Literature

Long Read

9 Shakespeare Paintings by John Everett Millais

Back in 1590, when Henry IV first appeared on stage, Shakespeare could not have foreseen the popularity of his creations. The appeal of characters...

Ledys Chemin, 3 November 2025

Shakespeare in Art: Henry Fuseli, Titania and Bottom, c. 1790, Tate Britain, London, UK. Literature

Shakespeare’s Plays in Art

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” And indeed wicked it is! From Macbeth to Romeo and Juliet, William...

Ruxi Rusu 13 October 2025

Giorgio Vasari, St Luke Painting the Virgin WTF Art History

Best Gossips on Renaissance Artists by Giorgio Vasari

Known as the first art historian, Giorgio Vasari wrote the legendary book Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. The book...

Anna Ingram 9 October 2025

Atala. Luis Monroy Josué, Last Moments of Atala, 1871,Museo Nacional de Arte, Mexico City, Mexico. Literature

Atala: The Tragedy That Transcended Pages

In the 19th century, Europeans went crazy for one story: Atala, or the Story of Two Lovers in the Desert. It is a novel by René de Chateaubriand...

Jimena Escoto, Guest Author 12 September 2025

Europa Art: Valentin Serov, The Rape of Europa, 1910, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moskva, Russia. Literature

How Europe Got Its Name—The Myth of Europa in Art

Have you ever wondered where the name of the continent Europe comes from? Meet Europa, a Phoenician woman who became the inspiration for the name of...

Magda Michalska 8 September 2025

Art History 101

Essential Books for Art Historians (and Art Lovers)

Not sure what you should read next? Here is a list of the most important art-related books you should read. Written in the previous century, they...

Roma Piotrowska 1 September 2025

Review

Christian Dotremont: A Painter-Poet

Christian Dotremont was a Belgian artist and one of the founders of the CoBrA movement. What sets his art apart is his unique perspective on writing...

Tommy Thiange 21 August 2025

Women Artists

Christina Rossetti: Interweaving Poetry and Art

Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) is still beloved today for her timeless poetry—but her creative influence transcends the written word. By...

Emily Snow 21 August 2025

Literature

Luo Ping: 18th-Century Visionary Painter and Poet

Luo Ping, Freud’s godfather, proclaimed: “Kill or be killed…” But of course, Luo Ping was subtler than this; he only suggests what...

Barry Russell 21 August 2025

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 21 August 2025

Artist Stories

Aubrey Beardsley: Sharp Blacks and Whites of the Victorian Era

Aubrey Beardsley was an extremely talented draughtsman of the Victorian era. As a young boy, he suffered from tuberculosis, yet decided to live his...

Magda Michalska 21 August 2025

Tove Jansson: Reino Loppinen, Tove Jansson, 1956. Women Artists

Tove Jansson’s Life of Wonders

Best known for the Moomins from her series of novels, comic strips, and short stories, Tove Jansson was an illustrator, painter, and writer. Born in...

Natalia Tiberio 28 July 2025