Kobe: The History of its Art
Kobe was never meant to be ordinary. Cradled between the Rokko mountain range and the Seto Inland Sea, the city’s topography forces a kind of vertical tension between land and water, shelter…
Latest Stories
Our growing archive of info about art, design, and culture.
Biography: Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933) was an American artist and designer best known for his work in the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements. He was a prominent figure in the decorative arts during…
Art Deco: A Style of Elegance
Art Deco is one of the most celebrated artistic movements of the 20th century, blending tradition with innovation. Defined by its rich colors, bold geometric forms, and lavish ornamentation, Art Deco emerged…
Mexico City Side Street
In the late 1970s many arterial roads were redesigned as ejes viales; high-volume one-way roads that cross, in theory, Mexico City proper from side to side. The eje vial network is based…
Biography: Alphonse Osbert
Alphonse Osbert, a distinguished French Symbolist painter, was born on May 5, 1857, in Bordeaux, France. Throughout his artistic career, Osbert played a significant role in the Symbolist movement, contributing works that…
Swan on the Vltava
The Vltava river is 430.3 kilometres (267.4 mi) long. It drains an area 28,090 square kilometres (10,850 sq mi) in size. This includes over half of Bohemia and a third of the Czech Republic’s territory. …
Biography: Tom Roberts
Tom Roberts, a seminal figure in Australian art history, was born on March 9, 1856, in Dorchester, Dorset, England. Recognized as one of the leading artists of the Heidelberg School, Roberts played…
El Escorial: Spain’s Historical and Architectural Gem in Madrid
Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama near Madrid, Spain, El Escorial stands as one of the country’s most significant historical landmarks. Officially known as the Royal Site of San…
The Strange Secrets of 10 Iconic Oil Paint Colors
Have you ever wondered about the stories behind the colors that grace famous paintings? Each hue tells a tale of discovery, adventure, and sometimes, a bit of mystery. From the depths of…
Biography: Herbert James Draper
Herbert James Draper (1863-1920) was a British artist known for his skillful and highly detailed paintings, particularly those featuring mythological and historical subjects. He was associated with the late 19th and early…
Cuzco School: Colonial Art of the Andes Reimagined
The Cuzco School, also known as the Escuela Cuzqueña, represents a singular chapter in the history of art—a cultural fusion where Spanish Catholicism met Andean tradition in the highlands of Peru. Emerging…
Inspiration: “Recling Nude,” by Luis Ricardo Falero
Falero was born in Granada and originally pursued a career in the Spanish Navy, but gave it up to his parents’ disappointment. He walked all the way to Paris, where he studied…
