#Miniature Painting

Ende, Prologue, On the Church, Gerona Beatus, Miniature, ca. 975 CE Women Artists

Ende: The First Documented Spanish Female Manuscript Illuminator

She is an enigma, an ancient, foggy artist from northern Spain in the Middle Ages. We learn nothing about Ende’s identity, life, or whether she...

Wen Gu 26 March 2024

Rosalba Carriera, The Allegory of Music, 1712 Bavarian National Museum, Munich, Germany. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Rococo

Rosalba Carriera: The Accomplished Pastellist

Do you know the great Rococo portraitist Rosalba Carriera? She was one of the most famous painters of the early 18th century. Carriera became known...

Maia Heguiaphal 5 March 2024

Gerrit Dou, Dog at Rest, 1650, oil on oak panel, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Dog at Rest by Gerrit Dou

Gerrit Dou’s Dog at Rest is a masterpiece of Dutch genre painting, perfect for both dog enthusiasts and art...

James W Singer 25 February 2024

mythical love stories Love Story

5 Mythical Love Stories Depicted in Art

Mythical love stories are some of the greatest ever told, capturing the hearts of many generations. They have been recreated in sculpture, retold in...

Charlotte Stace 14 February 2024

Medieval Art

Here Be Medieval Dragons

Dragons are everywhere in popular culture. People make movies about them, collect stuffed animals of them, and dress up as them for Halloween. They...

Alexandra Kiely 16 January 2024

WTF Art History

The Unbelievable Story of Killer Rabbits in Medieval Manuscripts

If you’ve ever watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you probably remember the scene when the vicious killer bunny (which, as we remember,...

Zuzanna Stańska 1 December 2023

Medieval Art

Saint Joseph As Baby Daddy: An Illustrated Medieval Guide

Let’s forget the traditional Nativity scene that we all know for a moment: Virgin Mary kneeling before baby Christ, Joseph standing right behind...

Ela Bobek 18 October 2023

Animals

The Medieval Bestiary – Cute, Quirky, and Weird Animals

Of all the medieval manuscripts, bestiaries are definitely the most fun. A medieval bestiary is a book about animals. It’s full of unusual...

Alexandra Kiely 4 October 2023

Art State of Mind

True Tips for a Happier Life from the Miniatures of Reza Abbasi

Everyone wants to be happy and each of us has a different idea of happiness. For some, it is finishing college and getting a new job. For others, it...

Rute Ferreira 7 September 2023

Asian Art

The Tiny Big World of Kamal al-din Bihzad – A Persian Miniature Painter

Here we want to present you with the story of Kamal al-din Bihzad, a renowned Persian miniature painter and head of the royal ateliers in Herat and...

Magda Michalska 7 September 2023

Medieval Art

An Illuminated Year with Limbourg Brothers

Just imagine you are an extremely rich duke living in the 15th century who likes pretty books and magnificent castles. What do you do to have them...

Magda Michalska 15 November 2022

Medieval Art

Medieval Take on Comic Books – Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

The Middle Ages have a very sketchy reputation. On one hand, we know that a lot of amazing art was created during that time. On the other hand,...

Joanna Kaszubowska 15 November 2022