Neoclassicism

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Princesses Monument by Johann Gottfried Schadow

An unassuming and charming statue group, The Princesses Monument (Prinzessinnen-Denkmal) or Princesses Group (Prinzessinnengruppe) made by Johann...

Nadine Waldmann 29 March 2026

Women Artists

Portraying Royalty: High-Profile Subjects of Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun was one of the most accomplished portraitists of her generation. At the peak of her fame, the doors of the highest European...

Edoardo Cesarino 16 March 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Self-Portrait with Her Daughter by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

Self-Portrait with Her Daughter, Julie by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun is a portrait masterpiece blending fashionable elegance and emotional naturalism.

James W Singer 16 March 2026

Portrait of Madeleine. Marie-Guillemine Benoist, Portrait of Madeleine, 1800, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Madeleine by Marie-Guillemine Benoist

What is the message behind Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s Portrait of Madeleine? The history and tradition behind this 1800 painting might explain...

Jimena Escoto 8 March 2026

Ancient Greece

The Women Blessed by Dionysus: Maenads in Art

One of the reasons why we find Greek mythology so fascinating is because of its incredibly diverse structure. All of the gods and goddesses have...

Erol Degirmenci 6 March 2026

Women Artists

Constance Marie Charpentier: French Master of Elegance

Constance Marie Charpentier (1767–1849) was a French painter celebrated for her refined portraits and genre scenes, often infused with sensitivity...

Zuzanna Stańska 6 February 2026

Salvatore Busuttil, Scene with Man Rowing European Art

Salvatore Busuttil and the Grand Tour Souvenirs

Art and tourism have a long and complex relationship. At the peak of the Grand Tour in Rome in the 19th century, countless artists had made a living...

Justin Fenech 1 January 2026

Neoclassicism

The Return of Canova’s Colossal Horse. Reassembled After Half a Century

Antonio Canova was the most famous European sculptor of the Neoclassical period. Best known today for the pristine perfection of his marble figures,...

Catriona Miller 22 December 2025

Ancient Rome

The Ancient Queen and the Modern Sculptress: Zenobia by Harriet Hosmer

Harriet Hosmer, the 19th-century American sculptor from Watertown, Massachusetts was the exceptional talent behind the towering sculpture of Zenobia.

Maya M. Tola 8 December 2025

Marie-Denise Villers, Self-Portrait, 1802, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Self-Portrait by Marie-Denise Villers

Self-Portrait by Marie-Denise Villers showcases the genius of a leading female artist of Napoleonic...

James W Singer 9 November 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Zeuxis Selecting Models for Helen of Troy by Angelica Kauffman

We’re all Angelicamad here! To celebrate the history painter extraordinaire Angelica Kauffman, let’s discuss her take on one of antiquity’s...

Gabrielle Stecher 30 October 2025

Neoclassicism

Angelica Kauffman in 10 Paintings

Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807) was a Swiss Neoclassical painter. Despite the prevalent misogyny in the 18th-century art world, Kauffman gained fame,...

Jimena Escoto 30 October 2025