Realism

Frants Henningsen, Funeral, 1883, National Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Funeral by Frants Henningsen

Funeral by Frants Henningsen is a Danish masterpiece of emotions. It examines the different psychological reactions to love, loss, and...

James W Singer 1 November 2022

Women Artists

Anna Bilińska’s Parisian Career and Tragic Life

Read the story of Anna Bilińska, the Polish painter, who spent her life in Paris. Discover her moving portraits, and the fascinating story of her...

Magda Michalska 18 June 2022

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Iron Rolling Mill (Modern Cyclopes) by Adolph Menzel

The 19th century, the age of steel and steam, witnessed not only the developments of the industry but also the new themes in painting. Now, simple...

Kate Wojtczak 1 May 2022

Realism

Eid Al-Fitr – Islamic Prayer in Art

The distinctive ritual of Islamic prayer, known as namaz (in Urdu) or salah (in Arabic) has captivated the imagination of many Orientalist painters.

Maya M. Tola 2 April 2022

Ilya Repin, Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, 1880–1891, State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg WTF Art History

Want to Insult Your Enemy? Get Inspired by the Badass Zaporozhian Cossacks!

There are dozens if not hundreds of forged documents in the history of the world. They weren’t forged just for fun. Some of them were the basis...

Zuzanna Stańska 5 March 2022

Artist Stories

Taras Shevchenko: Ukrainian Liberty Idol

Taras Shevchenko was an outstanding Ukrainian artist and poet. Born to a peasant family, he became a Ukrainian liberty idol and national artistic...

Kateryna Martynova 5 March 2022

Realism

Artists and Industrial Revolution: Images of the Changing World

The Industrial Revolution brought fundamental and irreversible social changes. But what was its influence on art and artists? Discover works by...

Europeana 26 January 2022

Love Story

Unhappily Ever After: Unequal Marriage by Vasili Pukirev

Vasili Pukirev’s painting Unequal Marriage has a legend about it: allegedly, after looking at it, all the elderly grooms refused to marry their...

Elizaveta Ermakova 7 October 2021

Masterpiece Stories

Painting of the Week: Claude Raguet Hirst, A Gentleman’s Table

A Gentleman’s Table by Claude Raguet Hirst is a mysterious painting that echoes the realism of Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and Henry Ossawa...

James W Singer 6 June 2021

Valentin Serov, Russian Master of Portraits

Valentin Serov (1865–1911), was a student of Ilya Repin, and heir to the best traditions of the Russian realistic school. From the very beginning...

Elizaveta Ermakova 17 February 2021

Russian History through the Eyes of Vasily Surikov

In the 19th century Russia historical painting was freed from formality and canons. We find a good example of this in the work of Vasily Surikov...

Elizaveta Ermakova 18 January 2021

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story for All Saints: A Burial at Ornans by Gustave Courbet

Who nowadays doesn’t appreciate Gustave Courbet‘s striking realism? We all do, but as happens with many geniuses, Courbet was not...

Magda Michalska 1 November 2020