Art Forms

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, ca 1766-1833, lacquered gilt wood, Vietnam, Musée Guimet, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara was donated to the Musée Guimet in Paris, France, in 1889 by French archeologist Gustave Dumoutier. It represents the...

James W Singer 7 December 2023

Asian Art

Late Mughal Atelier: An Art Historical Journey Through Two Masterpieces by Fayzullah

Fayzullah was a renowned artist of the royal Mughal atelier in the late 18th century, during the reign of Alamgir II. Two of his masterpieces,...

Maya M. Tola, 7 December 2023

Attributed to the Workshop of Nicholas Hilliard, Elizabeth I Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Elizabeth I

The portrait of Elizabeth I is attributed to the workshop of Nicholas Hilliard and showcases the queen in her sixties. Similar to other images of...

Anna Ingram 7 December 2023

Striding Lion, 604-562 BCE, glazed clay bricks, Processional Way, Babylon, Iraq, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Striding Lion from the Ishtar Gate

Striding Lion is a masterpiece of Mesopotamian art with monumental size and composition. It symbolizes the strength of King Nebuchadnezzar II and the...

James W Singer 5 December 2023

Artist Stories

Vive la Belle Époque! The Story of Giovanni Boldini and Franca Florio

The history of the Belle Époque reveals many scandalous stories. Behind the elegant portraits interesting lives of grand dames and adventurous...

Giordana Goretti 5 December 2023

Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1802, Château de Versailles, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps is one of the most famous and politically iconic images of European art history. However, it is a...

James W Singer 4 December 2023

Artist Stories

Evelyn De Morgan, The Pre-Raphaelite Sister You May Not Know

Welcome to the work of Evelyn De Morgan. Jewel rich colors, gorgeously draped figures and a feminist message – what’s not to like? But why is her...

Candy Bedworth 4 December 2023

John Everett Millais, Mariana, 1851, Tate Britain, London, UK. Literature

Literature in the Pre-Raphaelite Paintings

From its very inception, subjects taken from the literature were a staple for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Shakespeare, Keats, and Tennyson were...

Anastasia Manioudaki 4 December 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Fowling in the Marshes

Ancient Egypt. The famous land of Tutankhamun evokes popular images of pyramids, mummies, and tombs. It left an artistic heritage that is still...

James W Singer 3 December 2023

Medieval Art

How Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Was Inspired by the Late Medieval Tapestry

In Charles Perrault’s 17th-century literary world, knights, dragons, and spellbound princesses persisted centuries after the topic diminished. As...

Anna Ingram 2 December 2023

The Devonshire Hunting Tapestry: Boar and Bear Hunt (detail) Medieval Art

The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries

The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries consist of four large tapestries depicting scenes of hunting various animals. They were made between 1430 and 1450...

Anna Ingram 2 December 2023

Art History 101

5 Most Famous Medusa Paintings in Art History

Medusa, a creation of Greek mythology, stood as one of its most fearsome entities. In Ancient Greek, her name translates to “guardian” or...

Zuzanna Stańska 1 December 2023