#19th Century

Romanticism

The Bible According to William Blake

William Blake (1757–1827), an English Romantic poet, painter, and printmaker, was commissioned by his patron Thomas Butts, a civil servant, to...

Magda Michalska 26 February 2023

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 26 February 2023

Harriet Powers Women Artists

Harriet Powers: A Black Female Folk Artist Who Regained Her Glory

For much of the 20th century, the work of Harriet Powers, an enslaved and later emancipated Black folk artist, was erased from the art historical...

Kristin Urban 25 February 2023

James Tissot: Partie Carrée, 1870 Artist Stories

A Perfect World of Perfect Women in James Tissot’s Paintings

This title might be a little controversial. In fact, critics find the term demimondaine to be more accurate when describing James Tissot’s series...

Magda Michalska 23 February 2023

Print with large white hare with red eyes presented frontally on pink background. The body of a hare is rounded. Asian Art

10 Rabbits in Asian Art for the Year of the Rabbit

Happy Year of the Rabbit, everyone! January 22, 2023, in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, marked the beginning of the Year of the Water Rabbit. Lunar...

Ela Bobek 22 February 2023

William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Dante and Virgil in Hell, 1850, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France. Detail. Academic Art

The Naked Truth About Nudes in Academic Art

Academicism was the dominant style in European art in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was called so because it was dictated by the French Academy of...

Magda Michalska 21 February 2023

Asian Art

Peek into the Court: Stunning Qajar Portraits

I’m sure you’re well acquainted with European royal portraiture. But have you ever seen portraits of rulers from beyond Europe? We want to show...

Magda Michalska 20 February 2023

Women Artists

The Beautiful Self-Portraits of Abigail de Andrade

History of art is full of fascinating female artists: Artemisia Gentileschi, Mary Cassatt, Tarsila do Amaral, Tamara de Lempicka… Now, I would like...

Rute Ferreira 19 February 2023

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City, 1885, White House, Washington DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City is a masterpiece of Black art and history. It was painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner during a time of incredible...

James W Singer 13 February 2023

Henri Manuel, Marie Curie in her laboratory, located rue Cuvier, 1908, Musée Curie, Paris, France. Photography

Marie Curie – Portraits of the Double Nobel Prize Winner

Marie Skłodowska-Curie is arguably the most famous female scientist in history and one of the most accomplished scientists ever. Since she was a...

Jimena Escoto 11 February 2023

Henry Fuseli The Shepherd’s Dream, from ‘Paradise Lost’ 1793 Romanticism

Henry Fuseli and His Fantasy World

Henry Fuseli was a master of Romantic imagination. He was one of those artists who shaped our view of the epoch—or, to be more precise, he defined...

Zuzanna Stańska 7 February 2023

Erotica

The Victorians: An Unexpected World of Erotica and Pornography [18+]

The subject of erotica is vast. Even reduced to only the Victorian world of erotica, it’s a challenge to write about in the space of an article.

Sarah Mills 6 February 2023