Special

Pieter van Aelst, Christ's Charge to Peter, from the Acts of the Apostles Renaissance

Renaissance Tapestries 101: Religious, Political, and Magical

Renaissance tapestries are the most underestimated subject in art history. As expensive and enormously large works of art, tapestries attributed to...

Anna Ingram 5 June 2026

Art History 101

Proto-Renaissance 101: From Guilds to Giotto

A lot of focus is put on the Renaissance when learning art history. It spans a few centuries and is known as a period of great change in European...

Rachel Witte 5 June 2026

Piero della Francesca Artist Stories

Piero della Francesca: Artist, Mathematician, Humanist

Piero della Francesca was not only an accomplished artist of the Early Renaissance, but also one of the greatest mathematicians of his day. His works...

Natalia Iacobelli 5 June 2026

Artist Stories

10 Things You Should Know About Titian

Titian, or Tiziano Vecellio, (1490–1576) was an Italian painter active in Venice in the 16th century. He is considered the greatest painter in the...

Anastasia Manioudaki 5 June 2026

Surprising Art History

The Paint Colors That Killed Artists—And the Women Who Wore Them

Did you know that some of the most admired painters’ pigments in art history are also among the most toxic? The pursuit of beauty has sometimes...

Celia Leiva Otto 4 June 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: A View of Salisbury from Harnham by John Constable

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of John Constable’s birth, Salisbury Museum is exhibiting a rarely seen A View of Salisbury from Harnham, on...

Catriona Miller 4 June 2026

Cats

5 Women Artists Who Specialized in Cat Paintings—The Evolution of Cat Portraiture

It’s no mystery that artists loved cats. Throughout history, artists have made felines their studio companions and depicted them as they slept,...

Ela Bobek 4 June 2026

Review

Felines in Visual Culture: Review of Cat by Phaidon

A sumptuous new book takes us on a fascinating tour of domestic house cats in art. Taking in over 200 paintings, sculptures, and popular culture images, Cat is a must-read for feline fans!

Candy Bedworth 4 June 2026

Cats

Women with Cats in Art: Crazy Cat Ladies or Independent Individualists?

Within arts, cats can have a symbolic meaning, and that meaning may vary depending on the period of time. Their nocturnal habits gave them a negative...

Lauren Kraut 4 June 2026

Cats

Maneki Neko—Those Lucky Cats

We’ve all seen those jovial, happy cat figurines in Asian restaurants and shops. Sitting upright with their raised paw, smiling face, and trademark...

Nadine Waldmann 4 June 2026

Cats

The Sacred Cats of Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egyptians revered cats of all kinds and honored them in their art. From servals to the mighty lion, cats were seen as powerful forces for...

Sarah Mills 4 June 2026

Women Artists

Under Royal Protection: 4 Female Court Painters to Know

Throughout history, art has always played an important role in royal propaganda across Europe. Royal families were in a race to employ the best...

Gokce Dyson 3 June 2026