#religious art

Winterfled Diptych: Mary Magdalene Raised by Angels WTF Art History

Why Is She So Hairy? Iconography of Mary Magdalene

Whenever I come across Gothic or early Renaissance representations of Mary Magdalene I always ask myself this question – why is she so hairy? Keep...

Magda Michalska 19 September 2023

Sculpture

Donatello’s Mary Magdalene: Penitence and Salvation

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, better known as Donatello, was a sculptor born around 1386 in Florence, which is also the city in which he died in...

Soledad Castillo Jara 19 September 2023

Caravaggio, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, 1610, Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano, Naples, Italy. Baroque

Caravaggio’s Last Painting: The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula

In May 1610, Caravaggio completed The Martyrdom of St Ursula. Two months later, he was dead. We investigate the story behind his last commission,...

Catriona Miller 17 September 2023

discarding image: Rothschild Canticles, Flanders, c. 1300 Medieval Art

The Best of Discarding Images

During the Middle Ages, illuminated manuscripts were first used in the Roman Catholic Church for liturgical services and prayers. The popularity of...

Anna Ingram 15 September 2023

Piero della Francesca Artist Stories

Piero della Francesca: Artist, Mathematician, Humanist

Piero della Francesca was not only an accomplished artist of the Early Renaissance, but also one of the greatest mathematicians of his day. His works...

Natalia Iacobelli 13 September 2023

Prehistoric Art

Stonehenge: Incredible Facts and Fascinating Theories

Stonehenge is one of the most famous archeological sites in the world, located in the county of Wiltshire, UK. Nowadays we do know some things about...

Camilla de Laurentis 12 September 2023

Prehistoric Art

Portable Prehistoric Gods and Goddesses

Our prehistoric ancestors moved around a lot. It was a short and brutal life back then – you needed the protection and guidance of your gods and...

Candy Bedworth 12 September 2023

Baroque

David and Goliath Painting Re-Attributed to Artemisia Gentileschi

Baroque master Artemisia Gentileschi’s long-hidden signature has been discovered in a 17th-century David and Goliath painting. The work was...

Alexandra Kiely 8 September 2023

Asian Art

Holi: A Vibrant Celebration of Colors

Celebrated during the spring full moon, the Hindu festival of Holi is a joyous occasion that marks the arrival of Spring. This lively festival of...

Maya M. Tola 7 September 2023

The Adoration of Cosmic Vishnu, ca. 1710 - 1725, Mankot, India, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Asian Art

Avatars of Vishnu: Ten Incarnations of the Eastern God

Vishnu has been worshipped for over 2000 years as the supreme protector of the Hindu triumvirate, along with Shiva and Brahmin. His role in the...

Maya M. Tola 21 August 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Madonna and Child with Two Angels by Fra Filippo Lippi

On the surface, Fra Filippo Lippi’s Madonna and Child with Two Angels appears to be another typical Renaissance painting of the Virgin Mary and the...

James W Singer 15 August 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels by Jean Fouquet

Gazing at this 15th-century masterpiece, you might mistake it for a contemporary creation. Vivid bursts of deep blue and red cherubs compose the...

Rachel Witte 15 August 2023