When this French artist decided to take a completely new approach to paint, he revolutionized the world of art in the mid-19th century. Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) was a painter who depicted only what he could perceive. This was quite different from the paintings that were displayed at the Paris Salon at the time. It took …
Paintings
If you enjoy fine art and you plan to visit the beautiful city of Lille in northern France, then this magnificent museum should be on top of your bucket list. The Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille is one of the largest art museums in France and one of the oldest ones as well. It was …
The period after World War I marked a significant shift in the history of art, and this German artist played a major role in two movements that emerged around this time. Max Ernst (1891-1976) was a pioneer of both the Dada and Surrealist art movements and invented several remarkable painting techniques. One of his most …
Even though the career of this French artist started in the final period of the Romantic era, he never really adopted the emotional style of his colleagues. Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) was a Realism artist whose main aim was to depict subject matter as accurately as possible. He wasn’t interested in painting historical subjects either, something …
Art has the ability to express every sense of emotion imaginable. This includes instilling a sense of fear into the viewer that can linger for an extended period of time. Scary paintings have been produced for a wide variety of reasons since the Middle Ages, but the most gruesome examples emerged during the Renaissance era. …
One of the greatest American artists of the 19th century was fascinated by Photography, a technology that was still in its infancy during his lifetime. Because of this, Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) incorporated an extreme sense of Realism in his works which makes them resemble actual photographs. This in combination with the fact that he was …
The Dutch Golden Age or “Gouden Eeuw” as it’s locally referred to was a period in history in which the Dutch Republic was the most advanced nation in Europe. The period is generally dated to between the establishment of the Dutch Republic in 1588 and the “Rampjaar” in 1672, which is almost a century. That …
The second-largest metropolitan area of France is home to one of the most impressive museums of fine arts outside of Paris. The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon or Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is one of the largest museums in France and houses a collection that ranges from ancient Egyptian artifacts to modern artworks. …
Nude paintings were produced in antiquity and revived during the Renaissance, but there was still something that caused this painting by Manet to be controversial. Édouard Manet (1832-1883) is often considered one of the 19th century’s most influential artists. Some art historians even refer to him as the “Father of Modernism.” The French painter was …
One of the most famous Belgian artists in history produced thought-provoking images that have become some of the best-recognized paintings in the world. René Magritte (1898-1967) was a Surrealist artist who often depicted common objects in such a way that his paintings didn’t make sense. Although he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in …