WTF Art History

Animals

The Lady with the Dog: Meaning of Dogs in Women’s Portraits

The Lady with the Dog is a title that I borrowed from Chekhov’s short story. While Chekhov’s story revolves around an affair, in the realm of...

Joanna Kaszubowska 26 August 2024

Jeff Koons, Balloon Dog (Magenta), 1994-2000, Château de Versailles, Versailles, France. Photo by Marc Wathieu via Versailles' website. Contemporary Art

Jeff Koons and His Balloon Dogs

What do Jeff Koons, Jay Z, Christie’s, and clowns have in common? Balloon dogs. Koons is a controversial figure in the contemporary art world,...

Zuzanna Stańska 26 August 2024

Animals

Puppies, Doggies and Pugs in Art (For Dog Lovers Only!)

Dogs are man’s best friends. And if that man happens to be a painter or a sitter for a painting, their four-legged friends must be included in them...

Magda Michalska, Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 26 August 2024

Louis Comfort Tiffany, Parakeets and Goldfish Bowl, 1889, glass, lead, copper, bronze, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Parakeets and Goldfish Bowl by Louis Comfort Tiffany

Parakeets and Goldfish Bowl is a masterpiece of Tiffany and American Art Nouveau. It expresses Tiffany’s zeal towards the pursuit of...

James W Singer 25 August 2024

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

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

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

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