In Bloom: Exploring the Beauty of The Rose Book
The Rose Book, one of Phaidon’s recent releases, celebrates the timeless beauty and symbolism of the rose. As the title suggests, this stunning...
Errika Gerakiti 7 April 2025
#Symbols
Holy Cow! Why Did the Dutch Painters Love Cows?
Every time I look at 17th-century Dutch paintings, I ask myself the same question: why do they always show cows? You will probably think this is a...
Magda Michalska 12 February 2025
Masterpiece Story: The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger
The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger is one of those paintings that we know so well we tend to forget to look closer. It’s like the Mona...
Joanna Kaszubowska 27 January 2025
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 10 January 2025
Masterpiece Story: Threatened Swan by Jan Asselijn
Swans are normally characterized as graceful birds. They are magnificent and majestic. However, Jan Asselijn displays another side of these elegant...
James W Singer 5 January 2025
Yes, Santa Claus Is Real! His Name Is St. Nicholas
Who dressed in winter robes, bestowed gifts under the cover of night, and became a hero to children? This describes Nicholas of Myra, a Middle...
Helen Jeffery 6 December 2024
Fruits, Flowers, and Death: Still Lifes in Art History
Still lifes are one of the most recurrent and well-known themes in art history. These subjects are usually representations of inanimate objects such...
Andra Patricia Ritisan 26 November 2024
5 Still Lifes by Francisco de Zurbarán You Need to Know
Although he is best known for his religious themes, Francisco de Zurbarán created wonderful still lifes that stand out for their simplicity and, at...
Andra Patricia Ritisan 7 November 2024
Masterpiece Story: Beata Beatrix by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Read the story of Beata Beatrix by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, one of the key members of the Pre-Raphaelites movement. Discover the fascinating meanings...
Bolor Jargalsaikhan 20 October 2024
The Unicorn Tapestries – Allegory of Christ, or a Happy Husband?
The Unicorn Tapestries are a set of medieval tapestries depicting a hunt for a unicorn, a popular motif at the time. They’re probably the most...
Alexandra Kiely 4 October 2024
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
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
