WTF Art History

Surrealism

Masterpiece Story: The Lovers by René Magritte

You must have already encountered René Magritte’s series of paintings on lovers marked by his unmistakable surreal style and renowned wit.

Zuzanna Stańska 21 November 2023

Giorgione and Titian, Sleeping Venus, 1508-10, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Sleeping Venus by Giorgione and Titian

Giorgione and Titian’s Sleeping Venus is a masterpiece of the Venetian Renaissance school of painting. It explores sensual nudity through a...

James W Singer 20 November 2023

Correggio, Jupiter and Io, 1530, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Jupiter and Io by Correggio

Jupiter and Io by Correggio is a masterpiece of the Northern Italian Renaissance. It explores sensual nudity through the lens of a Roman...

James W Singer 19 November 2023

William Adolphe Bouguereau, Birth of Venus, 1879, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Birth of Venus by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

The Birth of Venus is probably the most famous painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and it is considered a masterpiece of French Academic...

James W Singer 19 November 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Perseus Rescuing Andromeda by Cavaliere d’Arpino

The roar of the sea monster blends with the screams of the scared princess! The chained beauty awaits her bloody death as the ugly beast lurches...

James W Singer 19 November 2023

Love Story

Dalí and Gala – The Love Story

Today, we present the story of Salvador Dalí and Gala – his wife, without whom Dalí would have never become an icon of modern art. Carl van...

Zuzanna Stańska 16 November 2023

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 14 November 2023

appropriation art: Jeff Koons, String of Puppies, 1988, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA. Contemporary Art

Appropriation Art: Did You Steal My Work?

What do Duchamp, Warhol, and Koons have in common? That’s right, they were all appropriation artists! Appropriation art is an art form that grew in...

Ruxi Rusu 13 November 2023

Arthur Hughes April Love, 1855-1856, Tate Britain, London, UK. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: April Love by Arthur Hughes

Today’s Masterpiece Story is about April Love – Arthur Hughes’ most celebrated artwork that perfectly embodies the Pre-Raphaelite...

Arianna Richetti 12 November 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Sympathy by Remedios Varo

Sympathy is a fascinating painting by Catalan artist Remedios Varo. It presents a lady with a cat in a most unusual and Surrealist situation. You...

Alicja Gluszek 10 November 2023

Cats

Black Cats in Art for Spooky Season

The enigmatic black cat, shrouded in mystery and often associated with magic and witchcraft, has a prominent role in the realm of art. Let’s...

Andreea Iancu 9 November 2023

Artifacts. Fascinating Facts about Art, Artists, and the Art World. Phaidon Review

Book Review: ARTIFACTS – Fascinating Facts About Art, Artists, and the Art World

Technically, artworks should stand on their own but let’s be honest; we’re all just humans. A good anecdote or a quirky detail about the...

Joanna Kaszubowska 4 November 2023