Art Prizes: Encouragement or Exclusion?
Art prizes can catapult unknown artists into the limelight or deepen the divide between the elite and the emerging. Take the Turner Prize, for example, which has sparked both careers and controversies…
Latest Stories
Our growing archive of info about art, design, and culture.
Inspiration: “Femme et Guitare,” by Felix Vallotton
Vallotton was born into a conservative middle-class family in Lausanne, the third of four children. His father owned a pharmacy, and later purchased a chocolate factory. His mother, Emma, was the daughter of…
Love Story: Paul Gauguin and Teha’amana
When one thinks of Paul Gauguin, images of vibrant Tahitian landscapes, rich with color and emotion, often come to mind. Among the many figures that populated these lush canvases, one stands out…
Adelaide: The History of its Art
The foundation of Adelaide was not merely a political or geographic act—it was a conceptual and aesthetic one. More than any other Australian capital, Adelaide was imagined first as an ideal, a…
Frauenkirche in Nuremberg: A Historic Jewel of Gothic Architecture
Have you ever wandered through a place so rich in history that every corner seems to whisper stories of the past? If you find yourself in Nuremberg, Germany, the Frauenkirche (Church of…
Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich
The palace was commissioned by the prince-electoral couple Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy to the designs of the Italian architect Agostino Barelli in 1664 after the birth of their son Maximilian II Emanuel. The central pavilion was completed in…
Biography: Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840) was a seminal figure in 19th-century German Romanticism, a movement that sought to emphasize emotion and individualism, often through a deep appreciation of nature, history, and mysticism. Born…
Protecting Artistic Freedom from the Hate Speech Witch Hunt
When does artistic expression cross the line into hate speech, and who gets to decide? This question is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s polarized society. Artistic freedom has long been a pillar…
Biography: Paula Modersohn-Becker
Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907), a German painter and one of the early modernist artists, holds a significant place in the history of art for her pioneering role in the development of expressionism. Born…
Biography: Edward Robert Hughes
Edward Robert Hughes (1851–1914) was a pivotal figure in the late Victorian art scene, blending the romantic Pre-Raphaelite tradition with the burgeoning symbolist movement. Born in London, England, on November 5, 1851,…
Inspiration: “Femme Avec un Poudrier,” by Félix Vallotton
Vallotton was born into a conservative middle-class family in Lausanne, the third of four children. His father owned a pharmacy and later purchased a chocolate factory. His mother, Emma, was the daughter of…
Inspiration: “Portrait of a Woman,” by Luke Fildes
Luke Fildes soon became a popular artist and by 1870 he had given up working for The Graphic and had turned his full attention to oil painting. He took rank among the ablest English…
