Masterpiece Stories

Hieronymus Bosch, Death and the Miser, ca 1485-90, oil on panel, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Death and the Miser by Hieronymus Bosch

Death and the Miser is a masterpiece of morbid curiosity. It reflects on the tension between the pursuit of wealth and the inevitability of death,...

James W Singer 5 April 2026

Baroque

The Veiled Christ: Art or Alchemy?

In the nave of the Sansevero Chapel in Naples there is a unique sculpture depicting Jesus after the crucifixion. His body is covered with a thin...

Rachel Istvan 5 April 2026

Jan van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, 1432, detail Masterpiece Stories

Ghent Altarpiece: The Charmed Life of the Mystic Lamb

Come with us to visit the Van Eyck brothers, their monumental Ghent Altarpiece, and explore 500 years of intrigue, theft and revolutionary painting techniques.

Candy Bedworth 5 April 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden

The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden is a masterpiece of Northern Renaissance art that captures a crucial moment in the Passion of...

James W Singer, Elizabeth Provost 5 April 2026

Sculpture

Masterpiece Story: Penitent Mary Magdalene by Donatello

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, better known as Donatello, was a sculptor born around 1386 in Florence, which is also the city in which he died in...

Soledad Castillo Jara 5 April 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Rainy Season in the Tropics by Frederic Edwin Church

In our Masterpiece Stories series we have something truly beautiful for you. I want to discuss Rainy Season in the Tropics by Frederic Edwin Church,...

Zuzanna Stańska 3 April 2026

The Rainbow Portrait Renaissance

Masterpiece Story: The Rainbow Portrait

Queen Elizabeth I is known throughout history as one of the most famous British Queens. Even without a husband, she successfully ruled England for 45...

Anna Ingram 3 April 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Rainbow at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro

Camille Pissarro has an interesting portfolio of paintings. His works are divided between cosmopolitan views of Paris and countryside views of...

James W Singer 3 April 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Eva Gonzalès by Édouard Manet

You’ve probably heard of the Impressionists: Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, and Camille Pissarro. These guys are not only known for...

Abreeza Thomas 29 March 2026

Gerhard Richter, Betty Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Betty by Gerhard Richter

An unconventional portrait where the sitter looks away. The striking colors and flawless technique. A photo or a painting? Let’s dive into the...

Natalia Tiberio 29 March 2026

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 29 March 2026

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 29 March 2026