Painting

Medieval Art

Medieval Take on Comic Books – Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

The Middle Ages have a very sketchy reputation. On one hand, we know that a lot of amazing art was created during that time. On the other hand,...

Joanna Kaszubowska 15 November 2022

European Art

El Greco: The Grandfather of Expressionism

The guide to the Prado Museum describes El Greco as a “philosopher, as an intellectual and as a sensitive and idiosyncratic artist.” It is these...

Wendy Gray 7 November 2022

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 November 2022

Women Artists

The Mirror and the Palette: 500 Years of Women’s Self Portraits

This is a review of the book The Mirror and the Palette. Rebellion, Revolution, and Resilience: Five Hundred Years of Women’s Self Portraits by...

Candy Bedworth 5 November 2022

Artist Stories

An Orientalist from the Orient: Theodoros Rallis

Not every Orientalist painter journeyed to the Orient or the Levant to observe and interact with the socio-cultural fabric they intended to portray...

Erol Degirmenci 3 November 2022

Alexandre Cabanel, Cleopatra, 1887, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Cleopatra by Alexandre Cabanel

Queen Cleopatra is a popular subject today – as she was in the late 19th century. Alexandre Cabanel’s Cleopatra explores a single moment of her...

James W Singer 3 November 2022

Art History 101

Orientalism – Quick Explanation

19th-century Europeans were fascinated by the Near East and North Africa. Everything began roughly around the time of the Napoleonic invasion of...

Magda Michalska 3 November 2022

Painting

11 Famous Funeral Paintings of Western Art

Funeral practices are deeply ingrained in all cultures. Varied traditions around the globe reflect widespread beliefs and values. On this day when we...

Zuzanna Stańska 1 November 2022

Edvard Munch, Love and pain, 1895, oil on canvas. The Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway. Bizarre

5 Vampire Paintings in Art

Vampires are one of the most known mythical creatures in history. The origins of their legend date back to ancient civilizations. Some ancient...

Errika Gerakiti 31 October 2022

History

Joanna of Castile: Story of a Misunderstood Queen in Portraits

Joanna of Castile, also known as Joanna the Mad, was never expected to inherit the throne of Castile and Aragon in the 16th century. Due to her...

Anna Ingram 31 October 2022

Giotto Meeting at the Golden Gate Love Story

The First Kiss in Art History

It was back in the year 1305 when Giotto di Bondone painted a fresco capturing the moment when Virgin Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, kissed...

Petra Dragasevic 28 October 2022

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico

Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico is a masterpiece that can be viewed both as medieval and Renaissance. How so? Keep on reading...

Alexandra Kiely 28 October 2022