WTF Art History

Contemporary Art

Is Kylie Jenner the New Venus? Interview with the Artist Marco Battaglini

Marco Battaglini is a contemporary Italian artist working in Costa Rica. In his work he mixes sacred with profane, trying to mediate between the...

Magda Michalska 20 January 2021

Art History 101

Arte Povera: Aesthetics of the Ordinary

In memory of the recently deceased world-famous Italian art critic Germano Celant, who himself in 1967 invented the term Arte Povera, translated as...

Caroline Galambosova 29 December 2020

Art State of Mind

Homemade Masterpieces: Art Inspiring Creativity in Our Homes

Art enters our homes in a multitude of ways. We might see something that appeals to us in a movie, for example in The Accountant (2016) paintings by...

Sarah Mills 26 December 2020

A Controversial Christmas Tree in Venice

Weighing 9 tonnes, 10 metres tall, the 2020 Christmas Tree of Venice had become a scandal before it was lit up last week. Why? Because it’s not...

Magda Michalska 22 December 2020

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 16 December 2020

Medieval Art

Written in the Stars: Zodiac in Medieval Art

Medieval Europeans believed that the movements of the sun, moon, stars, and planets directly affected their lives on earth. They practiced what we...

Alexandra Kiely 14 December 2020

Art State of Mind

From Spindle and Distaff to Mass Production: Spinning in Art

There are many artistic representations of women spinning, created across time and in various places. Let’s take some of the great depictions for a...

Europeana 10 December 2020

Fashion

Wearing the Message: Changing the World One Outfit at a Time

From the original silk banners worn by the Suffragettes, through to slogan T-shirts, we often quite literally wear our protest message. This...

Candy Bedworth 24 November 2020

Photography

Andrés Marti: Every Experience Generates Roots

According to Goethe, melancholy is a sense of sadness whose causes are unknown. Its symptoms are the only thing you are aware of, that’s why you...

Guest Profile 23 November 2020

Museum Stories

Best 2020 Artsy Christmas Gifts from Art Museums

It is that time of the year again! Time to buy Christmas gifts for everyone you love. And, as always, it’s probably a bit of a challenge to...

Joanna Kaszubowska 23 November 2020

Love Story

Story of Pygmalion and Galatea by Sir Edward Burne-Jones

The story of Pygmalion and Galatea is an enchanting myth about a Cypriot sculptor who fell in love with his own sculpture. He prays to goddess...

Bolor Jargalsaikhan 19 November 2020

Bizarre

Miyatake Gaikotsu and his Puzzling Postcards

At the beginning of the 20th century, when Japan started embracing the West and rapid industrialization of almost all aspects of life, Miyatake...

Magda Michalska 4 November 2020