Painting

Artist Stories

Thawan Duchanee: Paintings Are a Way of Expressing Feelings Without Any Explanation

Thawan Duchanee (1939–2014) was a painter, sculptor, and architect from Chiang Rai, northern Thailand. He is Thailand’s most celebrated...

Isla Phillips-Ewen 10 October 2024

Art State of Mind

Tableaux Vivants: A Long History of Recreating Art

A fanciful costume, a theatrical pose, the right light… and for a few seconds the viewer is immersed in a “living picture.” You have probably...

Guest Profile 9 October 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Birth of Venus by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

The Birth of Venus is probably the most famous painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and it is considered a masterpiece of French Academic...

James W Singer 8 October 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées and One of Her Sisters

To a 21st-century viewer, the portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées might seem homo-erotic. However, pictured with her sister, the Duchess of Villars,...

Anna Ingram 8 October 2024

Caravaggio Amor, Amor Vincit Omnia, ca. 1601 Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Amor Vincit Omnia by Caravaggio

Virgil’s famous saying amor vincit omnia means “love conquers all.” Famous Baroque painter, Caravaggio, clearly inspired by the famous sentence...

Zuzanna Stańska 8 October 2024

Art Travels

Did You Know That Henri Matisse Went to Morocco?

The first things that come to one’s mind when one thinks of Henri Matisse are France, Fauvism, raw shapes, and colors. But never Morocco! Why not?...

Yahya Bensouda 7 October 2024

Museum Stories

10 Absolute Gems from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is Montreal’s largest museum and one of the most prominent in Canada. Its collection consists of an impressive...

Zuzanna Stańska 7 October 2024

Andrea Mantegna, Bridal Chamber, Ocluus. Mantua, Italy. Renaissance

Fooling the Eye: Illusionistic Games in Andrea Mantegna’s Bridal Chamber

A masterpiece of the early Italian Renaissance, Andrea Mantegna’s Bridal Chamber has been described as the most beautiful room in the world.

Natalia Iacobelli 7 October 2024

Pontormo Detail from The Visitation Mannerism

Pontormo: The Neglected Mannerist Painter

Pontormo was a Renaissance painter, admired by both Michelangelo and Raphael. His first apprenticeship was in Leonardo da Vinci's workshop. His work is treasured by The National Gallery and The Uffizi. His luminous work is truly magnificent, so why is he so neglected?

Guest Profile 7 October 2024

Woman with Stylus, 55-79 CE Ancient Rome

Woman with Stylus: What a Portrait Can Tell Us About Women in Ancient Rome

Woman with Stylus is an ancient Roman fresco unearthed in Pompeii nearly two millennia after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. Various details...

Natalia Iacobelli 7 October 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Flower Still Life by Jan van Huysum

Flower Still Life by Jan van Huysum is a still-life masterpiece that explores beautiful flowers and delicate butterflies. The painting is part of the...

James W Singer 6 October 2024

Li Di, Red and White Cotton Roses, Southern Song dynasty, 1197, color on silk, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Red and White Cotton Roses by Li Di

Red and White Cotton Roses is considered Li Di’s lifetime masterpiece and a masterwork of Chinese...

James W Singer 6 October 2024