Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Vision After the Sermon by Paul Gauguin

Paul Gauguin’s Vision after the Sermon is one of the most important works in the artist’s oeuvre. Painted in Brittany, its rich symbolism...

Zuzanna Stańska 4 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Saint George and the Dragon

There is a skirmish between the hero and the villain. Fabrics whip about, horse hoofs trample, and a dying scream erupts as Saint George slaughters...

James W Singer 4 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Virginia Woolf by Vanessa Bell

Rebellious, creative and productive. Three of the so many adjectives to depict the two very intelligent artists sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia...

Merve Parla 4 March 2024

Alexandre Cabanel, Cleopatra, 1887, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Cleopatra by Alexandre Cabanel

Queen Cleopatra is a popular subject today – as she was in the late 19th century. Alexandre Cabanel’s Cleopatra explores a single moment of her...

James W Singer 3 March 2024

Queen Nefertari & Goddess Isis, New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, ca 1279-1213 BCE, pigment on plaster, QV66 Tomb of Nefertari, Valley of the Queens, Luxor, Egypt. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Queen Nefertari and Goddess Isis

Queen Nefertari and Goddess Isis is a fabulous masterpiece of ancient Egyptian art. The wall painting in the queen’s tomb captures the dream of...

James W Singer 3 March 2024

Sofonisba Anguissola, Elisabeth of Valois Holding a Portrait of Philip II Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Elisabeth of Valois by Sofonisba Anguissola

The portrait of Elisabeth of Valois by Sofonisba Anguissola depicts a beautiful young Queen of Spain. However, while the imagery is intriguing, the...

Anna Ingram 3 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Queen Mother Idia of Benin

Africa is a beautiful continent filled with sweeping landscapes and mighty rivers. Its history is filled with great kingdoms and large empires. Its...

James W Singer 3 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Death of Barbara Radziwiłł by Józef Simmler

The National Museum in Warsaw is one of the largest museums in Poland and boasts an extensive art collection. Among its body of works is The Death of...

James W Singer 3 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: In the Studio by William Merritt Chase

William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) was an important American artist and teacher. He also had a really cool studio! Let’s take a look inside...

Alexandra Kiely 2 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Artist’s Studio–The Dance by Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein was a famous American Pop artist, most well known for his original technique of mixed media on canvas, which was meant to remind the...

Magda Michalska 2 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Solar Eclipse in Venice by Ippolito Caffi

Ippolito Caffi was a gifted vedutista – painter of highly detailed cityscapes – renowned for his meticulous depictions of Venice‘s...

Maya M. Tola 27 February 2024

Hokusai Great Wave, Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, ca. 1830-1832, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA. Asian Art

Hokusai’s Great Wave Explained

You might not know the title of Hokusai’s print, but Under the Wave off Kanagawa is almost instantly recognizable. His Great Wave reveals...

Marina Kochetkova 26 February 2024