When Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) traveled to Madrid in April 1622, The artist of the Baroque era had hoped to become the court painter of King Philip IV (1605-1665), a great patron of the arts. His opportunity came in December of the same year when court painter Rodrigo de Villandrando died. He painted the king for …
Paintings
One of the greatest Scottish novelists in history was the inspiration for one of the most renowned French artists of the 19th century. This artist was Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), the leading Romantic artist of his time. Let’s take a closer look at some of his most interesting facts about a work called “The Abduction of …
Very few paintings in the relatively small oeuvre of Dutch painter and artist of the Dutch Golden Age Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) depict scenes outside of his own house. That’s why this particular painting is one of the artist’s rare masterpieces. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about The Little …
Every famous artist who lived in the past has a final artwork. In the case of famous Dutch artist and master of the Post-Impressionist movement Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), this is quite a tragic one and not for the subject matter of the painting itself. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most …
The High Renaissance was one of the fascinating periods in the history of Western art. Several of the greatest artists in history produced some of the world’s ultimate treasures. One of these artists was Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (1483-1520), better known as Raphael. Although his life was cut short due to a mysterious illness at …
Italian polymath and ultimate master of the Renaissance period Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) didn’t leave behind a whole lot of amazing artworks for us to admire, but the ones he did clearly show the incredible talent of the man. One of these depicts a man holding a note which makes us assume he was a …
If you enjoy fine art and you plan to visit Washington D.C., then the National Gallery of Art should be on top of your bucket list. In this museum in the U.S. national capital, you can find some of the most amazing paintings ever produced by the greatest masters in history. The museum is located …
One of the greatest Dutch artists in history lived during the most remarkable period in Dutch history, the Dutch Golden Age. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) can easily be described as one of the greatest masters of the Baroque era in history. Although his paintings are what makes him such a famous Dutch artist, he …
If there was ever an artwork created that defines an entire art movement, then this painting by Fragonard fits this description. The exuberant and libertine taste of the French court of the 18th century was the driving motivation behind it. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about The Swing …
One of the most prolific Rococo artists of the 18th century created many paintings that define this particular art movement. Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) is best known for his ornamental works of art that were commissioned by the pleasure-loving court of Louis XV. He wasn’t born to paint this particular type of painting, though. after all, …