WTF Art History

WTF Art History

5 Weird Portraits from Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna

The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, one of the foremost museums in the world, owns rich holdings comprising artworks from seven millennia –...

Zuzanna Stańska 29 February 2024

Bizarre

Weird & Bizarre: A Toilet as a Work of Art

A joke, a provocation, or an attempt to attract your attention? Maybe none of these or maybe all of them. Here are three of the most renowned toilets...

Caroline Galambosova 29 February 2024

Bizarre

The Curious Lure and Strange Beauty of Ancient Anatomical Votives

Eerie, mysterious, and fascinating, ancient anatomical votives represent literal parts of people’s past. When most people think of a votive object,...

Marga Patterson 29 February 2024

John William Waterhouse, The Soul of the Rose, 1908. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Detail. Art State of Mind

Viva Floralia! All Flowers in Art

The Floralia festival was celebrated in Ancient Rome in honor of the goddess Flora. Because there is nothing more beautiful than flowers and,...

Andra Patricia Ritisan 28 February 2024

Painting

10 Most Beautiful Artistic Flower Arrangements for Spring

For some of us, Winter this year has passed rather quickly; for others, it was way too long. Finally, Spring is beginning to be in full bloom: it has...

Errika Gerakiti 28 February 2024

Art State of Mind

Language of Flowers: Hidden Messages in Flora

Nowadays we have social media, emails, and telephone calls. But a century ago, it was not quite as easy to get a message or love note across to...

Rachel Witte 28 February 2024

Art State of Mind

Moondance – Full Moon in Painting

Have you ever seen a full moon? Let’s take a look at some wonderful artists who have featured our celestial companion in a variety of settings...

Candy Bedworth 27 February 2024

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 27 February 2024

Sir Edwin Landseer, Monarch of the Glen, ca 1851, Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh, UK. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Monarch of the Glen by Edwin Landseer

Monarch of the Glen by Edwin Landseer is one of the most famous British paintings of the 19th century. It is a Victorian melodrama at its most...

James W Singer 25 February 2024

Anguish August Friedrich Schenck Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Anguish by August Friedrich Schenck

Surrounded by menacing crows, a mother sheep wails in anguish as her lifeless young lamb rests on a snowy bed. This scene, painted by August...

Montaine Dumont 25 February 2024

A dark brown horse rears on its hind legs; an olive green background: George Stubbs, Whistlejacket, c.1762, The National Gallery, London, UK. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Whistlejacket by George Stubbs

If you visit London’s National Gallery, you can’t miss Whistlejacket. George Stubbs’ life-size, rearing stallion is visible down a...

Catriona Miller 25 February 2024

Gerrit Dou, Dog at Rest, 1650, oil on oak panel, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Dog at Rest by Gerrit Dou

Gerrit Dou’s Dog at Rest is a masterpiece of Dutch genre painting, perfect for both dog enthusiasts and art...

James W Singer 25 February 2024