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
Masterpiece Story: The Theater Box by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Entertainments such as cabarets, theaters, and the circus were popular themes among the Impressionist painters whose mission was to portray modern...
Zuzanna Stańska 27 March 2026
Masterpiece Story: Girl in a Picture Frame by Rembrandt
The girl leans out of the painting as if she intends to cross the boundary between art and reality—she touches the frame and looks directly at the...
The Royal Castle in Warsaw 26 March 2026
Masterpiece Story: Self-Portrait by Faith Ringgold
Self-Portrait by Faith Ringgold is a masterpiece of 1960s portraiture, feminist art, and Black...
James W Singer 23 March 2026
Faith Ringgold, Sunflowers, and Van Gogh
Faith Ringgold’s The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles is part of the artist’s series of mixed media works titled The French Collection, in which...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 23 March 2026
Masterpiece Story: The First Cloud by Sir William Orchardson
At first glance, Sir William Orchardson’s The First Cloud is a late Victorian domestic scene that appears to be tranquil, refined, and placid.
James W Singer 22 March 2026
Masterpiece Story: The Reluctant Bride by Auguste Toulmouche
Have you ever seen a bride more… angry? Should this not be the happiest day of her life? The Reluctant Bride or The Hesitant Fiancée by Auguste...
Jimena Escoto 22 March 2026
Masterpiece Story: The Major’s Marriage Proposal by Pavel Fedotov
When you think of 19th-century Russia, images of Anna Karenina with black furs and white diamonds may come to mind. The lives of the wealthy...
James W Singer 22 March 2026
Masterpiece Story: Almond Blossom by Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime. He was not a financially successful artist, and he was entirely dependent on his...
James W Singer 20 March 2026
Masterpiece Story: The Game of Chess by Sofonisba Anguissola
Sofonisba Anguissola is known for her self-portraits and portraits of Spanish royalty. But her most provocative painting is perhaps The Game of...
Anna Ingram 19 March 2026
