Masterpiece Story: Two African Men by Rembrandt van Rijn
In the discourse on the Black presence in Western history, it is taken for granted that Africans in art represented solely enslaved people, and their...
Nicole Ganbold 28 December 2022
European Art
Masterpiece Story: The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt painted this group portrait of seven surgeons and the physician Nicolaes Tulp in 1632. He was only 26 years old at that point. Nicolaes...
Zuzanna Stańska 28 December 2022
Masterpiece Story: Vase with Flowers by Rachel Ruysch
Let’s discuss one of the greatest still-life artists: Rachel Ruysch. Still-life paintings do not draw the crowds at museums. They are often...
James W Singer 28 December 2022
A Meringue Ballerina: Anna Pavlova in Paintings
Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina, was highly independent for her times. She formed her own company and choreographed her own performances. She toured the world for twenty years and introduced ballet to other parts of the world. Pavlova was so famous that she was honored with a dessert named after her, it is called the Pavlova cake!
Anuradha Sroha 27 December 2022
Opera: A Brief History of the Total Work of Art
When we think of opera, art is not the first thing that comes to mind. Opera simply means “work” and it can sometimes seem over-the-top and...
Ledys Chemin 27 December 2022
Edgar Degas and His Most Beautiful Ballerinas
Edgar Degas was one of the founding artists of Impressionism, however, he didn’t like the term and preferred to call it “Realist” or...
Zuzanna Stańska 27 December 2022
Boxing Day with St. Stephen
According to the Catholic calendar, the second day of Christmas commemorates St. Stephen. He was a young deacon in the community of Jerusalem who...
Magda Michalska 26 December 2022
Masterpiece Story: Fortune Teller by Georges de La Tour
The Fortune Teller is one of Georges de La Tour’s early masterpieces. The Baroque oil painting, once questioned by the Louvre Museum for its...
Anna Ingram 26 December 2022
Saint Joseph As Baby Daddy: An Illustrated Medieval Guide
Let’s forget the traditional Nativity scene that we all know for a moment: Virgin Mary kneeling before baby Christ, Joseph standing right behind...
Ela Bobek 25 December 2022
Christmas Cards from Hell
As the postman brings you cheery season’s greetings from your nearest and dearest, let me guess what the images are on the front of your Christmas...
Candy Bedworth 25 December 2022
The Best Time of the Year: Christmas in Art
To many of us, the Christian religious and cultural celebration called Christmas is surely one of our favorite times of the year. Burl Ives famously...
Pola Otterstein 25 December 2022
Fish Paintings for Christmas Eve Dinners
In many cultures, Christmas Eve dinner does not include any meat (excluding seafood) or alcohol because one should keep a vigil fasting and expect...
Magda Michalska 24 December 2022
