Trace Bradley

Trace is an amateur painter who turned her hobby into a lovely obsession. She is keen to learn everything about the most famous artworks ever created and aims to apply their techniques to her works. She documents her findings on Art-Facts to help you understand every aspect of paintings and other forms of art and gets back to her easel shortly after.

Many artists in the 19th century developed new painting techniques, most notably the Impressionist artists who used visible brushstrokes while painting outdoors. Very few dared to paint modern life as it was, so this French artist caused quite a stir when he started painting Parisian taverns and bars. Many paintings by Manet show modern life …

This Dutch Golden Age painter was born in a major port city in modern-day Belgium, but he lived and worked almost his entire life in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Frans Hals (1582-1666) was the son of a cloth merchant from Antwerp who had to flee with his family to the north during a year-long …

Very few painters in history spent more time in the presence of Napoleon Bonaparte, the military leader who became Emperor of the French in the early 19th century than this French artist. Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) was a fervent supporter of the French Revolution and his talent brought him to the highest levels of French society. …

The most devastating military conflicts in history, usually fought on a large battlefield, have shaped the world we live in today. These epic events have served as a source of inspiration for artists for centuries and as you surely expected, many of the most famous battle paintings are huge. Another common factor in these monumental …

When a famous English artist was in his early twenties, he visited a ruined castle that majestically overlooks a river on the border of England and Scotland. He produced his first work of the castle in England the following year and he would be inspired by it several more times throughout his career. Joseph Mallord …

The French are still divided about this dubious figure, and that’s because he was one of the most controversial politicians in French history. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) rose out of the ashes of the French Revolution and became highly popular following numerous successes during the Revolutionary Wars. He became the First Consul of the Republic between …

The excavation works of a new church in Rome uncovered an ancient marble sculpture in the early 17th century. The people who uncovered this marvelous work of art instantly knew they had hit the jackpot and it wasn’t long before a notorious Cardinal got word of it. One of the most famous Baroque sculptors in …

One of the most influential French artists in history is credited with forming a bridge between Realism and Impressionism. Regardless of the upper-class status of Édouard Manet (1832-1883), he often chose to depict Parisian life as it was in the 19th century. This in combination with his distinctive style means that he produced some of …

The Passion of Jesus Christ, the brief period during the final days of his life and after his death, has been a popular subject in Christian art for centuries. This period generally starts with his triumphal entry in Jerusalem and ends with his Resurrection following his Crucifixion. Many Crucifixion paintings, Last Supper paintings, and other …

One of the most interesting periods in Dutch history resulted in the emergence of various new types of art. This included genre paintings that depict common life in the Dutch Republic. Jan Havickszoon Steen (1626-1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in painting the common man during this jolly era. He had a …