When an aspiring French artist moved to Paris as a young man, he never managed to find his artistic breakthrough. He did, however, see the amazing paintings produced by Renaissance artists and Baroque artists in Italy. This motivated Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) to try his luck in Rome where he painted this work. In this article, …
Artworks
Whether or not “Peasant Bruegel”, the nickname of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525-1569), was a peasant himself or whether he simply romanticized peasant life remains unknown. What we do know is that this Renaissance artist loved to depict the common man as he was. This gives us a remarkable view of working-class life in the …
The Dark Ages is a term that emerged in the 14th century to describe the cultural decline of Western Europe following the Fall of the Western Roman Empire. This decline included the stop of monumental construction projects and the creation of artworks. Europe gradually crawled out of this dark hole and as certain regions such …
When a German artist founded an art journal in the early 20th century, it defined an art movement that had reached its peak around this period in history. Franz Marc (1880-1916) was an influential Expressionist artist who produced revolutionary paintings. These distinctive colorful artworks inspired many modern artists of future generations. Let’s take a closer …
One of the most innovative Italian artists of the late 16th century emerged in the city of Bologna. Annibale Carracci (1560-1609) absorbed several styles and, together with his brother and cousin, produced distinctive paintings in what is known today as the Bolognese School. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts …
Historical and mythological paintings were not interesting for Édouard Manet (1832-1883), a renowned French artist who played a major role in the development of modern art. He was one of the first artists in history who depicted life as it really was, and especially anything related to leisure was his cup of tea. In this …
One of the most famous American artists in history had a front-row seat during the urbanization of the United States in the 19th century. Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was a Realism artist who produced magnificent landscapes and seascapes. The rural setting of many of his works evoked a particular emotion. Let’s take a closer look at …
Very few artists in history were as politically involved as Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825). He was a supporter of the French Revolution in the late 18th century. He got connections to some of the most important people of the Revolution. This culminated in his adoration of Napoleon Bonaparte and his exile to Brussels after his idol’s …
One of Europe’s most contentious figures of the late 18th and early 19th centuries was a popular subject among the most renowned French artists at the time. This is remarkable because Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) didn’t have a lot of time to sit for them considering he was too busy raging war all across the continent. …
When an aspiring French artist was keen on transforming the world of art in the late 19th century, he did exactly what he attempted. Georges Seurat (1859-1891) briefly received a formal education at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, one of the most prestigious art academies in the country. When he returned from military duties …