Sculpture

Nike of Samothrace, ca 200-175 BCE, Parian and Lartian marble, Paleopoli, Samothrace, Greece, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Nike of Samothrace

Nike of Samothrace is the masterpiece of an unknown Hellenistic artist. While the artist’s story may be unknown, the statue’s story is as complex...

James W Singer 11 June 2025

Masterpiece Stories

The Boxer at Rest—Defeated Hellenistic Athlete

Coming face-to-face with a piece of art you’ve loved for years is a thrilling, exciting and oftentimes overwhelming experience. Such was the case...

Nadine Waldmann 11 June 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Laocoön and His Sons

Laocoön and His Sons was one of the most influential sculptures during the Renaissance. The contorted bodies of the figures, their faces full of...

Anastasia Manioudaki 11 June 2025

Ancient Greece

There Were Really Hot Guys in Ancient Greece: The Barberini Faun

Drunk, sleeping men are rarely, if ever, beautiful and sexually appealing, but this is not the case with this really sexy faun from ancient Greece.

Marta Loza 11 June 2025

Jeff Koons, Balloon Dog (Magenta), 1994-2000, Château de Versailles, Versailles, France. Photo by Marc Wathieu via Versailles' website. Contemporary Art

Jeff Koons and His Balloon Dogs

What do Jeff Koons, Jay-Z, Christie’s, and clowns have in common? Balloon dogs. Koons is a controversial figure in the contemporary art world,...

Zuzanna Stańska 5 June 2025

Women Artists

How Louise Nevelson Constructed Her Sculptures and Her Past

Born in Pereiaslav, today’s Ukraine, Louise Nevelson (1899-1988) is recognized as one of America’s most innovative sculptors. Her most famous...

Magda Michalska 29 May 2025

Women Artists

Maria Pinińska-Bereś—The Artist Who Made Pink Feminist

When I think of Maria Pinińska-Bereś her name appears in my head in light-pink hand-written letters embroidered on a white duvet. It is of course...

Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 22 May 2025

Animals

5 Fun Facts About Gargoyles—Quirky Creatures of the Middle Ages and Beyond

Everybody loves gargoyles! I used to think I was alone in this, but I’ve come to learn that’s not at all true. In case any of you don’t know, a...

Alexandra Kiely 2 May 2025

Contemporary Art

Between Art and Engineering: Kinetic Beasts by Theo Jansen

Theo Jansen, a Dutch contemporary artist, a sculptor, an engineer, and most significantly, a visionary. The universe in his mind along with his...

Caroline Galambosova 8 April 2025

Contemporary Art

Maurizio Cattelan Laughs at the World Through 5 Works

Maurizio Cattelan’s approach to art does not seem to be serious. Instead, the artist speaks loudly with satirical and penetrative messages behind...

Seoyoung (Alyssa) Kim 1 April 2025

Fat Convertible Contemporary Art

Erwin Wurm: How to See Things in a Different Way

Erwin Wurm is an artist who creates humorous art which is actually either a parody of everyday situations and known objects, or a criticism of our...

Petra Dragasevic 1 April 2025

Herstory

Identity and Belonging in the Work of Ana Mendieta

Ana Mendieta, the Cuban-American performance artist was an unapologetic feminist who asked profound questions about identity and belonging.

Candy Bedworth 27 March 2025