Before he reached the age of 20, this aspiring French artist moved from his home in the Meuse valley of northeastern France to Paris. Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884) inherited his artistic talent from his father who was an artist himself. He was a Realism artist who developed a style now referred to as Naturalism. The subject …
Paintings
This fantastic painting by one of the leading Romantic artists of his generation has a remarkable backstory. John Constable (1776-1837) was an English painter who produced his most famous paintings in Suffolk, and more specifically, the area known as Dedham Vale. It was only later in his career that he traveled more frequently and produced …
The life story of this renowned English artist reads as a tragedy but his incredible talent was undeniable. John William Godward (1861-1922) had a family who didn’t accept his choice to become a full-time artist and even completely abandoned him in the early 20th century. On top of that, he was a Neoclassical artist who …
By the time one of the most renowned Neoclassical artists in history was in her early 40s, she was already one of the most famous painters in Europe. Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) moved to Rome in the early 1780s and spent the final quarter-century of her life in the Italian capital. She never stopped painting and …
One of the most influential Rococo artists of the early 18th century was fascinated by an early form of theater and it reflects in his paintings. Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) invented a completely new genre of painting and this laid the foundation for the frivolous Rococo paintings in the following decades. In this article, we take …
Very few places outside of the world’s most famous museums allow you to admire 3 stunning paintings in such a small space. The chapel in a famous church in Rome is decorated with 3 masterpieces of the Baroque era, and it allows you to admire the contrast in styles by two renowned Baroque artists. In …
The early phase of the career of this French artist was defined by lithographs and artworks produced in charcoal referred to as “noirs.” Odilon Redon (1840-1916) made a remarkable career switch shortly after he became famous with his drawings in the 1880s. His works were mentioned in a popular novel by Joris-Karl Huysmans. in 1884 …
One of the most remarkable periods in the life of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) resulted in a tragedy that he never recovered from. It’s clear that the Post-Impressionist artist’s mental health was rather shaky, but it was a fellow artist who pushed him off the cliff into insanity. He initially intended to start an art …
When this Belgian artist started producing peculiar paintings full of symbolism and absurdity in the late 19th century, his works were classified as scandalous and shocking. James Ensor (1860-1949) was a Symbolist artist who became a major influence on both Expressionist artists and Surrealist artists. He was born to Engish parents in Brussels and lived …
There are plenty of examples of artists who never managed to be appreciated during their lifetime. This French artist is another great example of this. Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) never truly focused on his art until after he got married in 1773. Unfortunately, his new passion resulted in divorce over a decade later. Disgruntled by Western …