#italy

Art History 101

Arte Povera: Aesthetics of the Ordinary

In memory of the world-famous Italian art critic Germano Celant, who himself in 1967 invented the term Arte Povera, translated as “Poor Art”, we...

Caroline Galambosova 12 February 2024

Ramesses II, New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1279–1254 BCE, granodiorite, Temple of Amun, Karnak Temple Complex, Thebes (Luxor), Egypt, Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Ramesses II

The statue of Ramesses II is a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian sculpture that proclaims the royal majesty and prowess of Ramesses the...

James W Singer 11 February 2024

Academic Art

Six of the World’s Most Famous Art Academies

Have you ever wondered where the world’s most famous artists went to school? Many studied at one (or more) of these six art academies. The schools...

Alexandra Kiely 24 January 2024

Ancient Rome

Masterpiece Story: Mithras Slaying the Bull

Mithras Slaying the Bull is a compilation of the entire religious and symbolic images of Mithraism. It reflects promised immortality and personal...

James W Singer 21 January 2024

WTF Art History

Italian Artists with Food in Their Names

Italy is famous for its great food and great art, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s some overlap. No, I’m not talking...

Alexandra Kiely 11 January 2024

Artist Stories

6 Things You Must Know About Parmigianino

Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, known as Parmigianino (1503–1540) was a great Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker active in Florence, Rome,...

Zuzanna Stańska 11 January 2024

Mannerism

Parmigianino: Capturing Everyday Early Modern Life Through Drawings

Francesco Mazzola, known as Parmigianino, produced many drawings that captured normal scenes of everyday life during the early modern period. These...

Nina Relf 11 January 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico

Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico is a masterpiece that can be viewed both as medieval and Renaissance. How so? Keep on reading...

Alexandra Kiely 6 January 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Adoration of the Magi by Gentile da Fabriano

Let’s explore this beautiful altarpiece which features scenes of great pomp and circumstance. Let us venture into the brilliant world of the...

James W Singer 6 January 2024

Mannerism

Tuscan Secret Spot: Colosso Appenninico in Vaglia

A 30-minute drive from central Florence lies a true Tuscan secret: a 16th-century sculpture Colosso Appenninico by Giambologna. Discover with us this...

Noa Weisberg 2 January 2024

Art History 101

Elegance and Drama: All You Need to Know About Mannerism

Young artists who left workshops in the years following the activity of Michelangelo and Raphael must have had a very hard time: how could one create...

Magda Michalska 2 January 2024

Mannerism

The Mannerist Splendor: Meet Four Powerful Women of Bronzino

Agnolo di Cosimo (1503–1572), known as Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter. He lived and worked in Florence and became the court painter of...

Joanna Kaszubowska 2 January 2024