Four Female Court Painters You Did Not Know
Throughout history, art has always played an important role in royal propaganda across Europe. Royal families were in a race to employ the best...
Gokce Dyson 6 November 2023
#royal portraits
Modern Muse: Arpita Shah’s Feminist Take on Mughal Portraiture
Staging an intervention in art history, and specifically in Indian miniature portraiture, Arpita Shah replaces male Mughal emperors with inspiring...
Guest Profile 3 September 2023
Ravenna’s Byzantine Treasures: Mosaics in San Vitale
The early medieval church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, is most famous for its spectacular mosaics. In a city full of rich, Byzantine-style...
Alexandra Kiely 21 August 2023
Thérèse Schwartze: The Painter of the Amsterdam’s Elite
Thérèse Schwartze (1851–1918) grew up in an artistic family in Amsterdam. Her father Johann Georg Schwartze was a painter and he introduced his...
Europeana 21 August 2023
Queen Marie Antoinette in Portraits
Marie Antoinette, the final Queen of France and Navarre before the French Revolution, is renowned for numerous portraits that depict her life.
Zuzanna Stańska 10 August 2023
Gian Gastone de’ Medici: The Forgotten Queer Legacy of the Last Medici
The Medici Family. For most, these three words conjure up images of Cosimo de’ Medici, Lorenzo de’ Medici, or the many artists and artworks...
Guest Profile 7 July 2023
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 Sun King’s Reflection: Portraits of Louis XIV
Louis XIV was definitely a great arts patron but sadly a slightly less great king. However, that didn’t stop him from being self-indulging,...
Magda Michalska 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 Profile 11 June 2023
Royaltastic Queens: Women Who Fought the Patriarchy and Won!
Follow us on a short historical tour of thriving royal women across Europe who enjoyed power and success on their own terms. How we measure royal...
Candy Bedworth 6 March 2023
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
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
