Renaissance

European Art

Queen Elizabeth I – Portraits of the Last Tudor

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was the only surviving child of King Henry VIII of England and his second wife Anne Boleyn. Being a girl was hard...

Sarah Mills 24 March 2025

Sofonisba Anguissola, The Game of Chess, 1555. Women Artists

Masterpiece Story: The Game of Chess by Sofonisba Anguissola

Sofonisba Anguissola is known for her self-portraits and portraits of Spanish royalty. But her most provocative painting is perhaps The Game of...

Anna Ingram 16 March 2025

Sofonisba Anguissola, Elisabeth of Valois Holding a Portrait of Philip II Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Elisabeth of Valois by Sofonisba Anguissola

The portrait of Elisabeth of Valois by Sofonisba Anguissola depicts a beautiful young Queen of Spain. However, while the imagery is intriguing, the...

Anna Ingram 16 March 2025

Painting

Susanna Horenbout: Forgotten Female Artist at the Tudor Court

The Horenbouts were a family of Flemish painters who came to England in the 1520s. The most famous, Gerard (father) and Lucas (son), were employed as...

Guest Author 10 March 2025

Literature

Book Review: Sofonisba, Portraits of the Soul

Sofonisba, Portraits of the Soul is a book by Chiara Montani about the life and work of the Italian artist Sofonisba Anguissola. Sofonisba was an...

Errika Gerakiti 7 March 2025

Herstory

Margaret of Austria: The Public Image of a Renaissance Stateswoman

Instagram and other social media have long since taken over our inherent need to be seen and acknowledged by our surroundings. But this deliberate...

Kero Fichter 6 March 2025

Renaissance

Simonetta Vespucci: The Renaissance Top Model

If you would like to spot one woman from the Renaissance who could be called a top model—it would be Simonetta Vespucci. Nicknamed La Bella,...

Zuzanna Stańska 6 March 2025

Review

How to Be a Renaissance Woman?

Visit the homes of women in Renaissance Italy and get up close and personal with their creative beauty practices

Candy Bedworth 6 March 2025

History

Six Wives of Henry VIII in Portraits

Henry VIII was the King of England who is best known for having six wives and, in particular, killing some of them. He was also famous for doing...

Zuzanna Stańska 6 March 2025

Renaissance

4 Women from Leonardo da Vinci’s Paintings

The life and work of Leonardo da Vinci have been dissected and analyzed in detail by the sharp eye of art critics and historians. Yet, the biography...

Maria Frazzoni 6 March 2025

Marietta Robusti, Self Portrait with Madrigal Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Self-Portrait with Madrigal by Marietta Robusti

The Venetian Renaissance painter Marietta Robusti has recently caused a stir in the art history world. Although only a few works are attributed to...

Anna Ingram 2 March 2025

Lady with an Ermine Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci

One of the greatest masterpieces of Western art, Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci, presents Cecilia Gallerani (ca. 1473-1536). Young,...

Zuzanna Stańska 23 February 2025