#Portraits

Artist Stories

Pablo Picasso and Women in His Life

Pablo Picasso, perhaps the most influential and recognizable painter of the 20th century, is well known for his tumultuous (or even abusive)...

Pola Otterstein 1 July 2023

Love Story

Women in Rossetti’s Life and Art: Muses and Lovers

Anyone who knows of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood will remember their style by the representation of a very particular type of woman – the ones...

Bolor Jargalsaikhan 1 July 2023

Music

Farinelli – The Best Castrato In Portraits

What does “castrato” mean? Castrati were male singers who had been castrated before puberty to retain the so-called voce bianca, that is...

Magda Michalska 26 June 2023

Nicaise de Keyser, William II (1792-1849), King of the Netherlands, when Prince of Orange, 1846, Royal Collection, UK. History

Willem II: The Queer King of the Netherlands

Willem II ruled the Netherlands from 1840 to 1849. In modern terms he would be considered a bisexual man, as he had relationships with both women and...

Jimena Escoto 14 June 2023

Ancient Rome

The Portrait of Rome’s Decline: Bust of Decius

The turmoil of Rome’s decline in the 3rd century enclosed the 21-month reign of Decius. His tenure as emperor was not exceptionally short for the...

Guest Author 11 June 2023

WTF Art History

Famous People and Their Doppelgängers in Art

Doppelgänger is a word of German origin (doppel- meaning “double,” and -gänger meaning “goer”). In old German folklore, it was believed...

Vithória Konzen Dill 16 March 2023

Contemporary Art

Official Portraits of Michelle and Barack Obama

In 2018, the official portraits of former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled, becoming part of the Smithsonian...

Karolina 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

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

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

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