Artists' Stories
David Bowie, from Popstar to Neo-expressionist Painter
Most people know David Bowie as a popstar and performer, but do...
Chinese art
The Growing Terracotta Army
When people mention the terracotta army, the first thing that comes to...
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Museums And Exhibitions
London’s National Portrait Gallery
December 14, 2019You have approximately six months until the National Portrait Gallery shuts down for a three year renovation (29 June 2020 – Spring 2023)! If you’ve not yet visited, hopefully these five reasons will inspire you to go before...
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Art State of Mind
Ugly Cities Transformed
December 13, 2019Seeing a place, object or person through the eyes of an artist can change our perception of the subject of the artwork. So, if art is such a powerful and emotional medium, can we use art to transform...
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Cats
Maneki Neko – Those Lucky Cats (NSFW)
December 12, 2019We’ve all seen those jovial, happy cat figurines in Asian restaurants and shops. Sitting upright with their raised paw, smiling face and trademark bell and bib, Maneki Neko (in Japanese 招き猫, “beckoning cat”) have symbolized all kinds of...
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Art History 101
Titian’s Venus and Adonis (Metamorphoses III)
December 11, 2019In a series of articles we are going to meet each of the seven Poesies, which Titian delivered Phillip II of Spain in the 1550s and early 1560s. Every painting-poem translated a small section of the Epic poem...
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Expressionism
Banishing the War: the Etchings of Otto Dix
December 10, 2019When the First World War, also known as the Great War, broke out, everyone was thrilled. The soldiers went happily to fight for their countries. All sides thought they would be winners and were arrogant towards their opponents....
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Love Story
The Sumptuous Wallace Collection, Fragonard and The Swing
December 9, 2019The Wallace Collection displays a collection, which came together in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, collected by the first four Marquesses of Hertford. One piece, living in the beautiful collection, is The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The Rococo...
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Painting of the Week
Painting of the Week: The Horse Fair by Rosa Bonheur
December 8, 2019Today’s Painting of the Week is The Horse Fair, 1852-5, the great masterpiece of French realist painter Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899). The photograph doesn’t properly convey how massive this painting is! Over 8 feet high and 16.5 feet long,...
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Art History 101
Artist and Patron – Friend or Foe?
December 7, 2019Since ancient times, patrons have played a vital role in art history. Patronage can be found almost everywhere – in Europe, feudal Japan and Southeast Asia. In fact anywhere a royal or imperial or aristocratic system dominates society,...
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Seasons
The Man, the Myth, the Legend: Thomas Nast’s Santa Claus
December 6, 2019“Twas the night before Christmas,when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…” Clement Clarke Moore Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Old St. Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Papa Noel, Weihnachtsmann. Whatever your culture,...
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Indian Art
Ardhanarishvara – Androgynous Portrayal of Shiva and Parvati
December 5, 2019The composite form of Shiva and his consort, Shakti (another name for Parvati) is known as the Ardhanarishvara or the ‘God who is half-woman’. While the mythos of the Ardhanarishvara appeared in early Puranic scriptures, the concept and...
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Cinema
ALL Art In BoJack Horseman We Could Find Gathered In One Place (5th Season Update)
September 13, 2018We love it when pop culture is adopting, using and remixing art history, especially when that...
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Art History 101
10 Most Scandalous Nudes in Art (NSFW)
September 21, 2017We’re here to let you in on a pretty widely known secret about art history: it...
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Ancient Greece
Six Ancient Greek Sculptures Everyone Should Know
October 25, 2016Greek art and sculpture has had a profound effect for art throughout the ages. Many of...
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Artists' Stories
4 Artists Who Suffered Mental Illness (And How It Affected Their Art)
April 4, 2018The painter Vincent Van Gogh is well-known for his artworks and for a particular aspect of...
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Bodies And Erotic Art
All You Must Know About Japanese Erotic Art, Shunga (18+)
February 16, 2017“Ukiyo-e” pictures, pictures of the “floating world.” are famous among everyone interested in art history. Everyone knows Hokusai’s...
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20th century
Frida Kahlo And The Symbolism In Her Art
August 8, 2017Frida Kahlo who lived during the first half of the 20th century changed the art history...
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Ancient Greece
Greek Mythological Creatures That Combine Female Beauty And Beastly Ugliness
December 8, 2017Gods, goddesses, demigods, horrible monsters and beasts of hybrid forms roam the world of Ancient Greek...
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20th century
Pablo Picasso And His Women
November 28, 2017Pablo Picasso perhaps the most influential and recognizable painter of the 20th century, is well known...
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Artists' Stories
The Mystery of Vincent Van Gogh’s Death
March 30, 2017Vincent van Gogh’s death occurred in the early morning of 29 July 1890, in his room...
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Bodies And Erotic Art
Why Is St Sebastian A Gay Icon?
September 9, 2017One may think that Christian saints have little in common with the gay culture. But there...
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Women Artists
