WTF Art History

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: La Toilette by François Boucher

The soft rustle of silky cloth and the hard crackling of burning wood echo against the yellow-papered walls of the boudoir. The small room is...

James W Singer 25 August 2024

Photo of Andy Warhol with Archie, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA. Animals

Great Artists’ Dachshund Muses

Did you know that some of the world’s most celebrated artists and performers have been dachshund owners? This extensive list of elite creatives...

Maya M. Tola 23 August 2024

Animals

How Did Dogs Look Like in the Past? Old Dog Breeds in Paintings

When we see a dog in a painting, we always try to guess which breed it is. Motivated by this curiosity we have selected some works that show...

Dévra Taboada 23 August 2024

Erotica

Sex, Love, and Death in Ancient Peru: Erotic Gallery – Museo Larco

Hidden underground for hundreds of years, depictions of sex, love, and erotica in Andean pre-Columbian art are now proudly displayed in the Erotic...

Bruno Guerra 22 August 2024

Art State of Mind

The Night Sky: 10 Nocturnal Paintings You Will Love

Few things in life are more moving than the night sky on a cloudless evening. Artists have been fascinated by it for so long! The night has inspired...

Ruxi Rusu 22 August 2024

Dine & Wine

Art History Inspired Birthday Cakes

Birthday cakes are an established tradition for many. Baking in itself is an art – a delicious one. So why have a cake that is only delicious? Make...

Vithória Konzen Dill 22 August 2024

Titian, Bacchus and Ariadne, 1520-23, National Gallery, London, UK. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian

Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne captures the vibrancy of a Greco-Roman myth through the lens of an Italian Renaissance painter. Learn about the...

James W Singer 19 August 2024

Georges Seurat, Bathers at Asnieres, 1884, National Gallery, London, UK. Art State of Mind

Seaside Fun and Lots of Nudes: Bathing in Art

Let’s take a look at depictions of bathing in art and admire some nudes. These paintings, which span just over 20 years, mark not only a...

Wendy Gray 13 August 2024

Bizarre

The Story of Damien Hirst’s Famous Shark

This shark is considered the iconic work of British art from the 1990s and has become a symbol of Britart worldwide. It was funded by Charles Saatchi...

Zuzanna Stańska 12 August 2024

Museum Stories

Her Life and Her Museum: Isabella Stewart Gardner

The story of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and its founder before the robbery in 1990.

Jennifer S. Musawwir 12 August 2024

Witchcraft, Carolee Schneeman, Eye Body No 24, 1963 Herstory

World Day Against Witch Hunts: A Burning Issue

On World Day Against Witch-Hunts, let's take a look at depictions of the witch in modern art, and pause to consider the women who still wait for justice after being falsely accused of witchcraft.

Candy Bedworth 8 August 2024

Cats

Cats in Chinese Art

Who doesn’t love cats? Check out these cute and cuddly house cats, ferocious lions, and majestic tigers, created by Chinese...

Rucha Vijay Bodas 8 August 2024