WTF Art History

WTF Art History

Wind in Paintings for a Breath of Fresh Air

Have you ever thought of the wind in a painting? How to capture something you can’t really see? It either reflects on the sitters or the...

Magda Michalska 15 June 2023

Art State of Mind

Why Is St Sebastian a Gay Icon?

One may think that Christian saints have little in common with gay culture, but there is an exception to every rule. If you see a handsome guy in his...

Magda Michalska 1 June 2023

Painting

Cute Babies in Art: From Rubens to Cassatt

Who doesn’t like a cute baby? Lucky for us, history is full of cute babies in art. And while we could dedicate one whole article to babies in Mary...

Rachel Witte 22 May 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Football Players by Henri Rousseau

Welcome to the bizarre world of Henri Rousseau (1844–1910), the quintessential naïve artist, and meet his masterpiece depicting oneiric, striped...

Anastasia Manioudaki 21 May 2023

Theater & Cinema

The Best Star Wars and Classic Art Mashups

It is fascinating how people combine two products of culture that are so different – classic art and Star Wars. Here you will find the best (in our...

Zuzanna Stańska 4 May 2023

Theater & Cinema

May the 4th Be with You – Archetypes in Star Wars and Art

Today is Star Wars Day. The first documented use of the phrase “May the 4th be with you” came from Margaret Thatcher’s political party, to...

Ledys Chemin 4 May 2023

Erotica

The Many Rebirths of Venus

Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus is iconic in Western art. Alongside the Mona Lisa, it is probably a contender for “most famous...

Isla Phillips-Ewen 2 May 2023

Art State of Mind

We Are All Summertime Venuses: Beach Bodies in Art

Venus, who wouldn’t envy her? She is the embodiment of beauty, sexuality, and love. She is perhaps the most often depicted woman in art history.

Magda Michalska 2 May 2023

Contemporary Art

Damien Hirst’s Butterflies: From Tea-trays to Mandalas

Damien Hirst – a prominent Young British Artist (YBA) and now a billionaire – creates sculptures, paintings, and drawings. In all of...

Isla Phillips-Ewen 30 April 2023

Bizarre

Trompe L’oeil: How Artists Deceived Our Eyes Throughout the Ages

Without knowing, you have more than likely seen an example or two of trompe l’oeil in art. It is a term that encompasses many art forms in its...

Rachel Witte 13 April 2023

Museum Stories

History of Medicine in Art: 12 Weird Artworks to See at Wellcome Library in London

London is a great place to be for the curious and inquisitive. Public museums, galleries, and libraries are homes to a vast collection of wonderful...

Bolor Jargalsaikhan 7 April 2023

Animals

See a Man About a Dog: Dogs in Paintings

The title sentence is a charming English euphemism, usually used to apologize for one’s imminent departure or absence—generally to conceal...

Joanna Kaszubowska 23 March 2023