#19th Century

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Conscript’s Farewell, 1854, Leopold Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Conscript’s Farewell by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller

Conscript’s Farewell is a masterpiece by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller. It explores a family’s reaction to the conscription of their beloved...

James W Singer 18 February 2024

Frants Henningsen, Funeral, 1883, National Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Funeral by Frants Henningsen

Funeral by Frants Henningsen is a Danish masterpiece of emotions. It examines the different psychological reactions to love, loss, and...

James W Singer 18 February 2024

Relaxing Paintings: John Singer Sargent, Neapolitan Children Bathing, 1879, The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA, USA. Art State of Mind

Relax! These Paintings Will Inspire You to Chill Out

The modern way of living is very hectic. There simply is no time to relax while keeping a job and trying to tackle a million chores that creep up.

Anastasia Manioudaki 16 February 2024

Art Travels

Landscape Painters, National Parks, and the American West in Art

The US National Parks are natural and man-made monuments legally set aside for protection and public enjoyment. Yellowstone became the first National...

Alexandra Kiely 10 February 2024

Painting

Maiden or Boy? Androgyny and Misogyny in Symbolist Art

As the 19th century barreled towards the 20th, a profound reevaluation of established gender roles manifested in the confluence of burgeoning...

Martha Teverson 8 February 2024

History

The Fascinating World of Victorian Cards & Postcards

Who doesn’t enjoy receiving a postcard from a loved one? An alternative to sending formal letters, postcards were first introduced during the...

Ruxi Rusu 7 February 2024

A Victorian Christmas card featuring a robin in a top hat and a robin in a bonnet. The text reads: ‘Happy returns. Christmas comes but once a year.’ History

Victorian Christmas Cards: Strange or Timeless?

It’s thanks to the Victorians that the tradition of sending Christmas cards exists. The very first commercial Christmas card was sent in 1843, and...

Jenna Burns 7 February 2024

Sport

Skiing in Art History

Artists have long captured the magic of snow. During the 19th century, when winter sports like skiing, skating, and sledding became more popular in...

Louisa Mahoney 31 January 2024

Académie Vitti, c. 1889, Montparnasse, Paris. History

Académie Vitti: Parisian Art School for Women

A private art school in Paris founded in 1889, the Académie Vitti was one of the first schools to accept female students and to allow women to study...

Natalia Iacobelli 24 January 2024

Photography

Edvard Munch’s Life in Photos

Naturally, Edvard Munch is best known for his paintings. However, he was also one of the first of the generation of painters who dabbled in amateur...

Zuzanna Stańska 22 January 2024

Photography

The Mystery of Vincent van Gogh’s Photos

Vincent van Gogh famously recorded himself in numerous self-portraits, but he hated photography and supposedly he never sat for a photo as an adult.

Zuzanna Stańska 22 January 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Roses of Heliogabalus by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth. Three of the Seven Deadly Sins are depicted in Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s The Roses of Heliogabalus. Many other sins are...

James W Singer 21 January 2024