Masterpiece Stories

Chambri People, Ancestor Mask, early 20th century, wood and natural pigments, Ceremonial House, Chambri Lake Village, Papua New Guinea, Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Chambri People’s Ancestor Mask

Ancestor Mask is a masterpiece of Papua New Guinean art. It symbolizes a vanishing tribal lifestyle rarely seen outside of...

James W Singer 30 November 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte

Paris Street; Rainy Day is probably the most known work of French artist Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894). In this painting, we see a number of...

Zuzanna Stańska 29 November 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige) by Vincent van Gogh

In the mid-19th century, Japanese ports were suddenly opened up to international trade, and Europeans went crazy for Japanese culture and art,...

Kelly Hill 29 November 2023

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 26 November 2023

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 26 November 2023

Vilho Lampi, Nocturne, 1930, oil on plywood, Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki, Finland. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Nocturne by Vilho Lampi

Vilho Lampi’s Nocturne is a masterpiece of Finnish Expressionism that explores the complex relationship between the artist and his...

James W Singer 23 November 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Treachery of Images by René Magritte

As you can see, this painting depicts a pipe. Underneath it, there is a French sentence that says “This is not a pipe”. You may ask, what...

Zuzanna Stańska 21 November 2023

Surrealism

Masterpiece Story: The Lovers by René Magritte

You must have already encountered René Magritte’s series of paintings on lovers marked by his unmistakable surreal style and renowned wit.

Zuzanna Stańska 21 November 2023

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 20 November 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Perseus Rescuing Andromeda by Cavaliere d’Arpino

The roar of the sea monster blends with the screams of the scared princess! The chained beauty awaits her bloody death as the ugly beast lurches...

James W Singer 19 November 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse

Elaine, the white lady of Shalott, was portrayed in a painting by John William Waterhouse escaping a tower where she was only able to see the world...

Guest Profile 12 November 2023

Utagawa Hiroshige maple trees: Utagawa Hiroshige, Maple Trees at Mama, Tekona Shrine and Tsugi Bridge, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 1857, ink on paper, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Maple Trees at Mama by Utagawa Hiroshige

Utagawa Hiroshige’s prints were exported to Europe and became very popular with Western artists. Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh owned...

James W Singer 5 November 2023