Ancient Art

Painting

A Tale of Revenge and Justice: The Oresteia in Paintings

Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good Roman emperors once wrote: “The best way to avenge yourself is not to become as they are” (Meditations...

Erol Degirmenci 10 July 2023

Bizarre

The Intriguing Tale of Shocking Sheela Na Gig and Its Art References

Everyone remembers their first sighting of a Sheela Na Gig. Wandering around an old church, breathing in the architecture, the history, the silence.

Candy Bedworth 3 July 2023

Ancient Rome

Born of Fire: Ancient Roman Glass

Ancient Roman glass objects were functional and decorative beauties. Roman glass artisans experimented with glass-making techniques and applied...

Marga Patterson 23 June 2023

Lucas Cranach The Elder, The Suicide of Lucretia, 1525-30, Staatliche Museen, Kassel, Germany. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Ancient Rome

A Woman with A Knife: The Story of Lucretia

If you see a woman with a knife in a painting – think of Lucretia. She was an ancient Roman heroine whose fate played a vital role in the...

Zuzanna Stańska 11 June 2023

Ancient Rome

The Portrait of Rome’s Decline: Bust of Decius

The turmoil of Rome’s decline in the 3rd century enclosed the 21-month reign of Decius. His tenure as emperor was not exceptionally short for the...

Guest Profile 11 June 2023

Renaissance

Masterpiece Story: The Calumny of Apelles by Sandro Botticelli

Botticelli’s final painting with a mythological subject is based on a lost painting by an ancient Greek painter Apelles. He ventured to...

Magda Michalska 11 June 2023

Granit Sculpture of Colossus representing Ramses Ancient Egypt

Ramses the Great: A Pharaoh in Paris

After the United States, and before Australia, France has been, since April 7, the only European country to host a large-scale exhibition around the...

Montaine Dumont 25 May 2023

Ancient Greece

Three Unique Portrayals of Europa’s Abduction Myth

The mesmerizing realm of Greek mythology is one of the greatest sources for artists to exhibit their technical brilliance and unique interpretations.

Erol Degirmenci 9 May 2023

Asian Art

Lakshmi in Art: The Goddess of Wealth

Lakshmi is a prominent Hindu deity who is also revered by Buddhists and Jains. Her eminent position in the Hindu pantheon emanates not only from her...

Maya M. Tola 27 April 2023

Seated Buddhas at Vatadage, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. Art Travels

An Artsy Travel to the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Many edifices, shrines, dagobas, and colossal figures attest to the glory of Polonnaruwa, the second (and strikingly beautiful) capital of ancient...

Elsa Vallarino 6 April 2023

Ancient Greece

Alexander the Great and His Mermaid Sister in Greek Folklore

There is no need for a long introduction to Alexander the Great’s place in history; he is one of the most famous military leaders and he has...

Errika Gerakiti 29 March 2023

Ancient Rome

Ancient Bikini Girls from the Roman Mosaics

If you have ever wondered when the history of the bikini began, it started at the same time and place in history as philosophy, mathematics, and art:...

Magda Michalska 15 March 2023