#19th Century

WTF Art History

5 Artists Who Likely Suffered From Syphilis

Also known as the French disease or great pox, syphilis was a common sexually transmitted disease in Europe in the 1800s. In fact, 10-15% of...

Kelly Hill 4 April 2023

Museum Stories

Van Gogh Museum Staff Picks

Have you ever wondered who knows the best of a museum’s collection? Probably the people who spend most of their lives between these artworks: the...

Kate Wojtczak 30 March 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Theatre Box by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Entertainments such as cabarets, theatres, and the circus were popular themes among the Impressionist painters whose mission was portraying modern...

Zuzanna Stańska 27 March 2023

Post-Impressionism

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Portraying Misia Natanson at the Theater

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec is famous for his portrayals of Parisian nightlife: cabarets, theaters, and brothels. He showed us a world of decadence and...

Alicja Gluszek 27 March 2023

Animals

See a Man About a Dog: Dogs in Paintings

The title sentence is a charming English euphemism, usually used to apologize for one’s imminent departure or absence—generally to conceal...

Joanna Kaszubowska 23 March 2023

Rivers in paintings: J.M.W. Turner, The Fighting Temeraire, 1839, National Gallery, London, UK. Painting

Down by the River: Rivers in Famous Paintings

From the dawn of civilization, rivers have been the crux of human life. Most great cities are built around rivers. We use them for sustenance,...

Anastasia Manioudaki 22 March 2023

Women Artists

Female vs. Male Gaze: Suzanne Valadon’s Reclining Nude

Female nudes are prevalent throughout art history. There are ancient mythological goddesses, the Biblical Eves and Susannas, and then there are the...

Lauren Kraut 20 March 2023

Berthe Morisot, Woman In Grey Reclining, 1879 Women Artists

Berthe Morisot: A Modern Parisian Woman

Berthe Morisot was an influential painter at the heart of the French Impressionist movement. Ahead of her time, her work was innovative, fresh, and...

Candy Bedworth 10 March 2023

Impressionism

Eva Gonzalès: Female Impressionist in the Shadows

While Eva Gonzalès’ privileged upbringing and supportive family gave her the opportunities to grow in her artistic abilities and broaden her...

Rachel Witte 10 March 2023

Impressionism

Fanny Brate: An Everyday Painter You Need to Know

Fanny Brate was born in Stockholm in 1861. Showing great potential from a young age, she started taking drawing and painting classes when she was...

Gokce Dyson 10 March 2023

Rose Peckham, May Alcott Nieriker, 1877, Louisa May Alcott Memorial Association, Orchard House, Concord, MA, USA. Orchard House’s website. Women Artists

Abigail May Alcott Nieriker: Feminist Trailblazer and the Real Amy March from Little Women

Abigail May Alcott Nieriker was the real Amy March from Little Women. However, she was so much more than an inspiration. Born under a lucky star, she...

Jimena Escoto 8 March 2023

Artist Stories

Camille Claudel: Love, Despair, and Auguste Rodin

There is a common saying that behind every great man, there is a great woman. It was no exception for the legendary sculptor, generally considered...

Zuzanna Stańska 4 March 2023