Juana Romani: Model, Muse, Painter
Juana Romani (née Giovanna Carolina Carlesimo) was an Italian-born French model and painter working at the turn of the 20th century. Despite...
Natalia Iacobelli 4 April 2024
#Belle Epoque
Masterpiece Story: Birth of Venus by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
The Birth of Venus is probably the most famous painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and it is considered a masterpiece of French Academic...
James W Singer 24 March 2024
Masterpiece Story: Cleopatra by Alexandre Cabanel
Queen Cleopatra is a popular subject today – as she was in the late 19th century. Alexandre Cabanel’s Cleopatra explores a single moment of her...
James W Singer 3 March 2024
Beyond Madame X: Portraits by John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent is one of art history’s most famous portrait painters. He was born in Italy to American parents and received his formal...
Alexandra Kiely 12 January 2024
The Beautiful Parisian Scenes of Jean Béraud
In the first quarter of the 20th century, Paris was the center of artistic and intellectual activity. Artists, actors, dancers, poets, writers,...
Errika Gerakiti 9 December 2023
Vive la Belle Époque! The Story of Giovanni Boldini and Franca Florio
The history of the Belle Époque reveals many scandalous stories. Behind the elegant portraits interesting lives of grand dames and adventurous...
Giordana Goretti 5 December 2023
19th-Century Parisian Advertising Posters
Parisian advertising posters have proven to be an essential element of the retro aesthetic. Reminiscent of the lifestyle of its time, this form of...
Guest Profile 24 November 2023
Carl Strathmann’s Bizarre Cabinet of Art Nouveau Curiosities
Tired of the forever beautification of women in Art Nouveau worlds of flamboyant ornaments and stylized flowers? Then you should be looking at Carl...
Kero Fichter 6 November 2023
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
What Did Belle Époque Artists from Midnight in Paris Look Like in Real Life?
In Woody Allen’s 2011 Midnight in Paris, the main character, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself transported back in time to Paris from the...
Rachel Witte 19 November 2022
Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergère: Best Can-Can Paintings in Art History
Can-can paintings depict the most famous dance of La Belle Époque era. Originating in France, the Can-can, associated with skirts, petticoats, high...
Charlotte Stace 11 July 2020
