Latest

Great Princess Mama Occollo, ca 1850-70, oil on canvas mounted on wood, Cuzco, Peru, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Great Princess Mama Occollo

Great Princess Mama Occollo is an amazing masterpiece of South American art from the 19th century in the collection of the Denver Art Museum. It...

James W Singer 10 August 2025

Herstory

Masterpiece Story: The Portrait of Empress Dowager Cixi by Katharine Augusta Carl

Art and politics have been closely intertwined throughout global history. This article studies the case of The Empress Dowager Cixi of China by...

Iolanda Munck 10 August 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies

Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies is an enigmatic and highly unusual imaginative portrait made in 1650s England. It reveals a fascinating story...

Nicole Ganbold 10 August 2025

Love Story

Masterpiece Story: Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen by Joshua Reynolds

Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen is a huge triple portrait of the Montgomery sisters by Sir Joshua Reynolds. It thematizes aristocratic marriage...

Isla Phillips-Ewen 10 August 2025

Cats

5 Women Artists Who Specialized in Cat Paintings—The Evolution of Cat Portraiture

It’s no mystery that artists loved cats. Throughout history, artists have made felines their studio companions and depicted them as they slept,...

Ela Bobek 8 August 2025

Cats

Meet Famous Artists and Their Cats (Cuteness Overload)

So many great artists have shared one very special love: the love for cats. Here you will find six modern artists who loved their felines and have...

Zuzanna Stańska 8 August 2025

Cats

Paw Prints: The Diversity of Cats in Japanese Art

From cute and exotic pets to monstrous, otherworldly creatures, cats in Japanese art appear in various forms and contexts. Let’s delve into the...

Iolanda Munck 8 August 2025

Cats

Maneki Neko—Those Lucky Cats

We’ve all seen those jovial, happy cat figurines in Asian restaurants and shops. Sitting upright with their raised paw, smiling face, and trademark...

Nadine Waldmann 8 August 2025

Cats

The Sacred Cats of Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egyptians revered cats of all kinds and honored them in their art. From servals to the mighty lion, cats were seen as powerful forces for...

Sarah Mills 8 August 2025

Art History 101

Tonalism 101: Capturing Emotion Through Light and Tone

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “Let’s set the tone”? An art movement did exactly that. Tonalism is an American painting style...

Coleman Richards 7 August 2025

Art Travels

5 Reasons to Visit the Polish Pavilion in Venice

If you are planning to visit the International Art Exhibition or the Biennale of Architecture in Venice, this is a must-see. Built in 1932, the...

Zacheta 7 August 2025

Marsden Hartley, Canuck Yankee Lumberjack at Old Orchard Beach, Maine, 1940, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA. Detail. North American Art

Marsden Hartley: An Overlooked Modernist

Marsden Hartley was a ground-breaking modernist, ostracized from the art world at the height of his career. Today he remains sidelined as a...

Louisa Mahoney 7 August 2025