#Portraits

Contemporary Art

Official Portraits of Michelle and Barack Obama

On February 12, 2018, the official portraits of former US president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle were unveiled. They are the latest additions...

Karolina 20 February 2023

Asian Art

Peek into the Court: Stunning Qajar Portraits

I’m sure you’re well acquainted with European royal portraiture. But have you ever seen portraits of rulers from beyond Europe? We want to show...

Magda Michalska 20 February 2023

British royal portraits European Art

Power and Propaganda – The British Royal Portraits

Royal portraiture is a centuries-old tradition, but it might be called the forerunner of the posed selfie – an artfully curated image that is meant...

Candy Bedworth 20 February 2023

Women Artists

Anita Malfatti: The First Modernist of Brazil

Portraits of women made by other women are always worthy of attention. The representation of a woman by another is often less idealized or...

Rute Ferreira 19 February 2023

Women Artists

Amrita Sher-Gil – India’s Frida Kahlo

Amrita Sher-Gil lived a short but certainly interesting life. Her artistic oeuvre is extremely impressive and she is considered to be one of the most...

Zuzanna Stańska 30 January 2023

Artist Stories

Broncia Koller-Pinell: An Artist Lost to Time

If you are like me, it is entirely probable that you have never heard of Broncia Koller-Pinell (1863–1934). It has nothing to do with the quality...

Rachel Witte 27 January 2023

Mary Beale. Mary Beale, Self-portrait, c. 1670, Moyses Hall Museum, Bury St Edmunds, London, UK. Women Artists

Mary Beale – England’s First Professional Female Artist

Mary Beale was a Baroque painter from the 17th century. Her talent led her to become the first professional British female artist. Luckily, she...

Jimena Escoto 8 January 2023

Women Artists

Fede Galizia: The Great Old Master of Her Time

Fede Galizia was an Italian early modern painter of still lifes, portraits, and religious pictures. Although she has remained in the shadows for...

Anna Ingram 8 January 2023

Women Artists

5 Things You Should Know About Michaelina Wautier

Michaelina Wautier was born in Mons in 1604. This Flemish painter has been absent in art history for many years, but her life and work are slowly...

Vithória Konzen Dill 8 January 2023

Marlene Dumas, Betrayal, 1994, private collection, courtesy of David Zwirner, New York. Installation view, Marlene Dumas. open-end at Palazzo Grassi, 2022. Photo by Marco Cappelletti con Filippo Rossi © Palazzo Grassi © Marlene Dumas. Women Artists

The Sublimity of Marlene Dumas’ Portraits in Venice

On view until January 8, 2023, the exhibition Open-End, curated by Caroline Bourgeois for Palazzo Grassi in Venice, is a kaleidoscope of faces and...

Carlotta Mazzoli 15 December 2022

History

When in Mexico: Mysterious and Beautiful Flower Crowned Nun Portraits

Gambol into the lobby of most Mexican hotels, or visit any antique store in Mexico, and you’re bound to find a portrait of an 18th or 19th-century...

Guest Profile 23 November 2022

Renaissance

The Surprising Career of Lavinia Fontana: Painter of Popes, Nudes, and Noblewomen

There weren’t many women who became successful artists in Renaissance Europe. However, there were probably more than most people think, and we try...

Alexandra Kiely 25 October 2022