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

  • Biography: Nicolae Tonitza

    Biography: Nicolae Tonitza

    Nicolae Tonitza (1886–1940) was a Romanian painter, engraver, lithographer, and teacher, known for his contributions to Romanian art in the early 20th century. He was born on April 13, 1886, in Bârlad,…

  • Inspiration: “Parasol,” by Jules Bastien Lepage

    Inspiration: “Parasol,” by Jules Bastien Lepage

    Bastien-Lepage was born in the village of Damvillers, Meuse, and spent his childhood there. Bastien’s father grew grapes in a vineyard to support the family. His grandfather also lived in the village;…

  • Biography: Frederick Law Olmsted

    Biography: Frederick Law Olmsted

    Frederick Law Olmsted, a visionary landscape architect and urban planner, was born on April 26, 1822, in Hartford, Connecticut. Raised in a prosperous family, Olmsted’s early life was marked by a variety…

  • Biography: Helene Schjerfbeck

    Biography: Helene Schjerfbeck

    Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946) was a Finnish painter known for her modernist and symbolist works, as well as her exceptional portraiture. She was born on July 10, 1862, in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of…

  • Biography: Nicolae Grigorescu

    Biography: Nicolae Grigorescu

    Nicolae Grigorescu (1838-1907) was a prominent Romanian painter and one of the most influential artists of the 19th century in Romania. He is celebrated for his contributions to both Romanian and European…

  • Biography: Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

    Biography: Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

    Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, one of the most renowned portrait painters of the 18th century, was born on April 16, 1755, in Paris, France. Raised in an artistic family, her father,…

  • Biography: Olga Boznańska

    Biography: Olga Boznańska

    Olga Boznańska (1865–1940) was a Polish painter known for her portraits and genre scenes. She was born on April 15, 1865, in Kraków, Poland, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.…

  • Copenhagen: A History of its Art

    Copenhagen: A History of its Art

    Long before Copenhagen became the cultural and political center of Denmark, it was a modest fishing village known as Havn, whose fortunes began to change in the 12th century. With the strategic…

  • Les Nabis: Visionary Artists Who Transformed Art

    Les Nabis: Visionary Artists Who Transformed Art

    Les Nabis was an influential group of Post-Impressionist artists in France during the late 19th century. The movement, active between 1888 and 1900, sought to bridge the gap between Impressionism and modernism.…