Special

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, 1647-1652, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Roma, Italia. Masterpiece Stories

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini: Divine Bliss or Pure Erotic Pleasure?

Among the works of the famous sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), the sculptural group called Ecstasy of Saint Teresa remains...

Montaine Dumont 24 October 2024

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, The Rape of Proserpina Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Rape of Proserpina by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Sail into the world of antiquity through the eyes of the Baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. In the Borghese Gallery in Rome, you can find Rape of...

Ana Djoric 24 October 2024

Women Artists

Painting Parenthood—7 Children Depicted by Their Famous Mothers

Is it possible to combine art and motherhood? This question never seems to go away. There is no denying that female artists do have a gendered...

Candy Bedworth 23 October 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Pieter Bruegel’s Children’s Games Explained

Children’s Games is one of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s most famous paintings. Just like in other works of his, it is debatable whether it was just...

Irina Diana Calu 23 October 2024

Love Story

Paint Me Like One of Your French Girls: The Life and Business of Agostina Segatori

Agostina Segatori’s face is most widely recognized in the works of famous artists between 1860 and 1887. Her Italian features inspired many...

Yasmin Ozkan 22 October 2024

Love Story

Flaming June or Dorothy Dene? A Muse of Frederic Leighton

In 1879, Frederic Leighton’s biographer and neighbor (that’s handy, isn’t it?), Mrs. Barrington, noticed “a young girl with a lovely white...

Magda Michalska 22 October 2024

Wang Ximeng, One Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, Song dynasty, 1113, ink and color on silk scroll, Palace Museum, Beijing, China. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: One Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains by Wang Ximeng

Wang Ximeng’s One Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains is a masterpiece of the Northern Song dynasty and of the larger history of traditional...

James W Singer 21 October 2024

Artist Stories

Vasily Vereshchagin—Journey through India

Vasily Vereshchagin was a notable Russian soldier, artist, and writer from the 19th century. He was an outspoken critic of war who reformed the genre...

Maya M. Tola 21 October 2024

Artist Stories

Between Word and Image: The Creative Mind of David Jones

David Jones (1895–1974) was an artist, poet, writer and craftsman; a name synonymous with the Modernist era but one that still remains lesser known...

Guest Author 21 October 2024

Emil Nolde, Still Life. Watercolor on paper. Alan Klinkhoff Gallery. Artist Stories

Emil Nolde: The Colors of a Controversial Artist

Emil Nolde, German-Danish painter and printmaker, was a pioneering figure in Expressionism who shaped the movement and inspired countless other...

Errika Gerakiti, 21 October 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Travelers Among Mountains and Streams by Fan Kuan

The Song dynasty ruled China for over three centuries from 960 to 1279. At this time, Song China was the most technologically advanced society in the...

James W Singer 21 October 2024

Love Story

Masterpiece Story: Beata Beatrix by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Read the story of Beata Beatrix by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, one of the key members of the Pre-Raphaelites movement. Discover the fascinating meanings...

Bolor Jargalsaikhan 20 October 2024