WTF Art History

Contemporary Art

Between Art and Engineering: Kinetic Beasts by Theo Jansen

Theo Jansen, a Dutch contemporary artist, a sculptor, an engineer, and most significantly, a visionary. The universe in his mind along with his...

Caroline Galambosova 19 September 2024

Myths and Legends, Pablo Picasso, Barque de naïades et faune blessé, 1937, Ancient Greece

The Myth of the Minotaur: Monster or Victim?

Greek myth tell us that brave warrior Theseus kills the monstrous Minotaur in a labyrinth. But who is the villain here?

Candy Bedworth 19 September 2024

Mermaids, Evelyn de Morgan, The Sea Maidens, 1885 History

Siren Song: History of Mermaids in Art

Benevolent or deadly? There are so many depictions of this mythical creature. Let's explore how mermaids have been portrayed in art.

Candy Bedworth 19 September 2024

Anguish August Friedrich Schenck Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Anguish by August Friedrich Schenck

Surrounded by menacing crows, a mother sheep wails in anguish as her lifeless young lamb rests on a snowy bed. This scene, painted by August...

Montaine Dumont 18 September 2024

Love Story

Unhappily Ever After: Unequal Marriage by Vasili Pukirev

Vasili Pukirev’s painting, Unequal Marriage, has a legend surrounding it. Allegedly, after looking at it all the elderly grooms refused to marry...

Elizaveta Ermakova 18 September 2024

WTF Art History

6 Creatures by Hieronymus Bosch That Could Be Pokémon

Did you ever think where the ideas for Pokémon could be coming from? Here are six examples proving that in the 16th century, Hieronymus Bosch caught...

Zuzanna Stańska 16 September 2024

Bizarre

Can You Beat This Beard? Bearded Men in Paintings

According to some fashion experts, beards reached their peak 10 years ago. However, this is not just some seasonal trend. Long, short, trimmed, or...

Magda Michalska 16 September 2024

Rococo

Jean-Étienne Liotard Breakfast Scenes

The 18th-century painter, miniaturist, and pastelist Jean-Étienne Liotard is perhaps one of the most eccentric artists of his time. Known for his...

Anna Ingram 16 September 2024

Unicorns in art Animals

Unicorns in Art Across Time: From French Tapestries to Damien Hirst’s Sculptures

Unicorns, the enchanting and mythical beings, have been a captivating subject in art since ancient times, maintaining their inspirational allure for...

Ela Bobek 16 September 2024

Baroque

Fascinating (and Creepy) Coffin Portraits of the Polish Nobility

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Poland was a much bigger and more important country than it is today, as it encompassed some parts of the territories...

Magda Michalska 16 September 2024

Bizarre

Wunderkammer – A Universe in Your Closet

How would you feel if you found a mummified crocodile in your best friend’s room? Well, pretty awkward I guess, although I imagine that you’ve...

Magda Michalska 16 September 2024

Theater & Cinema

Movie Scenes Staged as Famous Paintings

In 1911 the Italian film theoretician Ricciotto Canudo defined cinema as “the seventh art”. So it’s quite natural that from its birth cinema...

Arianna Richetti 16 September 2024