Masterpiece Stories

La Primavera Botticelli: Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: La Primavera by Sandro Botticelli

La Primavera, which means “Spring” in Italian, is without a doubt the most famous painting of Sandro Botticelli. Its mysterious allure continues...

Anastasia Manioudaki 29 September 2024

Lady with an Ermine Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci

One of the greatest masterpieces of Western art, Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci, presents Cecilia Gallerani (ca. 1473-1536). Young,...

Zuzanna Stańska 29 September 2024

Painting

A New Take on the Iconic Girl Reading a Letter by Vermeer

The recently restored Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) is often said to be that of a young woman reading a...

Tom Anderson 26 September 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Untitled (1959) by Mark Rothko

Untitled by Mark Rothko was created midway through his Color Field period, which began in 1950. Through his painstaking process, viewers can...

Seoyoung (Alyssa) Kim 25 September 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Autumn Effects at Argenteuil by Claude Monet

Claude Monet painted Autumn Effects at Argenteuil in late 1873, which was the moment when the Impressionist movement started to roar on the Paris art...

Zuzanna Stańska 22 September 2024

Emil Jakob Schindler, Forest Lane near Schärfling, 1890, Leopold Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Forest Lane near Schärfling by Emil Jakob Schindler

Forest Lane near Schärfling by Emil Jakob Schindler is a masterpiece of Austrian Impressionism. It is an enchanting place where the natural...

James W Singer 22 September 2024

Anguish August Friedrich Schenck Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Anguish by August Friedrich Schenck

Surrounded by menacing crows, a mother sheep wails in anguish as her lifeless young lamb rests on a snowy bed. This scene, painted by August...

Montaine Dumont 18 September 2024

Painting

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey: Unveiling the Life of England’s Nine-Day Queen

Paul Delaroche’s Execution of Lady Jane Grey is a mesmerizing piece that captures the essence and tragedy of one of England’s most ill-fated...

Sabrina Phillips 18 September 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Rhine II by Andreas Gursky

It seems to be one of those pictures you may accidentally take on holiday when the weather is bad. Rhine II by Andreas Gursky is not a photo we...

Joanna Kaszubowska 15 September 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Eruption of Mount Vesuvius by Pierre-Jacques Volaire

The ground shakes and rumbles as the nearby mountain awakens with smoke emerging from its peaks. The land trembles more and a fiery blast shoots into...

James W Singer 15 September 2024

Johan Thomas Lundbye, View from Kitnæs on Roskilde Fjord, 1843, National Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: View from Kitnæs on Roskilde Fjord by Johan Thomas Lundbye

View from Kitnæs on Roskilde Fjord by Johan Thomas Lundbye is a masterpiece of 19th century Danish landscape painting. It set a new standard for the...

James W Singer 15 September 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Pine Trees by Hasegawa Tōhaku

Japan is a country of distinctive traditional arts such as tea ceremonies, calligraphy, and bonsai. A rich history of artists fills their museums...

James W Singer 15 September 2024