Latest Stories
Our growing archive of info about art, design, and culture.
Inspiration: “Ombres Portées,” by Emile Friant
Friant was born in the commune of Dieuze in 1863. His father was a locksmith and mother a dressmaker. The wife of a chemist, Madame Parisot would hire the wife of Émile Friant’s father to design custom clothing. The Parisots took…
Inspiration: “Saimi in the Meadow,” by Eero Järnefelt
Eero Järnefelt was the son of General Alexander Järnefelt and Baroness Elisabeth Järnefelt (née Clodt von Jürgensburg). After graduating from a private academy, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki from 1874 to 1878, the Imperial Academy of…
Inspiration: “Lady Godiva,” by John Collier
Lady Godiva is an 1898 painting by English artist John Collier, who worked in the style of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The portrayal of Lady Godiva and her well-known ride through Coventry, England,…
Biography: Gaston La Touche
Gaston La Touche (1854-1913) was a French artist known for his contributions to the Symbolist and Post-Impressionist movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was primarily a painter but…
Biography: Marie Bashkirtseff
Marie Bashkirtseff (Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva) was a Ukrainian-born artist, diarist, and sculptor who lived from 1858 to 1884. She was born on November 11, 1858, in Gavrontsi, a village in present-day Ukraine,…
Sydney: The History of its Art
The first art ever made in what we now call Sydney wasn’t painted with oils or exhibited in white-walled galleries. It was carved into sandstone platforms, painted on rock shelters, and inscribed…
Palacio Nacional, Mexico City: Exploration
The facade is bordered on the north and south by two towers and includes three main door ways, each of which lead to a different part of the building. The southern door…
Tonalism: The Dreamlike Art That Transformed Painting
Tonalism was a revolutionary art movement that emerged in the United States during the late 19th century, bringing a new, atmospheric approach to landscape painting. Unlike the bright, energetic brushstrokes of Impressionism,…
Mexican Wrestling Meets the Day of The Dead
The Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends…
Biography: Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898), was a French painter known for his significant contributions to the Symbolist and mural painting movements of the 19th century. Puvis de Chavannes was not only a…
