Literature

Artist Stories

Charles Keeping: An Extraordinary English Illustrator

Today I would like to talk about Charles Keeping, an illustrator whom I discovered in my childhood. You may already be familiar with his work,...

Sarah Mills 18 April 2024

Harry Clarke, Its Figures Passed By Me from Edgar Allan Poe, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, George G. Harrap and Co., London, 1919. Public Domain Review. Detail. Literature

Beautiful and Scary: Illustrations for Poe’s Horror Stories by Harry Clarke

Harry Clarke was an Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. He made notable works in both fields but somehow his stained glass works are a...

Marija Canjuga 18 April 2024

Artist Stories

Aubrey Beardsley: Sharp Blacks and Whites of the Victorian Era

Aubrey Beardsley was an extremely talented draughtsman of the Victorian era. As a young boy, he suffered from tuberculosis, yet decided to live his...

Magda Michalska 18 April 2024

Hans Eworth, Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses, 1569 History

The Myth of the Judgement of Paris in Art

According to Greek mythology, the Judgement of Paris is a story which leads up to the start of the Trojan War. As the myth goes, three goddesses are...

Anna Ingram 17 April 2024

Europa Art: Valentin Serov, The Rape of Europa, 1910, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moskva, Russia. Literature

How Europe Got Its Name — The Myth of Europa in Art

Have you ever wondered where the name of the continent Europe comes from? Meet Europa, a Phoenician woman who became the inspiration for the name of...

Magda Michalska 17 April 2024

Art History 101

The Complicated History of Norse Mythology in Art

Literally speaking, mythology is an old-school kind of storytelling. “Mythos” is a Greek word for “story” while “logia” means...

Lana Pajdas 17 April 2024

Shakespeare in Art: Henry Fuseli, Titania and Bottom, c. 1790, Tate Britain, London, UK. Literature

Shakespeare’s Plays in Art

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” And indeed wicked it is! From Macbeth to Romeo and Juliet, William...

Ruxi Rusu 8 April 2024

Women Artists

Christina Rossetti: Interweaving Poetry and Art

Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) is still beloved today for her timeless poetry—but her creative influence transcends the written word. By...

Emily Snow 31 March 2024

Literature

Writing Poetry and Inspiring Painters: Portraits of Anna Akhmatova

It is hard to say how many portraits of the poet Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966) exist – she was painted by many famous artists of the 20th century. She...

Elizaveta Ermakova 27 March 2024

Tove Jansson: Reino Loppinen, Tove Jansson, 1956. Women Artists

Tove Jansson’s Life of Wonders

Best known for the Moomins from her series of novels, comic strips, and short stories, Tove Jansson was an illustrator, painter, and writer. Born in...

Natalia Tiberio 17 March 2024

Sor Juana, Juan de Mirando, c.1680 History

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Scholar, Feminist, Revolutionary

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a 17th-century nun and the first published feminist poet of the New World. Her written works display her sense of wit...

Natalia Iacobelli 6 March 2024

Review

Book Review: The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession

In his collection of short stories The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession, debut author Jake Kendall revisits various iconic eras of art...

Jenna Burns 26 February 2024