European Art

Angelica Kauffman. Angelica Kauffman, Self-Portrait Hesitating Between Painting and Music, 1794, Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire, UK. Women Artists

Masterpiece Story: Self-Portrait of the Artist Hesitating Between the Arts of Music and Painting by Angelica Kauffman

Angelica Kauffman was internationally acclaimed during her lifetime as a history and portrait painter. As one of the few women who managed to compete...

Catriona Miller 30 October 2025

Neoclassicism

Angelica Kauffman—Paintings by the Queen of Neoclassical Art

Swiss painter Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807) was one of the greats amongst the Neoclassical artists. Through her portraits and history paintings,...

Alexandra Kiely 30 October 2025

Symbolism

Symbolism Special: Jacek Malczewski’s Dates with Death

Jacek Malczewski is one of the most important Polish symbolist painters. Malczewski is associated with the Young Poland movement (Młoda Polska), a...

Magda Michalska 29 October 2025

Painting

11 Famous Funeral Paintings of Western Art

Funeral practices are deeply ingrained in all cultures. Varied traditions around the globe reflect widespread beliefs and values. On this day when we...

Zuzanna Stańska 29 October 2025

Expressionism

Edvard Munch and His 7 Portrayals of Death

“Illness, madness, and death were the black angels that watched over my cradle and have since followed me through life,” Munch wrote in his...

Zuzanna Stańska 29 October 2025

Rococo

Jean-Étienne Liotard Breakfast Scenes

The 18th-century painter, miniaturist, and pastelist Jean-Étienne Liotard is perhaps one of the most eccentric artists of his time. Known for his...

Anna Ingram 28 October 2025

Paris Salon. Alexandre Jean-Baptiste Brun, View of the Salon Carré at the Louvre, ca. 1880, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France. Art History 101

Paris Salon: 101 on France’s First Public Exhibition

If you were an artist in the 19th century, you probably dreamed of having your painting in the Paris Salon. Simply put, this exhibition was the most...

Jimena Escoto 27 October 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio

The Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio depicts the moment Matthew turns away from tax collecting and toward Jesus. Caravaggio was a master of...

Guest Author 27 October 2025

Design

The Last Craftsman. Exploring Henry van de Velde and the Passage of Modernism

Until 1972, the Museen zu Berlin exhibited, among other things, a teapot and its accompanying set. From above, the teapot is around 22 centimetres...

Geoffrey Bunting 27 October 2025

Design

19th-Century Parisian Advertising Posters

Parisian advertising posters have proven to be an essential element of the retro aesthetic. Reminiscent of the lifestyle of its time, this form of...

Guest Author 27 October 2025

WTF Art History

5 Translation Mistakes That Changed Art History

Why did Michelangelo portray Moses with horns? Why are there monkeys in Giulio Romano’s Chamber of Giants? And why does the Nativity scene...

Arianna Richetti 27 October 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Reclining Mother and Child II by Paula Modersohn-Becker

Does any image say primal love more than this powerful painting by Paula Modersohn-Becker? It is an artwork that includes not just children but also...

Candy Bedworth 26 October 2025