Masterpiece Story: Striding Lion from the Ishtar Gate
Striding Lion is a masterpiece of Mesopotamian art with monumental size and composition. It symbolizes the strength of King Nebuchadnezzar II and the...
James W Singer 24 July 2025
Animals
Max Ernst and Birds: A Relationship Explained Through Paintings
Max Ernst (1891–1976) was a prolific German avant-garde artist. He was a pioneer in the early 20th-century movements of Dada and Surrealism and...
Anastasia Tsaleza 21 July 2025
Masterpiece Story: Donkey Rides on the Beach by Isaac Israëls
As part of our link-up with the Rijksmuseum, here is one of Isaac Israel’s beach scenes. Donkey Rides is painted with a breezy freedom that...
Catriona Miller 20 July 2025
Thomas Gainsborough and His Dog Portraits
Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) was a portrait and landscape painter. During his career, he often painted dogs accompanying his sitters. He always...
Joanna Kaszubowska 17 July 2025
Owls, Peacocks and Sparrows: Birds in Art
The idea of birds in art probably brings to mind John James Audubon, the 19th-century ornithologist who wrote and illustrated the landmark series The...
Alexandra Kiely 2 July 2025
Masterpiece Story: Woman with a Parrot by Gustave Courbet
Gustave Courbet, the enfant terrible of French 19th-century art, did everything he could to save himself in the memory of the contemporary art...
Zuzanna Stańska 10 June 2025
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 5 June 2025
Can You Spot the Cat? Cats Hidden in Famous Paintings
I like cats and I’m sure that many of you do, too. A fascinating animal, the cat has earned itself an important place in culture, literature, and...
Marina Kochetkova 4 June 2025
Wild Spirits: 5 Animal Paintings by Franz Marc
Examining Franz Marc’s most iconic animal paintings reveals how the German Expressionist used color and form to convey the spiritual essence of...
Lisa Scalone 15 May 2025
5 Fun Facts About Gargoyles—Quirky Creatures of the Middle Ages and Beyond
Everybody loves gargoyles! I used to think I was alone in this, but I’ve come to learn that’s not at all true. In case any of you don’t know, a...
Alexandra Kiely 2 May 2025
Is This Unicorn a Dog? Uncovering the Mysteries of Raphael’s Masterpiece
Portrait of a Young Woman with Unicorn by Raphael is one of the gems from the Galleria Borghese in Rome, currently on loan to the Gallerie...
Ela Bobek 1 May 2025
The Pre-Raphaelites and the Wombat
Many people are obsessed with cute cats, penguins, pandas, koalas, and all sorts of animals. However one rarely hears about the wombat, especially in...
Joanna Kaszubowska 11 April 2025
