WTF Art History

Love Story

Lise Tréhot—The Mysterious Beauty from Renoir’s Paintings

Born into a humble French family, Lise Tréhot (1848–1922) was an artist’s model who posed exclusively for Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919).

Anuradha Sroha 24 February 2025

Ilya Repin, Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, 1880–1891, State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg WTF Art History

Want to Insult Your Enemy? Get Inspired by the Badass Zaporozhian Cossacks!

There are dozens if not hundreds of forged documents in the history of the world. They weren’t forged just for fun. Some of them were the basis...

Zuzanna Stańska 24 February 2025

Still from Music video by JAY-Z performing Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film, 2013, Pace Gallery, New York, NY, USA. Music

Fine Art in Rap Music: Eight Painters That Rappers Like To Be Compared To

Full of metaphors, double meanings, and references to popular culture – from cinema to literature, and through fine art – rap is a musical genre...

Amélie Pascutto 24 February 2025

WTF Art History

Top 10 Weird Christian Relics

Heads, shoulders, knees, and toes… Saintly toes? The variety of saintly relics really offers it all. I hope all of this is not too morbid for you.

Marta Wiktoria Bryll 24 February 2025

Henriëtte Ronner-Knip, Cat at Play, ca 1860-78, oil on wood panel, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Cat at Play by Henriëtte Ronner-Knip

Cat at Play is a masterpiece by Henriëtte Ronner-Knip who deserves to have her legacy revised and her fame revived. Art does not need to be radical...

James W Singer 23 February 2025

Giacomo Balla, Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash, 1912, Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo, NY, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash by Giacomo Balla

Giacomo Balla’s Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash is a masterpiece of pet images, Futurism, and early 20th-century Italian...

James W Singer, 23 February 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat by John Weguelin

Here is a Masterpiece Story to honor our beloved cats. The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat by John Weguelin presents an imaginative interpretation of an...

Alexandra Kiely 23 February 2025

Gerrit Dou, Dog at Rest, 1650, oil on oak panel, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Dog at Rest by Gerrit Dou

Gerrit Dou’s Dog at Rest is a masterpiece of Dutch genre painting, perfect for both dog enthusiasts and art...

James W Singer 23 February 2025

Quiz

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

Ela Bobek 22 February 2025

Sport

The Violent Beauty of George Bellows’ Boxing Paintings

George Bellows’ boxing paintings capture the dynamic action of a vicious sport, its blood-thirsty fans, and the grace and beauty of its athletes. A...

Theodore Carter 21 February 2025

Dine & Wine

Paris Bistros: Iconic Places and Space for Art

Is there something more iconic for Paris than its bistros (after the Eiffel Tower, of course)? Let’s have a closer look at the artistic...

Camilla de Laurentis 21 February 2025

Art State of Mind

You Don’t Have to Look Up to See the Stars: Astronomical Planispheres

For hundreds of years the sky has been the center of attention for many ancient tribes and cultures. Our history has been a testament to the stars.

Sofia Rodriguez Cuevas 20 February 2025