Political scientist with a strong passion for Art History. Great admirer of Vermeer and Velázquez. Researcher and amateur painter of still lifes.
Donatello’s Mary Magdalene: Penitence and Salvation
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 17 March 2024
Portrait of Sofonisba Anguissola by Anthony van Dyck
Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish painter born in Antwerp (then Spanish Netherlands, now Belgium) in 1599 and passed away in London in 1641. From 1621...
Soledad Castillo Jara 10 March 2024
The Caganer: A Christmas Tradition
As Christmas approaches, many of us are probably decorating our homes for the holidays which will hopefully bring us some joy. One of the main...
Soledad Castillo Jara 22 December 2023
Spanish Bodegones of the 17th Century
Looking at a painting and getting hungry? It might be a bodegón! Here we define the genre of Spanish bodegones in the context of 17th-century...
Soledad Castillo Jara 16 October 2023
Masterpiece Story: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer
The Girl with a Pearl Earring is usually the first image that comes to mind when we think of Johannes Vermeer. It has inspired multiple references in...
Soledad Castillo Jara 23 July 2023
Dark Shadows of Seville in Murillo’s Paintings
Apart from fulfilling commissions for churches and noblemen’s mansions, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo painted genre scenes depicting poor children in...
Soledad Castillo Jara 30 June 2023
10 Things You Should Know About Peter Paul Rubens
Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish artist. Considered one of the greatest exponents of the Baroque, he is best known for his mythological, allegorical,...
Soledad Castillo Jara 1 June 2023
Genres Explained: Still Life in Painting
Let’s explore the history of still life through a selection of 10 paintings corresponding to two key moments: the 17th century in the...
Soledad Castillo Jara 11 August 2021