#Death

Jean-Michel Basquiat at an exhibition of his work in 1988, Vrej Baghoomian Gallery, New York, NY, USA. Photograph vt Julio Donoso via The Guardian. Artist Stories

Like a Flame – Jean-Michel Basquiat in 5 Paintings

He started out a couch-surfing throwaway. One day, a painting of his would sell for the highest price ever for an American artist at a public...

Helen Jeffery 22 December 2023

Medieval Art

Knights in Shining Armour: Funerary Art of Medieval England

What do Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck have in common with a tiny village in Lincolnshire and the funerary art of medieval England? Say “Disney”...

Guest Profile 20 December 2023

Love Story

Medieval Love Story: King Pedro and Inês de Castro

Every country has its legends and fairytales, and Portugal is no exception. One of the most well-known Portuguese tales is a love story about King...

Helena Pereira 20 December 2023

Expressionism

Edvard Munch and His Portrayals of Death

“Illness, madness and death were the black angels that watched over my cradle and have since followed me through life,” Munch wrote in his notes,...

Zuzanna Stańska 12 December 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Judgement Scene from Book of the Dead of Hunefer

Death continues to be one of the greatest fears of human society. Since the dawn of recorded history through the centuries of plague, pestilence, and...

James W Singer 3 December 2023

Chambri People, Ancestor Mask, early 20th century, wood and natural pigments, Ceremonial House, Chambri Lake Village, Papua New Guinea, Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Chambri People’s Ancestor Mask

Ancestor Mask is a masterpiece of Papua New Guinean art. It symbolizes a vanishing tribal lifestyle rarely seen outside of...

James W Singer 30 November 2023

Bizarre

Skulls, Demons, Devils… 13 Creepy Paintings Perfect for Halloween

To properly get into the Halloween mood we couldn’t help but dedicate this article to the most famous creepy paintings! Forget watching horrors on...

Zuzanna Stańska 31 October 2023

Bizarre

Party with Skulls and Skeletons: Day of the Dead in Mexico

Heaven and earth are never as close as they are on that day. November 1 and 2 are traditionally celebrated as the Day of the Dead when spirits come...

Magda Michalska 30 October 2023

Special

All Souls & Halloween: Death in Art

All Souls & Halloween: Death in Art seems like a fitting title for an article at the beginning of November! The feast day of All Souls and the...

Sarah Mills 30 October 2023

Caravaggio David with the Head of Goliath, c. 1610, Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy. Artist Stories

How Did Caravaggio Die? The Answer Is Not Easy

Caravaggio was a great artist, no doubt about it, but he was also rowdy. An early published notice on him, dating from 1604 and describing his...

Zuzanna Stańska 28 September 2023

Women Artists

Käthe Kollwitz: Germany’s Greatest Female Artist

Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) was one of Germany’s greatest artists. She holds the distinction of being the only woman artist to make it into Ernst...

Chris Dobson 22 September 2023

Post-Impressionism

Vincent van Gogh’s Last Painting?

In July 1890, Vincent van Gogh painted one of his best-known artworks, Wheatfield with Crows. The painting is on display in The Van Gogh Museum in...

Heather Johnson 17 September 2023