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
#Portraits
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
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
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
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 – 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
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
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
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
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
Remember Me: Seven Intriguing Renaissance Portraits
The most important function of portraits is to preserve the memory of the sitter. The desire for being remembered is a natural human trait that is...
Nicole Ganbold 21 October 2022
Meet Catharina van Hemessen: The Female Renaissance Artist You Haven’t Heard About
Do you know which artist created the very first self-portrait depicting themselves at work? Let me introduce you to Catharina van Hemessen. She was...
Anna Ingram 28 September 2022
