Our growing archive of info about art, design, and culture.
Art lovers and historians alike often view the Renaissance as a shining era of cultural rebirth, marked by unparalleled advancements in art, science, and human thought. This period, which spanned roughly from…
The cliffs of Dagestan have held their silence for thousands of years, but the rocks themselves remember. On the high escarpments above the Caspian Sea, etched into sandstone and shale, are some…
In the quiet corridors of the Louvre, the Mona Lisa stared out at an empty room during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Museums worldwide had shuttered their doors, and galleries pivoted…
Jean-François Raffaëlli (1850–1924), a French painter, printmaker, and sculptor, played a pivotal role in the late 19th-century French art scene, contributing to the evolving artistic movements of the time. Born on April…
When you think of Norman Rockwell, vivid images of Americana likely spring to mind: the small-town charm, the everyday heroes, the quintessential moments of mid-20th century American life. Yet, behind these iconic…
Before Rome was Rome, it was a land of shifting identities, ancient languages, and vibrant cultural exchanges. The story of Roman art doesn’t begin with marble busts or imperial forums—it begins with…
The history of art has long been painted with a male-dominated brush. For centuries, many believed that the 18th century, in particular, was a time when women were sidelined, their talents hidden…
Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945), a German artist, printmaker, and sculptor, stands as one of the most powerful and compassionate voices in the history of modern art. Born on July 8, 1867, in Königsberg,…
Henry Fuseli, born Johann Heinrich Füssli on February 7, 1741, in Zürich, Switzerland, was a Swiss painter, draughtsman, and writer best known for his works that bridge the realms of Neoclassicism and…
Long before Geneva became a Calvinist stronghold or a diplomatic enclave, it was a patch of lake-silt and glacial stone, inhabited by a succession of peoples who left no names but left…
The land that would become Missouri held beauty long before it bore a name. Centuries before statehood, or even the arrival of permanent European settlements, the region was alive with visual codes,…
From 1869 to 1874, Claus trained at the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts with, amongst others, the landscape painter Jacob Jacobs. During his training, Claus attracted the attention of and found favour with the local…