Art Forms

Review

On Ugliness by Umberto Eco – A Sublime Journey Through Horrid Texts and Faces of the Western World

This book stood on one of my shelves for far too long. The compelling ugliness of its cover attracted me each time I longingly glanced at it. Now...

Giordana Goretti 26 June 2023

South American Art

Djanira da Motta e Silva: Gentle Documentalist of Brazilian Life

Djanira da Motta e Silva (1914-1979) was born in a very humble family, in Avare, São Paulo state in Brazil. She started to paint in her twenties...

Alicja Gluszek 19 June 2023

Women Artists

Lygia Pape and Neo-Concretism: Art Is an Experience

Breaking with all the patterns of what had been art in Latin America up to then, Lygia Pape with Grupo Frente created a unique Brazilian artistic...

Dévra Taboada 19 June 2023

Painting

The Dog Days Are Coming – 10 Beaches in Art for Summer Time

In the Northern Hemisphere, we will soon reach the height of summer. The time between 3 July and 11 August is also known as “the dog days.” And...

Joanna Kaszubowska 18 June 2023

Artist Stories

Francisco Goya: The First Modernist?

Renowned as one of the most influential Spanish artists, Francisco Goya’s artistic prowess continues to bewitch and intrigue art enthusiasts...

Wendy Gray 17 June 2023

Nicaise de Keyser, William II (1792-1849), King of the Netherlands, when Prince of Orange, 1846, Royal Collection, UK. History

Willem II: The Queer King of the Netherlands

Willem II ruled the Netherlands from 1840 to 1849. In modern terms he would be considered a bisexual man, as he had relationships with both women and...

Jimena Escoto 14 June 2023

Herstory

The Hundred Faces of Kiki de Montparnasse

Kiki de Montparnasse was an actress, singer, and muse of Man Ray. Known as the “Queen of Montparnasse,” she influenced the trajectory of...

Zuzanna Stańska 12 June 2023

Lucas Cranach The Elder, The Suicide of Lucretia, 1525-30, Staatliche Museen, Kassel, Germany. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Ancient Rome

A Woman with A Knife: The Story of Lucretia

If you see a woman with a knife in a painting – think of Lucretia. She was an ancient Roman heroine whose fate played a vital role in the...

Zuzanna Stańska 11 June 2023

Ancient Rome

The Portrait of Rome’s Decline: Bust of Decius

The turmoil of Rome’s decline in the 3rd century enclosed the 21-month reign of Decius. His tenure as emperor was not exceptionally short for the...

Guest Author 11 June 2023

Architecture

The Louvre Pyramid and 5 Other Museums Designed by I. M. Pei

Ieoh Ming Pei (貝聿銘), known as I. M. Pei (1917-2019) was a Chinese American modernist architect with international acclaim. Exciting for art...

Isla Phillips-Ewen 8 June 2023

Artist Stories

A Song and a Prayer – Croatia’s Ivan Mestrovic

My favorite thing about Instagram is coming across new art and artists – scrolling and finding things that excite you and catch your eye. A...

Nadine Waldmann 7 June 2023

Art State of Mind

Why Is St Sebastian a Gay Icon?

One may think that Christian saints have little in common with gay culture, but there is an exception to every rule. If you see a handsome guy in his...

Magda Michalska 1 June 2023