

Africa is a beautiful continent filled with sweeping landscapes and mighty rivers. Its history is filled with great kingdoms and large empires. Its...

James W Singer 18 March 2026

Medieval Art

5 Treasures of Medieval Irish Art

Celebrate Irish culture and heritage by exploring some masterpieces of Irish art. While there have been spectacular Irish artists throughout history,...

Alexandra Kiely 17 March 2026

Artist Stories

AE Russell’s Visions of Ireland

George William Russell, known as AE, painted the spirits and visions he had seen since childhood. His Irish landscapes are topographically familiar,...

Hannah Demaine 17 March 2026

Black and white photograph of a caucasian woman astride a horse, facing right Women Artists

Edith Somerville: Author, Artist, and Activist

Edith Somerville lived as full a life as anyone. Having the financial means, she led a life with no barriers as an unmarried author of several books,...

Lauren Kraut 17 March 2026

Harry Clarke, Its Figures Passed By Me from Edgar Allan Poe, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, George G. Harrap and Co., London, 1919. Public Domain Review. Detail. Literature

Beautiful and Scary: Illustrations for Poe’s Horror Stories by Harry Clarke

Harry Clarke was an Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. He made notable works in both fields but somehow his stained glass works are a...

Marija Canjuga 17 March 2026