The scene is set. Lively music plays in the background, and as the cutlery clinks and people cheer, a couple finishing their dinner to dance the night away. This is...

Alexander Calder has become synonymous with moving sculptures, or as they are famously known, mobiles. He epitomized movement in art and made it playful and abstract. His art was diverse...

From being privately hidden during the Spanish Inquisition to being depicted on postage stamps and becoming iconic in 20th century pop culture, The Naked Maja (c. 1795 – 1800) by...

In Drowning Girl (1963) by Roy Lichtenstein, we are met with a girl in water, who would rather drown than ask Brad for help. But, who is Brad? This article...

A picture can say a thousand words, but one sentence can drastically change what a picture is saying. This is the case for the painting, This Is Not a Pipe...

The famous triptych painting, The Temptation of St Anthony, by Hieronymus Bosch will leave you dissecting it for hours. You will meet a creature protruding from almost every opening that...

Think of a world of possibilities that seem to veer on insanity. This is exactly what the tale of Don Quixote, the knight in question, is all about. This was...

The 17th-century Spanish girl, Eugenia Martínez Vallejo, suffered from a genetic disorder that drastically affected her weight gain. This made her an object of entertainment and ridicule in the Spanish...

Eugène Delacroix was a key figure in the Romantic art movement of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was known for his expressive techniques that seemed to eschew those of...

Henri Matisse was known for his figurative art forms, especially his nude figures. Still, he also dove into other areas of representation, and ones that provided an air of peace,...

What does a musical instrument, a woman, symbols, and letters, all placed on one canvas, have in common? That would be Pablo Picasso, who was one of the most beloved...

Religious paintings were all the rage during art periods like the Renaissance, but the later Baroque art style took them a step further into dramatism, of which Caravaggio led the...

Jean-Michel Basquiat was a star amongst the stars of New York City during the 1980s and lived a life akin to a rock and roller, only in his case, he...

Vanity can cause a lot of trouble and even lead to death, which was the case for Narcissus, who could not stop looking at his own reflection in the water....

From blue horses to music, Wassily Kandinsky never created a dull moment in his colorful compositions. He transcended the boundaries of what art represented and delved right into the abstract...

The Abduction of Psyche (1895) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau depicts two famous sweethearts from Greek mythology, namely Psyche and Cupid. In the article below, you will learn more about this painting...

The Golconda by René Magritte (not to be confused with La Gioconda (1503), the Italian name for The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci), is a Surrealist painting from 1953....

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a beloved Impressionist and created numerous well-known paintings that are adored to this day. One of these includes his full-length double portrait titled Dance at Bougival (1883),...

As one of the foremost Northern Renaissance artists, Pieter Bruegel the Elder created visual stories that could keep you entertained for days on end. This article will explore one of...

It was hung in a famous New York bar and then relegated to storage, only to be found again and hung in the Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts. This is...

Mythological stories have been the source of inspiration for artists for centuries and when names like Cupid crop up, it undoubtedly evokes ideas of love and arrows! This article will...

The early 1900s in Europe was an emotionally charged time, as the onset of World War One changed the lives of thousands, resulting in new ways of thinking emerging in...

Swirls, splatters, and splashes of paint in a flashy array in an era of change. This almost sums up the iconic and monumental paintings of Jackson Pollock. While the artist...

The Bearded Woman (La Mujer Barbuda) (1631) painting by Jusepe de Ribera is an intriguing and thought-provoking composition. It touches on ideas around gender, femininity, and concepts of beauty and...

The Biblical tale of Susanna and the Elders has been widely depicted in paintings throughout art history. It was also mostly painted by men. But what happens when a female...

Delicate women and one man appear in dazes and slumber amidst patterned patches and florals. A seemingly content and happy bunch, but they are watched by an eager figure appearing...

It makes up not one, but two of Western art’s most mysterious paintings - the Virgin of the Rocks artworks by the illustrious Leonardo da Vinci. There is much debate...

Thomas Cole was one of the leading landscape painters in America. The Oxbow painting from 1836 is just one example of how the artist captured the magnificence of the North...

How do you paint music? Well, this is what one of the pioneering artists of modern art did, and who paved a path for abstract art through his unique visual...

The Surrealist artists of the 20th century visualized new and extraordinary worlds in their art;  the worlds of dreams. This article will discuss one such artist, René Magritte, and his...

Vincent van Gogh has been described as the “Father of Modern Art” and created hundreds of paintings of places and people. This includes one of his final paintings, titled Wheatfield...

The Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan story is not only gut-wrenching, but also a harrowing tale of the inextricability of love and loss. This article will discuss this...

When thinking about the idea of truth personified, you probably don’t imagine that it is a woman, let alone a woman climbing out of a well. To tell you the...

The thought of Jackson Pollock will probably conjure up images of the artist dynamically moving around a canvas on the floor, pouring and flicking paint onto it. This is how...

At first, you might think that The Fighting Temeraire could be about a bull or a raging wild animal, but it is really about a ship. It is a painting...

The Spanish painter and sculptor Joan Miró was famous for his biomorphic and somewhat subliminal subject matter. He was not quite a Cubist, nor was he a Surrealist, but he...

Pablo Picasso produced numerous iterations of women in armchairs. These were more so of the significant women in his life, who all played a part in his visual storytelling. This...

Aliens. Dark spaces. Womb-like crevices and creatures that seemingly stepped out of the stuff of nightmares. These, and more, make up the artistic oeuvre of Swiss artist Hans Ruedi (H.R.)...

In the following article, you will learn more about the painting by the Fauvist Henri Matisse, The Red Studio from 1911. It is a life-size canvas wherein you are plunged...

The Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne was a pioneering artist of his time and pushed the boundaries of how far Modern art could go, paving the way for future artists like...

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was among the Impressionist group of artists during the 19th century. He has a rich history, filled with experiences and connections that all molded and made him the...

John Constable was a catalyst in landscape painting during the 19th century, and he became one of the most beloved artists of this genre during modern art. In the article...

Le Rêve (1932), which means “the dream” in French, is one of Pablo Picasso’s famous portrait paintings of his mistress, Marie-Thérèse Walter. It has been described as “erotic”, reportedly painted...

Portraits of Elizabeth I were produced throughout the early modern era from the 1500s to the 1800s. These portraits of Queen Elizabeth the First were at first simple representations of...

Frida Kahlo is a name that many will know, as she was not only an artist but a beautiful embodiment of her innate expression despite the trauma she endured throughout...

Frida Kahlo was not only a well-known artist that inspired, and continues to inspire, people around the world. She was also a woman with hopes and dreams that got dashed....

Frida Kahlo was one of the most culturally diverse female artists of her time. She did not belong to any one art movement, but embodied the multi-facets of her life...

The Wheat Field with Cypresses (1889) by Vincent van Gogh is one of his many landscape and scenic paintings depicting his love of not only nature, but his beautiful expression...

A marriage, a mythological tale, and a match made in a beautiful landscape, with a few funny satyrs – the scene is set. This article will explore the early Renaissance...

If you think of Jackson Pollock, what comes to mind are probably large trails and tails of paint on even larger canvases on the floor. It is not your average...

Frida Kahlo has starred as the main protagonist in most of her paintings, and usually as someone experiencing deep pain and sadness. A reflection of her life circumstances, from chronic...

William-Adolphe Bouguereau was an acclaimed artist of his time and produced paintings with realism that verged on photography. This article will discuss one of his paintings with darker subject matter...

Impressionism was one of the most catalyzing and significant art movements of the 19th century that heralded new modes of portraying subject matter – artists were taking to the outdoors...

The stencil of Balloon Girl by Banksy, the renowned street artist, is also known as Girl with Balloon and is one of his most well-known artworks, both instantly recognized and...

An exemplar of the Dutch art style, Woman Holding a Balance (c. 1664) by Johannes Vermeer is one of the artist’s most famous works. But what is the woman doing...

The mythological tale of Icarus is an often-portrayed theme in art history and one that was given a different slant in Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (c. 1560) by...

William Blake was one of the foremost English Romanticists, an artist of many skills who walked the line between the real and sublime. This article will discuss his watercolor The...

While Pablo Picasso was a multi-faceted artist, painting in a wide scope of styles that ranged from naturalistic to abstract, he was best known for his pioneering role in developing...

At first glance, the Daniel in the Lions’ Den (c. 1614 - 1616) painting by Peter Paul Rubens might appear to depict a Biblical tale, and although it does, there...

What is ugly and what is not? This question underlies the striking and bold The Ugly Duchess by Quinten Massys, a painting of an old woman with a contrasting set...

The Death of Marat (1793) by Jacques-Louis David has stood the tests of revolutions and vanishment, but it has always managed to make a statement. This article will explore this...

This article will conduct a The Bull analysis, which consists of 11 lithographs created by the much loved and talented Pablo Picasso, and interestingly a process of design that has...

From an early age, the image of the dove has been etched in the imagination of the widely loved Pablo Picasso. While he created several artworks depicting doves as the...

The painting of Napoleon Bonaparte Crossing the Alps (c.1801) by Jacques-Louis David has been one of the most famous renditions of the French leader Napoleon Bonaparte, with numerous copies of...

Altarpieces during the Medieval and Renaissance periods functioned as altar decorations in churches and ranged from paintings to sculptures, but they also held deeper devotional meanings. One of which includes...

If you enjoy Neoclassical art, then Oath of the Horatii (1784) by Jacques-Louis David is a staple in your art history knowledge bank. But what makes this such a significant...

Joan of Arc was a popular figure in French history, who is known throughout the world for her brave character. She is often the main subject of artworks that celebrate...

The Marilyn Diptych (1962) is one of several silkscreen paintings of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol. The Pop artist produced a series of these Marilyn Monroe prints shortly after the...

Imagine a summery day; it is hot outside, and all you want to do is jump in the pool and splash around. This article will discuss A Bigger Splash (1967)...

Paul Cézanne’s The Card Players (c. 1890 - 1892) is just one of his most iconic paintings depicting card players from his series of five. This article will take a...

This article will discuss Wild Poppies Near Argenteuil (1873) by Claude Monet, which is just one example of many of his en plein air paintings depicting his mastery and love...

Pablo Picasso is an artist known by many. He explored various themes in his art, which include his crying woman painting, one of his famous abstract art examples, and one...

Georgia O’Keeffe is famously described as the “Mother of Modernism”; she was one of the most prominent female artists during the 1900s, inspired by natural landscapes. Among these is her...

Anyone familiar with Frida Kahlo’s paintings will know that she was an icon of 20th-century art, renowned for her honest and often heart-wrenching depictions of herself and the world she...

Irises (1889) was part of a series of iris flower paintings by the world-renowned and loved Post-Impressionist artist, Vincent van Gogh. This article will explore and discuss this painting in...

The famous lady holding a ferret painting Lady With an Ermine (1489-1491) by Leonardo da Vinci is one of his female portraits depicting beauty as well as mystery. This is...

Mannerist artists often depicted elongated figures in their paintings and reacted against the Classicism weaved within the fibers of the High Renaissance. This article will discuss the Mannerist Madonna With...

The Olive Trees (1889) by Vincent van Gogh is one of around 15 versions of olive trees that the famous Dutch artist created and explored when he lived in France....

Saint Anthony has been presented in the visual arts for centuries, especially his temptation in the desert. This article will explore and discuss this subject in the version painted by...

Drifting down a river to find the enchanting Sir Lancelot, the Lady of Shalott finds herself cursed and dead before she can find the handsome prince. This is the tale...

La Grande Odalisque (1814) by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres has become one of the most loved Romantic paintings. In this article, we gaze into the secret abode of a woman waiting in...

If you enjoy Greek/Roman mythology, you probably know of the Greek Titan called Kronos, the god of time. You know, the one who ate his own children? This is the...

Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez, painted in 1656, is an artwork that still turns heads, reflecting much more than meets the eye and raising seemingly unanswerable questions. This is the...

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (c. 1599–1601) was a tale of love, murder, madness, and heartbreak, of which the character Ophelia met her end, drowning in a brook, but is forever immortalized...

Imagine a scene of carnage, death, pillaging, and plundering, all done by an army of skeletons. At first, you might laugh at the idea, but the idea comes to life...

The beloved Cubist Pablo Picasso created thousands of paintings, but did you know that he painted over 10 self-portraits from the young age of 15 up until just before his...

It is one of the most detailed and shocking paintings from the Baroque art period and a testament to a female artist’s skills and talents within the art world mainly...

Albrecht Dürer was one of the most prolific artists from the Northern Renaissance, who was widely recognized for his mastery of detailed representations of animals and plants, which extended beyond...

Frida Kahlo’s life was not always an easy one, but her hardships and endurance were given a visual voice through her numerous self-portrait paintings. One of these includes her famous...

The year 1937 was a significant time in Europe, and specifically Spain, which was going through a civil war that lasted almost three years. It was during this time that...

The Mona Lisa (c. 1503-1506) by Leonardo da Vinci seemingly needs no introduction as almost all the world is well acquainted with this mysterious beauty and Renaissance masterpiece. This is...

The Chauvet cave in France features among the planet's most well-preserved representational cave paintings, such s the Lion panel, as well as additional Upper Paleolithic artifacts. Created around 36,000 years...

The lamentation of Christ is a popular theme throughout art history, depicting the moment of mourning over Christ’s dead body. This article will explore the famous depiction by the Proto-Renaissance...

During the American War of Independence, Christmas night of 1776 was a monumental undertaking for George Washington and his troops who crossed the Delaware River to siege the Hessians. This...

Exactly what effect did the black plague have on art? Throughout the era of plagues, the consequences of such a large-scale common experience on the European populace inspired poetry, literature,...

Born in 1869, French artist Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was more than just a painter and Fauvism fanatic - he is also considered one of the key founders of revolutionary...

The Death of Socrates (1787) by Jacques-Louis David is a poignant and impassioned portrayal of the handing over of Socrates’ poison while sitting on – quite literally – his deathbed....

The Salvator Mundi (c. 1499-1510) painting has become one of the most mysterious and investigated pieces of art in the world and is subject to scientific, political, and cultural controversies....

Christina’s World (1948) by Andrew Wyeth, who was an American artist, is a famous painting of a woman in a field and is recognized by many all over the world....

The Red Vineyard (1888) is an oil painting by the post-Impressionist Vincent van Gogh. It has quite the reputation, reportedly being the only painting that he sold while he was...