European Art

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte

Paris Street; Rainy Day is probably the most known work of French artist Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894). In this painting, we see a number of...

Zuzanna Stańska 8 November 2022

Baroque

5 Still Lifes by Francisco de Zurbarán You Need to Know

Although he is best known for his religious themes, Francisco de Zurbarán created wonderful still lifes that stand out for their simplicity and, at...

Andra Patricia Ritisan 7 November 2022

European Art

El Greco: The Grandfather of Expressionism

The guide to the Prado Museum describes El Greco as a “philosopher, as an intellectual and as a sensitive and idiosyncratic artist.” It is these...

Wendy Gray 7 November 2022

Pontormo Detail from The Visitation Mannerism

Pontormo: The Neglected Mannerist Painter

Pontormo was a Renaissance painter, admired by both Michelangelo and Raphael. His first apprenticeship was in Leonardo da Vinci's workshop. His work is treasured by The National Gallery and The Uffizi. His luminous work is truly magnificent, so why is he so neglected?

Guest Profile 7 November 2022

Baroque

Francisco de Zurbarán: The Spanish Caravaggio

Francisco de Zurbarán was one of the major Spanish painters of the 17th century. He is especially known for his religious subjects and for the...

Vithória Konzen Dill 7 November 2022

William Blake, Death on a Pale Horse, ca. 1800, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK. Art State of Mind

Not Only in Movies: The Apocalypse in Art

Recently, all over the world people have felt like they were “in the middle of the apocalypse”. Why does everyone naturally associate that word...

Camilla de Laurentis 7 November 2022

Animals

The Medieval Bestiary – Cute, Quirky, and Weird Animals

Of all the medieval manuscripts, bestiaries are definitely the most fun. A medieval bestiary is a book about animals. It’s full of unusual...

Alexandra Kiely 6 November 2022

Olafur Eliasson - Under the weather, 2022 Review

Olafur Eliasson’s Investigation of Time and Space at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence

Nel tuo tempo (In your time), which recently opened in Florence, is Icelandic-Danish Olafur Eliasson’s largest exhibition and first solo show in...

Carlotta Mazzoli 3 November 2022

Alexandre Cabanel, Cleopatra, 1887, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Cleopatra by Alexandre Cabanel

Queen Cleopatra is a popular subject today – as she was in the late 19th century. Alexandre Cabanel’s Cleopatra explores a single moment of her...

James W Singer 3 November 2022

Art History 101

Orientalism – Quick Explanation

19th-century Europeans were fascinated by the Near East and North Africa. Everything began roughly around the time of the Napoleonic invasion of...

Magda Michalska 3 November 2022

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 1 November 2022

Edvard Munch, Love and pain, 1895, oil on canvas. The Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway. Bizarre

5 Vampire Paintings in Art

Vampires are one of the most known mythical creatures in history. The origins of their legend date back to ancient civilizations. Some ancient...

Errika Gerakiti 31 October 2022