art history

Born in England, formed as a surrealist in Paris, residing in Mexico since 1942,…

Considered a founder of Impressionism, Edgar Degas actually disliked the label, preferring Realist or Independent. Best known for his paintings and bronze sculptures, Degas was also a printmaker and…
What constitutes an artist? Perhaps your first thought is as straightforward as this author's was: An artist is someone who creates masterful works of art. And yet, many masterful artworks, past and…
The old notion of “slaying the dragon” has had a pervasive presence in our culture for centuries, yet few know the actual origins of the popular expression. One story that certainly increased…

The name Monet is perhaps one of the most recognizable in the world of art, but overwhelmingly, it is associated with the life and paintings of 

Museum-goers, this author included, are often guilty of walking past still life paintings of food, dismissing them as dull and anodyne. Yet, taking in the context of when they were created, these…
So much of what we know about art comes from art historians, but how much do we know about the art historians themselves?

Franz von Stuck (1863-1928) was a German painter, sculptor, printmaker, and 

Can the visual arts capture movement in stillness? This slideshow traces the representation of dance, particularly of dancing groups, through western…

Copying within the context of the art world has evolved over the centuries. What was once understood as a vital tool for study and learning is now often perceived, especially by laymen, as a kind of…
In a new Art & Object series, we’ll take a look at some of history’s greatest jewelry stories, showing you how and why jewelry is such a powerful artistic, cultural, and historical artifact.
These eight artists bent the rules when branding themselves. Although they worked across two centuries, all chose to adopt their mother’s family names instead of abiding by the traditional patriarchy…

On Easter Monday, April 21st, Pope Francis– head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the 

Much as the late nineteenth-century American myth of Manifest Destiny was used to justify westward expansion, many history paintings worked to shape and uphold stories of superiority and inferiority…
Grisaille made a name for itself in European artwork. Literally meaning “greyness” in French from the prefix gris, the method reached its peak of prominence during the sixteenth century. The…