WTF Art History

Animals

Secrets of Pets in Art

There’s nothing better than going to a museum and spotting a cute pet hidden in a painting. I mean, after all, one of art’s functions is...

Marta Wiktoria Bryll 16 December 2024

Claude Monet, Magpie, 1868-69, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Magpie by Claude Monet

Magpie is a masterpiece by Claude Monet that captures the poetic play of light upon a winter landscape. It is a symphony of ivory and...

James W Singer 15 December 2024

Cats

The Sacred Cats of Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egyptians revered cats of all kinds and honored them in their art. From servals to the mighty lion, cats were seen as powerful forces for...

Sarah Mills 10 December 2024

Bizarre

Vile Bodies? Anatomy in Art

Are you ready to journey into the fascinating world of anatomical art? Read on, as we reveal flesh and blood art through the...

Candy Bedworth 9 December 2024

WTF Art History

Forbidden Art—10 Scandalous Cases of Censorship in Art

Art history is painted with shades of prohibition—works banned, artists silenced, and masterpieces under attack. From centuries past to the cutting...

Celia Leiva Otto 9 December 2024

Jan Havicksz Steen, Woman at her Toilet, 1655-60, oil on panel, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Woman at Her Toilet by Jan Steen

Jan Steen’s Woman at Her Toilet is a provocative masterpiece of genre paintings because of its visual complexity and seductive allure, inviting...

James W Singer 8 December 2024

North American Art

Ed Wheeler’s Santa Classics: Santa Claus and Masterpieces

Photographer Ed Wheeler has been dressing up as Santa Claus for years and posing in hilarious compositions. He started over  20 years ago with...

Zuzanna Stańska 6 December 2024

Contemporary Art

Owning Digital Art—What Is the Environmental Cost?

While digital NFT art has experienced a boom and is one of the most widely discussed topics in the art world, this success has also brought attention...

Agnieszka Cichocka 2 December 2024

Quiz

Challenging QUIZ for Cat Lovers. Few Can Get All The Answers Correct!

Ela Bobek 30 November 2024

Special

10 Surprising Masterpieces You Can Find in DailyArt App

Aiming to give joy, inspiration, and a small dose of art history every day, 12 years ago we launched the DailyArt app—a small mobile app which...

Zuzanna Stańska 29 November 2024

Art State of Mind

The Ultimate Question: Why Should You Learn About Art?

Art creates emotions and, generally, you either like a certain piece of art or you don’t. But despite that, what is valid for everything else is...

Petra Dragasevic 29 November 2024

North American Art

Inflating Art: Special Balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade holds as much tradition in America as football, turkey and stuffing itself. Over the past 9 decades, it has only...

Rachel Witte 28 November 2024