European Art

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Princesses Monument by Johann Gottfried Schadow

An unassuming and charming statue group, The Princesses Monument (Prinzessinnen-Denkmal) or Princesses Group (Prinzessinnengruppe) made by Johann...

Nadine Waldmann 11 September 2024

History

How Did the Dutch Become Dutch: Propaganda Prints in the Dutch Golden Age

The Golden Age of the Dutch Republic was a flourishing period for culture and economy, yet it wasn’t characterized by peace. The Dutch Republic...

Andreea Iancu 9 September 2024

Baroque

3 Dutch Old Masters You Should Know

You probably are familiar with the names of the famous painters from the Netherlands like Rembrandt, Bosch, Vermeer… But have you heard of Joachim...

Magda Michalska 9 September 2024

Design

The Artistic Totality of Portuguese Azulejos

Azulejos are a major part of Portuguese history and cultural heritage. These hand-crafted tiles have created such a dynamic presence over the...

Marga Patterson 9 September 2024

Haarlem in the Dutch Golden Age: Frans Hals, Banquet of the Officers of the St Adrian Civic Guard (the Calivermen), 1627, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, Netherlands. Baroque

4 Surprising Facts About Haarlem in the Dutch Golden Age

The city of Haarlem in the Netherlands was one of the flourishing art centers in the 16th and 17th century. Today, you can walk the streets of the...

Rachel Witte 9 September 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Monomaniac of Envy by Théodore Géricault

Théodore Géricault (1791-1824) was one of the most influential artists of French Romanticism. In Monomaniac of Envy, the artist tries to paint the...

James W Singer 8 September 2024

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 8 September 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Malle Babbe by Frans Hals

Although Frans Hals’ Malle Babbe was always considered a tronie or a fictional character study, the portrait is based on a woman whom the Dutch...

Nicole Ganbold 8 September 2024

Art History 101

Japonisme: Western Fever for Japanese Art and Culture

During the mid-19th and 20th centuries, Western art saw the birth of Japonisme. The term was coined by Philippe Burty in 1872 and refers to the craze...

Jimena Escoto 5 September 2024

Impressionism

Julie Manet – Who Was This Pretty Girl Immortalized by the Impressionists?

Julie Manet – called the beauty of Impressionism – was the daughter of the wealthy, well-connected painter Berthe Morisot and Eugène Manet,...

Pola Otterstein 5 September 2024

Animals

The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau

Henri Rousseau was a French artist who painted in a Naïve or Primitive manner. He was also known as Le Douanier (the customs officer), which was a...

Zuzanna Stańska 4 September 2024

Animals

Rosa Bonheur’s Magnificent Lions and the Portrait of Wildlife

Painting animals is part of a tradition in European art dating back to the 17th century when animal-specialized painters began contributing to...

Rute Ferreira 4 September 2024