Masterpiece Story: The Dessert by John F. Francis
The Dessert by John F. Francis is a masterpiece of still-life painting. Its colorful and elaborate composition reflects 19th-century American and...
James W Singer 28 October 2025
Academic Art
Masterpiece Story: The Tortoise Trainer by Osman Hamdi Bey
Osman Hamdi Bey’s The Tortoise Trainer shows an elderly man patiently working with a group of turtles. Drawing on his time in Paris and his...
Guest Author 13 October 2025
James Tissot in 10 Paintings
James Tissot was a 19th-century French painter, mostly known for depicting the life of high society in London and Paris. Painting in mostly an...
Anastasia Manioudaki 29 September 2025
Powerful Women in Paintings
The female form has been revered since time immemorial and women adorn artworks of all mediums portraying all imaginable aspects of femininity. These...
Maya M. Tola 22 September 2025
Atala: The Tragedy That Transcended Pages
In the 19th century, Europeans went crazy for one story: Atala, or the Story of Two Lovers in the Desert. It is a novel by René de Chateaubriand...
Jimena Escoto, Guest Author 12 September 2025
Alexandre Cabanel in 10 Paintings—Master of French Academic Painting
Alexandre Cabanel rose to fame for his historical, classical, and religious subjects, all executed in the refined style of French academic painting.
Errika Gerakiti 10 September 2025
An Orientalist from the Orient: Theodoros Rallis
Not every Orientalist painter journeyed to the Orient or the Levant to observe and interact with the socio-cultural fabric they intended to portray...
Erol Degirmenci 10 September 2025
Masterpiece Story: Birth of Venus by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
The Birth of Venus is probably the most famous painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and it is considered a masterpiece of French Academic...
James W Singer 10 September 2025
The Naked Truth About Nudes in Academic Art
Academicism was the dominant style in European art in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was called so because it was dictated by the French Academy of...
Magda Michalska 10 September 2025
Amélie Beaury-Saurel: The Incredible Life and Works
A true femme fatale in the art world, Amélie Beaury-Saurel was a French painter in the 19th century and a prominent member of Académie Julian. At...
Ruxi Rusu 10 September 2025
Constance Mayer and Pierre Prud’hon: Better Together?
Constance Mayer (1775-1821) was one of a generation of women artists who took advantage of the new freedoms offered by the French Revolution. She...
Catriona Miller 8 September 2025
Osman Hamdi: The First and Last Ottoman Orientalist
The first and last Orientalist painter of the Ottoman Empire is Osman Hamdi Bey. Born in modern-day Turkey, educated in Paris, and highly regarded as...
Irina Diana Calu 15 July 2025
