#italy

History

The Story of Raphael’s Lost Portrait of a Young Man

Have you ever seen this painting? It is currently missing; in fact, it has been missing since 1945. Let’s explore the story of one of the most...

Zuzanna Stańska 6 April 2023

Bizarre

The Curious Lure and Strange Beauty of Ancient Anatomical Votives

Eerie, mysterious, and fascinating, ancient anatomical votives represent literal parts of people’s past. When most people think of a votive object,...

Marga Patterson 3 April 2023

Andrea Mantegna, Bridal Chamber, Ocluus. Mantua, Italy. Renaissance

Fooling the Eye: Illusionistic Games in Andrea Mantegna’s Bridal Chamber

A masterpiece of the early Italian Renaissance, Andrea Mantegna’s Bridal Chamber has been described as the most beautiful room in the world.

Natalia Iacobelli 30 March 2023

Conservators restoring Plautilla Nelli’s Last Supper, found by Jane Fortune and her association. Women Artists

Art Detective Jane Fortune: Rediscovering Forgotten Female Artists

When Jane Fortune arrived in Florence in the 1960s to study art she was left with one burning question: where are the women artists? As she often...

Natalia Iacobelli 20 March 2023

Facts about Botticelli: Probable self-portrait of Botticelli, in his Adoration of the Magi, 1475, Uffizi, Florence, Italy. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Artist Stories

Seven Key Facts You Must Know About Sandro Botticelli

1. Botticelli Started Early Facts About Sandro Botticelli: Sandro Botticelli, Fortitude, 1470, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Wikimedia Commons...

Zuzanna Stańska 18 March 2023

La Primavera Botticelli: Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: La Primavera by Sandro Botticelli

La Primavera, which means “Spring” in Italian, is without a doubt the most famous painting of Sandro Botticelli. Its mysterious allure continues...

Anastasia Manioudaki 18 March 2023

Erotica

Erotic Art in Pompeii and Herculaneum (NSFW!)

Erotic art in Pompeii and Herculaneum is a phenomenon often omitted from textbooks about ancient history. These famous Roman cities destroyed by the...

Zuzanna Stańska 15 March 2023

Ancient Rome

Ancient Bikini Girls from the Roman Mosaics

If you have ever wondered when the history of the bikini began, it started at the same time and place in history as philosophy, mathematics, and art:...

Magda Michalska 15 March 2023

Museum Stories

10 Paintings for Which You Will Love Ca’ Pesaro in Venice

Tourists in Venice usually do a couple of typical things: they visit San Marco Cathedral and the Doge’s Palace, drink a glass of Aperol Spritz, and...

Zuzanna Stańska 9 March 2023

Claude and Alice Monet in Piazza San Marco, feeding the pigeons. Art Travels

Venice in the Eyes of Claude Monet

Claude Monet fell in love with Venice the first time he saw it. He was 68 years old, and he went on a trip with his wife, Alice Hoschedé. The light...

Zuzanna Stańska 9 March 2023

Museum Stories

31 Women: Peggy Guggenheim And Her Groundbreaking Exhibition

Perhaps one the most influential women in shaping the art world of the 20th century, Peggy Guggenheim held an exhibition in 1943 that was to be...

Nina Relf 8 March 2023

michelangelo Bacchus: Michelangelo Buonarroti, Bacchus, ca. 1496-1497, Bargello National Museum, Florence, Italy. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Bacchus by Michelangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, known as Michelangelo, is undoubtedly among the world’s most treasured artists. His connection to...

Maya M. Tola 6 March 2023