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 5 December 2023
Animals
Human Machines, Pigs & Gothic Trucks: Wim Delvoye’s Surprising Art
Have you ever seen a pig covered in an oriental carpet, a cement truck with Gothic motifs, or a silver DNA string with crucifixes? These are the...
Michel Rutten 27 November 2023
All the Fuss and Feathers in Pre-Columbian Art
Artisans in pre-Columbian and colonial Mexico, as in Peru, used feathers to create exquisite adornments for nobles, fancy textiles for the elite, and...
Alicja Gluszek 5 August 2023
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
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
The World of Animals Created by Hans Hoffmann
Hans Hoffmann was a 16th-century German painter and draftsman. He was an artist in the court of Rudolph II (the one who loved arts and was probably...
Zuzanna Stańska 19 January 2023
Masterpiece Story: Who Sues for a Cow by Cornelis Saftleven
Who Sues for a Cow is a masterpiece of social commentary by now-forgotten artist, Cornelis Saftleven. It is a strange painting from the Dutch Golden...
James W Singer 16 January 2023
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
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 cute...
Magda Michalska 17 April 2022
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 Author 14 March 2022
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
Famous Lobsters in Art
Lobsters, large marine crustaceans, have been eaten by humans since prehistoric times. They became a delicacy by the Roman period. They were also...
Zuzanna Stańska 7 April 2021
