Sculpture

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, ca 1766-1833, lacquered gilt wood, Vietnam, Musée Guimet, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara was donated to the Musée Guimet in Paris, France, in 1889 by French archeologist Gustave Dumoutier. It represents the...

James W Singer 7 December 2023

Striding Lion, 604-562 BCE, glazed clay bricks, Processional Way, Babylon, Iraq, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Striding Lion from the Ishtar Gate

Striding Lion is a masterpiece of Mesopotamian art with monumental size and composition. It symbolizes the strength of King Nebuchadnezzar II and the...

James W Singer 5 December 2023

Animals

Five 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 1 December 2023

Chambri People, Ancestor Mask, early 20th century, wood and natural pigments, Ceremonial House, Chambri Lake Village, Papua New Guinea, Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Chambri People’s Ancestor Mask

Ancestor Mask is a masterpiece of Papua New Guinean art. It symbolizes a vanishing tribal lifestyle rarely seen outside of...

James W Singer 30 November 2023

Sculpture

A Great Mystery: Sanxingdui Masks

Who doesn’t love a mystery? Especially an art history mystery. Made by a previously unknown Chinese kingdom, the 3,000-year-old bronze...

Nadine Waldmann 30 November 2023

Contemporary Art

Human Machines, Pigs & Gothic Trucks: Wim Delvoye’s Surprising Art

Have you ever seen a pig covered in an oriental carpet, a cement truck with Gothic motifs, or a silver DNA string with crucifixes? These are the...

Michel Rutten 27 November 2023

South American Art

Art and Ritual: Culture of the Enigmatic Moche People

The Moche were an ancient, Indigenous people of Andean Peru. They are considered to be one of the most influential civilizations of the ancient...

Marga Patterson 8 November 2023

El Anatsui: Behind the Red Moon, Installation View, Tate Modern, London, UK. African Art

5 Things to Know About El Anatsui’s Turbine Hall Commission at Tate Modern

On October 10th, the doors of Tate Modern in London swung open, unveiling a long-awaited exhibition: the annual Turbine Hall Hyundai Commission. The...

Natalia Tiberio 2 November 2023

Baroque

Masterpiece Story: Apollo and Daphne by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Apollo and Daphne, one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s first major commissions, was completed between 1622 and 1625 for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a...

Maya M. Tola 2 November 2023

Neoclassicism

The Minister of Beauty: Antonio Canova in 5 Sculptures

Antonio Canova was considered the greatest sculptor of his time. His sculptures fall into three categories: heroic compositions, compositions of...

Zuzanna Stańska 1 November 2023

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, 1647-1652, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Roma, Italia. Masterpiece Stories

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini: Divine Bliss or Pure Erotic Pleasure?

Among the works of the famous sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), the sculptural group called Ecstasy of Saint Teresa remains...

Montaine Dumont 18 October 2023

Women Artists

Augusta Savage: The Woman Who Defined 20th-Century Sculpture

Augusta Savage was a sculptress whose name is often missing from the list of illustrious Harlem Renaissance artists. Throughout her life, she merged...

Anastasia Tsaleza 9 October 2023