The Sun King’s Reflection: Portraits of Louis XIV
Louis XIV was definitely a great arts patron but sadly a slightly less great king. However, that didn’t stop him from being self-indulging,...
Magda Michalska 17 February 2025
Baroque
Masterpiece Story: The African King Caspar by Hendrik Heerschop
White subjects have dominated the Western art tradition for millennia, while people of color have been vastly underrepresented and misrepresented.
James W Singer 16 February 2025
Holy Cow! Why Did the Dutch Painters Love Cows?
Every time I look at 17th-century Dutch paintings, I ask myself the same question: why do they always show cows? You will probably think this is a...
Magda Michalska 12 February 2025
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Scholar, Feminist, Revolutionary
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a 17th-century nun and the first published feminist poet of the New World. Her written works display her sense of wit...
Natalia Iacobelli 11 February 2025
Johannes Vermeer in 10 Paintings
Johannes Vermeer was one of the masters of the Dutch Golden Age. He was born in Delft, Netherlands, in 1632 and died there at age 43, apparently...
Tom Anderson 6 February 2025
5 Caravaggisti You Need to Know
Caravaggio left an indelible mark on many artists who came after him, as well as his own contemporaries. With its unique use of light and the focus...
Edoardo Cesarino 20 January 2025
Pure Happiness, Fun, and Joy in Jan Steen’s Paintings
I am a true happiness digger and I’m looking for happiness also in art. If you are a frequent reader here, you may have seen our other articles...
Rute Ferreira 20 January 2025
Nine Reasons to Smile with Frans Hals’ Portraits
Frans Hals (c. 1582–1666) was one of the Dutch Golden Age painters. Born in Antwerp, he spent his entire adult life in Haarlem. Hals is most famous...
Joanna Kaszubowska 20 January 2025
Masterpiece Story: Threatened Swan by Jan Asselijn
Swans are normally characterized as graceful birds. They are magnificent and majestic. However, Jan Asselijn displays another side of these elegant...
James W Singer 5 January 2025
Hendrick Avercamp: Chronicler of the Little Ice Age
A dog tears at the carcass of a long-dead horse. Nearby, a man brandishes what looks like a golf club, and a dandy grins alongside a woman in a...
Guest Author 26 December 2024
Delftware 101—The Brilliant Face of the Dutch Golden Age
When we think of the Netherlands, a few characteristic things come to mind: tulips, windmills, orange, cheese and painted clogs to name but a few.
Giordana Goretti 23 December 2024
The Art of Science—Versailles at the Science Museum, London
Have you ever wondered how it would feel to witness the grandeur and opulence of the 18th-century French court? Then you might want to go to London.
Edoardo Cesarino 19 December 2024
