European Art

Jacobus Vrel (act. ca. 1650-1670), A Woman at a Window Waving at a Child, Fondation Custodia, Frits Lugt Collection, Paris Artist Stories

A Dutch Mystery: Jacobus Vrel

Jacobus Vrel is a ghostly figure in art history because, up to this moment, there is almost no official data about him. No record of his existence...

Irina Diana Calu 27 May 2024

Interview

Secrets of the Isenheim Altarpiece: Interview with Experts

Throughout art history, Jesus has been depicted in all his states, from life to death, not to mention the resurrection. The works that represent him...

Christopher Michaut 27 May 2024

Marina Abramović, Four Crosses: The Evil (positive), 2019 (detail). Courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives. © Marina Abramović Contemporary Art

Marina Abramović at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

This spring, the Stedelijk Museum, one of Amsterdam’s leading art institutions, opened the most extensive retrospective of Marina Ambarović...

Nicole Ganbold 27 May 2024

Interview

A Secret Revealed in a Dresden Vermeer

Back in 2019, the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister at the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) announced an exciting new...

Alexandra Kiely 27 May 2024

Surrealism

10 Weird Things About Salvador Dalí You Should Know

It was very difficult to choose only 10 weird things about Salvador Dalí. He is widely known as one of the most eccentric artists in art history.

Zuzanna Stańska 24 May 2024

Oosterwijck Women Artists

Vanitas and Women Artists: A Brief of Mortality

Vanitas is an art genre that flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially in the Netherlands. The term originates from the Latin word for...

Errika Gerakiti 23 May 2024

Women Artists

Gego: An Architect of the Line

I encountered Gego (or rather her art) for the first time at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City last spring. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I was...

Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 23 May 2024

Artist Stories

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Claude Monet

Born on November 14, 1840, Claude Monet stands as one of the principal trailblazers in the realm of French Impressionist art. His dedication to the...

Zuzanna Stańska 21 May 2024

Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781, The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI, USA. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli

What a horror spectacle! Some dark, irrational forces must be at play here. Henry Fuseli painted The Nightmare in 1781. It is probably his most...

Ruxi Rusu 20 May 2024

History

Joséphine de Beauharnais: Patron of the Arts

Joséphine de Beauharnais was born in Martinique as Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie. She evolved into the sophisticated and cultured...

Maya M. Tola 20 May 2024

Literature

Middle Earth and Beyond in Art: Tolkien’s Illustrations

J.R.R. Tolkien’s written works have influenced many around the globe. However, perhaps less known than his books are his illustrations that he...

Rachel Witte 17 May 2024

Ancient Art

How to Show Up in a Gym – 3 Ancient Sculptures of Hercules

In Greek mythology, Herakles was a demigod and a much admired heroic figure. The Romans called him Hercules (Herakles was his Greek name) and he was...

Ameera Patel 16 May 2024