Art Forms

Artist Stories

Painting a Woman: The Story of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener Through Their Art

The Danish landscape artist Lili Elvenes (1882-1931), born Einar Wegener and better known as Lili Elbe, and her spouse, the Art Deco portrait artist...

Iolanda Munck 27 March 2024

Art Nouveau

Loïe Fuller the Magical Dancer of Art Nouveau

Today we meet the performer Loïe Fuller, one of Art Nouveau’s most celebrated performers. She was a dancer and actress best known for her...

Europeana 27 March 2024

Literature

Writing Poetry and Inspiring Painters: Portraits of Anna Akhmatova

It is hard to say how many portraits of the poet Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966) exist – she was painted by many famous artists of the 20th century. She...

Elizaveta Ermakova 27 March 2024

Cats

Can You Spot the Cat? Cats Hidden in Famous Paintings

I like cats and I’m sure that many of you do, too. A fascinating animal, the cat has earned itself an important place in culture, literature, and...

Marina Kochetkova 26 March 2024

Animals

Thomas Gainsborough and His Dog Portraits

Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) was a portrait and landscape painter. During his career, he often painted dogs accompanying his sitters. He always...

Joanna Kaszubowska 26 March 2024

WTF Art History

The Pre-Raphaelites and the Wombat

Many people are obsessed with cute cats, penguins, pandas, koalas, and all sorts of animals. However one rarely hears about the wombat, especially in...

Joanna Kaszubowska 26 March 2024

Joana Vasconcelos, Material Girl Contemporary Art

Joana Vasconcelos: Reshaping Femininity

Upending convention and pushing boundaries, Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos grapples with themes of gender stereotypes and societal values...

Natalia Iacobelli 25 March 2024

Photograph showing Hundertwasserhaus, a residential building with colorful facade and vegetation on the roof. Artist Stories

Colorful World of Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 5 Works

Step into the world of Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) as we explore his 5 extraordinary works of art and architecture bursting with colors...

Nikolina Konjevod 25 March 2024

Jean-François de Troy, Diana and Actaeon, 1734, Kunstmuseum, Basel, Switzerland. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Diana and Actaeon by Jean-François de Troy

Diana and Actaeon by Jean-François de Troy is a French masterpiece blending the exuberance of Rococo sensuality with the intellectualism of...

James W Singer 25 March 2024

florian yuriev Ukraine Special

Florian Yuriev – Colorful Portraits-Modus

Florian Yuriev (1929-2021) was a Ukrainian painter, architect, and visionary. His extraordinary, colorful paintings combine music, color, and linear...

Aniela Rybak 25 March 2024

Women Artists

The Fabulous Sculpture and Mysterious Life of Edmonia Lewis

Edmonia Lewis (c. 1844-1907) was quite a force of nature. She was an African American and Native American woman who became an...

Alexandra Kiely 25 March 2024

Review

The Artistic Power of Textiles Exhibited at the Barbican in London

The exhibition Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art at the Barbican Art Gallery in London explores textiles as particularly expressive,...

Guest Profile 25 March 2024