Animals

Striding Lion, 604-562 BCE, glazed clay bricks, Processional Way, Babylon, Iraq, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

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 14 October 2022

Contemporary Art

Maurizio Cattelan and His Obsession with Pigeons

It was at the Venice Biennale in 1997 when Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan displayed 2000 stuffed pigeons installed at the top of the air...

Zuzanna Stańska 16 July 2022

WTF Art History

6 Creatures by Hieronymus Bosch That Could Be Pokémon

Did you ever think where the ideas for Pokémon could be coming from? Here are six examples proving that in the 16th century, Hieronymus Bosch caught...

Zuzanna Stańska 23 May 2022

Animals

What Bunnies Are Capable Of – Bunny Paintings Not Only for Easter

I had already written about eggs and how often they feature in art (quirky…). This Easter it is time for another symbol: the Easter Bunny! The...

Magda Michalska 17 April 2022

Video

Watch the Hedgehogs from Medieval Bestiaries Come to Life!

I love animals from Medieval bestiaries. They are truly beautiful. So when I came across this video animating the hedgehog described in Latin...

Zuzanna Stańska, Nicole Ganbold 4 April 2022

Animals

Five 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...

Alexandra Kiely 1 April 2022

Architecture

The Symbol of Sagittarius on the Tile Spandrels of Qaysariya Gate of Isfahan

The Qaysariya bazaar is located in the north of Naqsh-Jahan square of Isfahan. It was founded by Shah Abbas in the Safavid period. On the tile...

Guest Profile 14 March 2022

Animals

Henry Moore’s Sheep

Henry Spencer Moore was an English artist. Although his primary role was as a sculptor, there are lots of examples of his sketches. His forms are...

Candy Bedworth 11 March 2022

Women Artists

A Lesson in Illustration – The Whimsical Characters of Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter, best known for the charming tale of Peter Rabbit, inspired the minds of budding young novelists and illustrators alike. Her most...

Tony Heathfield 2 March 2022

chinese new year tiger, Kishi Chikudo, Detail from Tiger, Tigress and Cubs, 1892 Animals

Year of the Tiger: Chinese New Year 2022

The year of the tiger is upon us! Tigers are frequently depicted in Chinese art, but they have fascinated so many artists from across the world.

Candy Bedworth 1 February 2022

Artist Stories

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 5 January 2022

Animals

Hieronymus Bosch’s Creepy Owls

Hieronymus Bosch was an Early Netherlandish painter. He must have lived in two worlds simultaneously – the real one and a world of his...

Zuzanna Stańska 29 November 2021