Art Forms

Lady with an Ermine Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci

One of the greatest masterpieces of Western art, Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci, presents Cecilia Gallerani (ca. 1473-1536). Young,...

Zuzanna Stańska 23 February 2025

Gerrit Dou, Dog at Rest, 1650, oil on oak panel, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Dog at Rest by Gerrit Dou

Gerrit Dou’s Dog at Rest is a masterpiece of Dutch genre painting, perfect for both dog enthusiasts and art...

James W Singer 23 February 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat by John Weguelin

Here is a Masterpiece Story to honor our beloved cats. The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat by John Weguelin presents an imaginative interpretation of an...

Alexandra Kiely 23 February 2025

Jo Van Gogh Bonger, Vincent Van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat, 1887 Painting

A Fire in His Soul: How Paris Changed Vincent van Gogh

In his new book A Fire in His Soul, Miles J. Unger gives us Vincent van Gogh as we’ve never seen him before—abrasive, intransigent, egotistical,...

Ledys Chemin 21 February 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Zaga Christ by Giovanna Garzoni

The remarkable Portrait of Zaga Christ is considered the earliest known portrait of a Black sitter in Western art. It represents an unusual...

Guest Author 20 February 2025

Art State of Mind

Celestial Bodies in Art—Comets, Planets and Stars

When we think about flying objects we usually imagine birds, planes, kites, balloons, or even UFOs! It’s easy to forget that at one point the...

Sarah Mills 20 February 2025

Design

Soviet Space Art: Posters of Propaganda and Progress

Here is a small selection of our favorite Soviet space posters together with some tidbits about the beginnings of the Russian space...

Marta Wiktoria Bryll 20 February 2025

Dine & Wine

Time for a Cup of Warm Tea in Paintings

Tea, a timeless beverage enjoyed by cultures across the globe, has not only warmed countless hearts but also inspired artists throughout history.

Magda Michalska 18 February 2025

Quartz and chromium muscovite Wine Cup of Jahangir, ca. 1612 to 1613, RISD Museum, Providence, RI, USA. Design

Jahangir’s Wine Cups: Mughal Decorative Arts

The Mughal Empire stands as one of history’s most opulent periods known to nurture a rich tapestry of art and architecture that offers a...

Maya M. Tola 18 February 2025

Painting

Where Is the Queen? Black Women in Western Art

For centuries, Black women appeared in Western art as slaves, servants, or exotic novelties. But as regal queens and leaders? Shamefully not. We will...

Candy Bedworth 17 February 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The African King Caspar by Hendrik Heerschop

White subjects have dominated the Western art tradition for millennia, while people of color have been vastly underrepresented and misrepresented.

James W Singer 16 February 2025

Abstract Expressionism

The Irascibles: The Birth of American Abstract Expressionism

This photograph of New York-based Abstract Expressionist painters was published in Life magazine in January of 1951. The photograph, dubbed “The...

Tom Anderson 13 February 2025