Long reads

Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait (detail), 1434, The National Gallery, London, England. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck

The Arnolfini Portrait is as enigmatic as it is iconic. Painted by Jan van Eyck in 1434, it spawns a lot of speculation – over half a millennium...

Vithória Konzen Dill 9 July 2025

Giovanni Segantini, View of the medieval town of Caglio with a painting, 2008, Caglio (italy). Art Travels

Visit Super Enjoyable Segantini Outdoor Permanent Exhibition in Italy

In a little town in the north of Italy, there’s a very special museum—the en plein air permanent exhibition of the most significant artworks of...

Camilla de Laurentis 30 April 2025

A Lady Writing, by Johannes Vermeer Design

Cultural Differences in Calligraphy: 5 Examples from Ancient Times to the Age of AI

Does calligraphy have a place in the age of AI? Do we still need handwritten words when we can just as easily print them from a computer? What about...

Ledys Chemin 7 April 2025

Pop-up books: Carol Barton, Five Luminous Towers: A Book to be Read in the Dark, 2001, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC, USA. Photo by Lee Stalsworth. History

The Surprising History of Pop-Up Books

If I say pop-up book, you might think of a kid’s story time. But think again, dear friends. Originally, pop-up books were made for adults:...

Candy Bedworth 3 April 2025

Photography

13 Groundbreaking Female Photographers

Quickly, how many female photographers can you name? Unfortunately probably not as many as their male counterparts. We are here to change that! Women...

Ruxi Rusu, Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 20 March 2025

Klaire A. Lockheart, Brodalisque Reclining in the Basement. 2021, Brodalisque Interview

Interview with Klaire Lockheart: Post-Apocalyptic Feminist Artist

Candy Bedworth explores feminism, colonialism and orientalism with American artist Klaire Lockheart. All this whilst wearing post-apocalyptic costumes.

Candy Bedworth 5 March 2025

Painting

Johannes Vermeer in 10 Paintings

Johannes Vermeer was one of the masters of the Dutch Golden Age. He was born in Delft, Netherlands, in 1632 and died there at age 43, apparently...

Tom Anderson 6 February 2025

European Art

Did Pieter Bruegel Play Dice? The Story of Seemingly Insignificant Detail

Pieter Bruegel The Elder was a prominent Flemish painter of the 16th century, famed for his vivid, often humorous depictions of peasant life and...

Guest Author 27 January 2025

Interview

Mat Collishaw and the Genetic Algorithms

Snark.art and OG.Art have announced Heterosis, a groundbreaking art collection and immersive metaverse experience brought to life by established...

Agnieszka Cichocka, 2 January 2025

Artist Stories

Painting a Woman: The Story of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener Through Their Art

The Danish landscape artist Lili Elvenes (1882-1931), born Einar Wegener and better known as Lili Elbe, and her spouse, the Art Deco portrait artist...

Iolanda Munck 23 December 2024

History

Yes, Santa Claus Is Real! His Name Is St. Nicholas

Who dressed in winter robes, bestowed gifts under the cover of night, and became a hero to children? This describes Nicholas of Myra, a Middle...

Helen Jeffery 6 December 2024

Hokusai Great Wave, Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, ca. 1830-1832, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA. Asian Art

Hokusai’s Great Wave Explained

You might not know the title of Hokusai’s print, but Under the Wave off Kanagawa is almost instantly recognizable. His Great Wave reveals...

Marina Kochetkova 25 November 2024