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 …
Paintings
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 …
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828), a man commonly referred to as Francisco Goya, was the most renowned artist of the Romantic era in Spain. He became the court painter of the Spanish Royal family in 1786 and he produced numerous paintings for the Spanish Crown during the first phase of his career. His …
When a Spanish noblewoman became the wife of a powerful Italian ruler, he commissioned a portrait of her from one of the leading Mannerist artists of the 16th century. Today, this fascinating Mannerist painting is considered one of the most splendid portraits of the Late Renaissance era. Let’s take a closer look at the Portrait …
The Roman goddess of Venus covered multiple fields, including love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. With so many important functions, it’s not hard to understand that she was one of the most popular goddesses in the ancient world. This wasn’t the only reason why Romans were so fond of her. In Roman mythology, …
Roman mythology has been an important source for artists for many centuries. The Renaissance marked a rebirth of interest in classical mythology. It’s not surprising that one of the most famous Renaissance paintings in history depicts a Roman goddess. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about The Birth of …
One of the most famous paintings of Jackson Pollock, the leading Abstract Expressionist artist of the 20th century, actually has a title. This statement might seem a bit peculiar, but Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) had a good reason not to give his art titles that might hint at what is depicted. Let’s take a closer look …
When Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) started working on painting in honor of a famous German Composer, he didn’t know that it would become one of his most famous works. He only used light materials as it was intended to serve as a decorative painting for a temporary exhibition in Vienna. Today, it’s preserved very meticulously because …
When Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) met a 17-year-old girl in Paris in 1927, it inspired the Spanish artist to produce a series of peculiar paintings of her. He completed this fascinating painting in Picasso’s distinctive style full of colors and symbolism a few years after he met her. Let’s take a closer look at some of …