Many of the most important and iconic paintings in art history weren’t received all that well when they were first exhibited. This applies to this masterpiece Henri Matisse (1869-1954), one of the most influential French artists of the modern era. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about Le Bonheur …
Paintings
The life of Francisco Goya (1746-1848), one of the most renowned Romantic artists in history, took a drastic turn for the worse in the early 1790s. A mysterious illness left him completely deaf, a condition that had a serious impact on his state of mind. Then Napoleon invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 1807 and he …
A renowned Flemish artist shaped the direction of painting in the northern Renaissance in the early 15th century. Jan van Eyck (1390-1441) moved away from the idealized medieval style of painting to produce natural figures. He achieved that by using oil, a material that was still uncommon during this period. In this article, we’ll take …
It’s hard to believe but the man who introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and High Renaissance architecture to Rome was also a renowned painter. Donato Bramante (1444-1514) is world-famous for being the original designer of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, but like many of his colleagues, he was multi-talented. In this article, we’ll take a …
Very few artists in history have dedicated their careers to a monarch such as Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) to King Philip IV of Spain. Apart from a couple of occasional trips to Italy and an early period in his native Seville, the famous Spanish artist spent most of his days at the Spanish court in Madrid. …
Although Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) is considered to be one of the most famous Art Nouveau artists in history, he didn’t start his career producing amazing artworks in this revolutionary new style. His career took a radical turn in a different direction following the sudden death of his brother Ernst. Academic painter Hans Makart (1840-1884) was …
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was one of the most influential French artists in history. Although he is famously known for his colorful paintings, he was also a renowned draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor. Many art historians place Matisse at the same level as Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), his contemporary and colleague, albeit over a decade younger. He was …
When an artist produces preparatory drawings that are at the same level as some of his most famous works, then you know it’s one of the greatest masters in history. Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) was one of the leading Romantic artists of the 19th century and produced numerous monumental Romantic paintings. Color and emotion were the …
We don’t know all that much about the training of Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), one of the greatest Dutch artists of the 17th century. His rather small oeuvre of delicate paintings was largely forgotten after the death of the Baroque artist. It was only rediscovered in the 19th century and features some of the most iconic …
The career of one of the greatest Dutch artists in history only spanned a decade. During this period, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) painted at least 36 self-portraits. Produced in his distinctive vibrant and colorful style of the Post-Impressionist artist, many of these are now considered to be some of the most significant masterpieces in his …