Latest Stories

Our growing archive of info about art, design, and culture.

Inspiration: “Lamia,” by John William Waterhouse

Lamia was a woman who became a child-eating monster after her children were destroyed by Hera, who learned of her husband Zeus‘ trysts with her. Hera also afflicted Lamia with sleeplessness so…
Inspiration: “Japanese Dolls and Fan,” by Paul Peel

Peel was born in London, Ontario, and received his art training from his father from a young age. Later he studied under William Lees Judson and at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Thomas Eakins. He…
Art and Spirituality: A Sacred Connection?

Art and spirituality have danced together since the dawn of human civilization. From the earliest cave paintings to the majestic cathedrals of Europe, art has been a conduit for expressing the deepest…
Biography: James Tissot

James Tissot, a prominent French painter and illustrator of the 19th century, left an indelible mark on the art world with his distinctive style and diverse body of work. Born on October…
Book Review: Designing Magazines, Edited by Jandos Rothstein

Jandos Rothstein’s Designing Magazines is a comprehensive guide to the visual and editorial design of magazines. Published in 2007, this book provides a detailed look at how typography, layout, imagery, and branding…
Biography: Gaetano Chierici

Gaetano Chierici was born on October 18, 1838, in Reggio Emilia, a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. He grew up in a household where art and culture were part…
Inspiration: “Samotna w Miescie,” by Teodor Axentowicz

In 1894, Teodor Axentowicz started a collaboration with Wojciech Kossak and Jan Styka during the preparation of the Racławice Panorama, one of the largest panoramic paintings in the history of Polish art. The following year he moved to Kraków, where…
Biography: George Hendrik Breitner

George Hendrik Breitner, born on September 12, 1857, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, emerged as a prominent Dutch painter and photographer, making significant contributions to the artistic landscape of the late 19th and early…
Vienna: The History of its Art

Vienna does not sit passively in the background of European art history—it commands a central role, exerting influence and absorbing currents from every corner of the continent. The city’s grandeur is not…
The Glasgow School of Art and Its Impact on Modern Design

The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) stands as one of the most influential institutions in the history of art and design, shaping the trajectory of modern aesthetics. Established in the mid-19th century,…
Biography: Maria Wiik

Maria Wiik (20 February 1853 – 19 November 1928) was a Finnish painter known for her contributions to the visual arts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She is particularly…
Inspiration: “A Bag of Groceries,” by Karl Witkowski

Karol Dominik Witkowski was born to a Polish family in Jazłowiec, near Buchach, Czortków (Podole, Poland, now Ukraine). As young boy he showed unusual talent in making drawings and his parents sent…