#Symbols

WTF Art History

Blood in (and as) Art

One of the first known expressions of human creativity, the Lascaux cave paintings, were created with blood, a material that has remained significant...

Kaena Daeppen 10 June 2024

Spring masterpieces: Claude Monet,The Artist's gareden inGiverny, 1900, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France Art State of Mind

Spring Is Here! Catch Spring Fever with 7 Masterpieces!

It has finally arrived! Spring is here! The freezing winter says farewell and the good weather is hopefully here to stay. The warm rays of sunshine...

Andra Patricia Ritisan 10 May 2024

Renaissance

Mona Lisa’s Illnesses

Everyone has heard about the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece at the Louvre in Paris. But you have probably never heard about… her...

Camilla de Laurentis 8 May 2024

Theater & Cinema

Harry Potter and the Lady of the Unicorn Tapestries

The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries were made towards the end of the 15th century and are one of the most well-known sets of medieval tapestries. You...

Anna Ingram 22 April 2024

Europa Art: Valentin Serov, The Rape of Europa, 1910, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moskva, Russia. Literature

How Europe Got Its Name — The Myth of Europa in Art

Have you ever wondered where the name of the continent Europe comes from? Meet Europa, a Phoenician woman who became the inspiration for the name of...

Magda Michalska 17 April 2024

Art History 101

The Complicated History of Norse Mythology in Art

Literally speaking, mythology is an old-school kind of storytelling. “Mythos” is a Greek word for “story” while “logia” means...

Lana Pajdas 17 April 2024

James Ensor, Masks Confronting Death, 1888, Museum of Modern Art, New York, United States of America Expressionism

James Ensor: What the Mask Hides

Do you know who James Ensor was? James Ensor (1860-1949) was a scandalous, rebellious, and revolutionary Belgian painter with a style that could be...

Andra Patricia Ritisan 11 April 2024

Dine & Wine

Baroque Foodies – Social Media of the Dutch Golden Age

Carefully arranged plates of food surrounded by carefully planned out backgrounds, images with hidden meanings, a snapshot of wealth… What may...

Rachel Witte 13 March 2024

John William Waterhouse, The Soul of the Rose, 1908. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Detail. Art State of Mind

Viva Floralia! All Flowers in Art

The Floralia festival was celebrated in Ancient Rome in honor of the goddess Flora. Because there is nothing more beautiful than flowers and,...

Andra Patricia Ritisan 28 February 2024

Ancient Rome

Masterpiece Story: Mithras Slaying the Bull

Mithras Slaying the Bull is a compilation of the entire religious and symbolic images of Mithraism. It reflects promised immortality and personal...

James W Singer 21 January 2024

Literature

The Snow Queen – Book Illustrations

The Snow Queen is one of the most beautiful winter tales. It was originally published on December 21st, 1844. The fairytale has been continuously...

Errika Gerakiti 3 January 2024

Love Story

Legend of Proserpina by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Works of the famous Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti often resonate with his personal experiences in life and love. Especially, the lush...

Bolor Jargalsaikhan 13 December 2023