Latest Stories

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

Love Story: Giacomo Balla and Elisa Marcucci

Giacomo Balla, a pivotal figure in the Futurist movement, was not just a master of dynamic and kinetic art but also a man whose personal life played a crucial role in his…
Inspiration: “La Modiste Sur Les Champs,” by Jean Béraud

Jean Béraud was born in Saint Petersburg. His father (also called Jean) was a sculptor and was likely working on the site of St. Isaac’s Cathedral at the time of his son’s birth. Béraud’s mother…
Versailles Gardens: Grandeur in French Landscape Art

In 1661, Louis XIV—known as the Sun King—began the transformation of a modest royal hunting lodge at Versailles into the seat of absolute monarchy. Central to his vision was the creation of…
The Renaissance – The Art Movement That Changed the World

The Renaissance, meaning “rebirth” in French, was one of the most transformative periods in art history, lasting roughly from the 14th century to the early 17th century. It marked a departure from…
Inspiration: “Supper at a Finnish Farmhouse,” by Venny Brofeldt

Supper at a Finnish Farmhouse” is a captivating work of art by the Finnish painter Venny Soldan-Brofeldt (1863-1945), who was also known by her maiden name, Venny Brofeldt. This painting stands as…
Biography: Hieronymus Bosch

Hieronymus Bosch, born Jheronimus van Aken, was a Dutch painter of the Northern Renaissance who lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was born around 1450 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a…
Biography: Otto Dix

Otto Dix, born on December 2, 1891, in Untermhaus, Germany, and passing on July 25, 1969, in Singen, was a pivotal figure in 20th-century art, known for his raw and unsettling depictions…
Inspiration: “La Moglie di Balla Con La Figlia,” by Umberto Boccioni

Umberto Boccioni was born on 19 October 1882 in Reggio Calabria. His father was a minor government employee, originally from the Romagna region in the north, and his job included frequent reassignments throughout Italy. The…
Inspiration: “Sunflowers” by Olga Boznanska

“Sunflowers” is a pastel on paper portrait of a young girl. It was created by Olga Boznańska in 1891. Alternative titles include “Sunflower” and “Girl With Sunflower.” Boznańska (April 15, 1865 –…
Inspiration: “Aino Taru,” by Akseli Gallen-Kallela

Gallen-Kallela painted two versions of the Aino Taru stall, the first of which was completed in Paris in 1889 and is now part of the Bank of Finland’s collections. When he arrived…
Biography: Maurice Denis

Maurice Denis, born on November 25, 1870, in Granville, Normandy, France, and passing away on November 13, 1943, in Paris, was a significant figure in the transition from Impressionism to modern art,…
Inspiration: “Junge Frau im Lampenschein,” by Max Carlier

Max Albert Carlier is a Belgian painter born in 1872 in Tourcoing and died in Brussels in 1938, aged 66. Painter of the Belgian School, he worked mainly in Brussels on scenes…