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Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Old Woman Dozing by Nicolaes Maes

Despite its lack of vitality and vibrancy, Old Woman Dozing by Nicolaes Maes is an interesting painting. What it may lack in sparkle it gains in...

James W Singer 31 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Courtesan Hinaaya of the Chōji House by Kikukawa Eizan

The Courtesan Hinaaya of the Chōji House by Kikukawa Eizan, is one of the woodblock prints from Vincent and Theo van Gogh’s collection in the Van...

Urvi Chheda 31 March 2024

Johannes Vermeer, The Milkmaid, ca. 1660, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer

Among many representations of domestic scenes of respectable Dutch middle-class households, there is one that never ceases to impress and capture the...

Giordana Goretti 31 March 2024

Post-Impressionism

Vincent van Gogh and Nature

Vincent van Gogh’s relationship with nature was complex, and it defined both his life and his art. The Dutch artist hated the hustle and bustle of...

Anastasia Manioudaki 30 March 2024

Women Artists

Madame de Pompadour As an Artist

Madame de Pompadour was the most influential mistress of Louis XV. Even though having influence over a king was no small deal, there is more to De...

Vithória Konzen Dill 30 March 2024

Vincent van Gogh - Self-portrait with bandaged ear (1889, Courtauld Institute) Artist Stories

The Mystery of Vincent van Gogh’s Death

Vincent van Gogh’s death occurred in the early morning of 29 July 1890, in his room at the Auberge Ravoux in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise in...

Zuzanna Stańska 30 March 2024

Post-Impressionism

Vincent van Gogh Copying Other Artists

Vincent van Gogh is famous today for two reasons. Firstly, his unstoppable creativity. He produced 2,100 artworks in just over a decade. And,...

Anastasia Manioudaki 30 March 2024

Love Story

The Sad Story of Vincent van Gogh and His Lovers

Vincent van Gogh’s love life was a really sad one. The list of the artist’s lovers is full of unsuccessful advances and rejections. This is the...

Zuzanna Stańska 30 March 2024

Textile artist Sheila Hicks Women Artists

Between Fiber and Color: The Art of Sheila Hicks

Celebrated as one of the biggest names in textile art, Sheila Hicks has a long history of studying ancient techniques and cultures. She has traveled...

Natalia Tiberio 29 March 2024

Wang Ximeng, One Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, Song dynasty, 1113, ink and color on silk scroll, Palace Museum, Beijing, China. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: One Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains by Wang Ximeng

Wang Ximeng’s One Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains is a masterpiece of the Northern Song dynasty and of the larger history of traditional...

James W Singer 29 March 2024

Arthur Bispo do Rosário South American Art

The Embroidered Life of Arthur Bispo do Rosário

Arthur Bispo do Rosário is a mythic figure in Brazilian art. He never considered himself an artist and he spent many years living in a psychiatric...

Natalia Tiberio 29 March 2024

North American Art

An Unusual Comparison: Amish Quilts and Modern Art

Many people would never expect to see an Amish quilt and a painting by an American abstract artist displayed together. However, since the 1970s,...

Heather Johnson 29 March 2024