“Landscape with the Fall of Icarus,” created by Pieter Bruegel around 1560, is a mythological painting executed in oil on canvas. Placed within the Northern Renaissance art movement, the artwork measures 73.5 by 112 cm. Contrary to the Artwork Series provided which pertains to a different set of works, this particular piece belongs to no …
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by Pieter Bruegel the Elder Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted The Bay of Marseille, Seen from L’Estaque in oil on canvas around 1885. This painting is part of the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. What is depicted in The Bay of Marseille, Seen from L’Estaque? The painting shows the bay of Marseille viewed from nearby L’Estaque. The sea and parts of the …
The Bay of Marseille, Seen from L’Estaque (Paul Cézanne, c. 1885) Read More »
“Ad Parnassum” is a significant artwork by Paul Klee that was created in 1932. This oil on canvas masterpiece is an example of Expressionism, measuring 126 by 100 centimeters. While the artwork’s genre is classified as a cityscape, it strays from traditional representation and delves into the abstract. Currently housed at the Kunstmuseum Bern in …
Peter Paul Ruben painted the Self Portrait with Justus Lipsius, Philip Rubens, and Jan Woweris, which is also commonly known as The Four Philosophers, in 1611-12. The painting is made of oil on the panel. The painting is under the Galleria Palatina of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. What is depicted in The Four …
The Four Philosophers (Peter Paul Rubens, 1611-12) Read More »
“The Last Supper” is a quintessential masterpiece of the High Renaissance created by the illustrious artist Leonardo da Vinci in 1495. This venerable artwork was painted using plaster and tempera, and it spans an impressive 460 x 880 cm. Leonardo da Vinci composed this religious painting in Milan, Italy, where it currently resides within the …
The Portrait of Madame Pierre Gautreau (Madame X) by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) is an oil on canvas completed in 1884. The artwork measures 92.5 x 43.25 inches and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Perhaps Sargent’s best-known, and one of his early portraits, is that of Madame Pierre …
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living is a conceptual installationby British artist Damien Hirst (Bristol, 1965), colloquially known as “the shark”. It consists of a large tiger shark preserved in a tank of formaldehyde. Created in 1991 on commission by Charles Saatchi, it reflects on the decay of the …
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (Damien Hirst, 1991) Read More »
The Scream is a proto-expressionist artwork realized by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch in 1893. It depicts a deformed human figure disturbingly screaming in a landscape with unnatural colors. Representing a universal symbol of anxiety, Munch’s iconic Scream is preserved in the National Gallery of Oslo. What is Depicted in the Artwork? Edvard Munch (1863- 1944) painted The Scream …
The Angelus is an oil painting on canvas realized by French painter Jean-François Millet between 1857 and 1859. It depicts two peasants in a potato field while reciting a prayer. The painting is an example of realist style and is currently in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. What is Depicted in the Artwork? Jean-François …
The Raft of the Medusa is an oil painting by French painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault realized between 1818 and 1819. It depicts a tragic event: the wreck of the naval frigate Medusa (Méduse), off the coast of Mauritania, happened in 1816. Because of its dramatic and emotional impact, the painting has become an iconic …
The Raft of the Medusa (Théodore Géricault, 1818-1819) Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted Portrait of Madame Cezanne with Unbound Hair in oil on canvas between 1885 and 1886. This painting is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. What is depicted in the Portrait of Madame Cézanne with Unbound Hair? The picture shows Hortense Fiquet with loosened hair, in front of an almost monochrome …
Portrait of Madame Cézanne with Unbound Hair (Paul Cézanne, 1885-1886) Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted Madame Cézanne in a Yellow Chair in oil on canvas in 1893. This painting is in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. What is depicted in Madame Cézanne in a Yellow Chair? The picture shows Hortense Fiquet Cézanne in an interior in a sitting position. Madame Cézanne in a Yellow Chair …
Madame Cézanne in a Yellow Chair (Paul Cézanne, 1893) Read More »
Francisco Goya, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, c.1799, Etching, aquatint, drypoint and burin, 21.5 cm × 15 cm The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters is an aquatint by the Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco Goya. Created between 1797 and 1799, the artwork is part of the satirical series Los Caprichos (The Caprices), dedicated to the follies …
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (Francisco Goya, c. 1799) Read More »
Brillo Box (Soap Pads) is a consumer product-inspired sculpture realized by Andy Warhol in 1964. The series accurately reproduces Brillo detergent boxes, a popular brand of American soap pads in the 1960s. It is considered one of the founding works of the Pop Art Movement. What is Depicted in the Artwork? Andy Warhol’s Brillo Boxes are silkscreened wooden …
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is the largest painting realized by Georges Seurat from 1884 to 1886. Preserved at the Art Institute of Chicago, the painting is an important example of the art movement of Pointillism and Post-Impressionism. The work is based on modern color theories developed in scientific research. Often …
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (Georges Seurat, 1884-1886) Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted Self-Portrait with Palette ca.1890 in oil on canvas technique. The painting is part of the Emil Bührle Collection in Zurich. What is Depicted in the Self-Portrait with Palette? Self-Portrait with Palette presents a standing figure of the painter in the three-quarter pose. The painter painted himself to the torso level next to the easel. The lower …
Self-Portrait with Palette (Paul Cézanne, c.1890) Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted Self-Portrait between 1878 and 1880 in oil on canvas technique. This painting is part of the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. What is Depicted in the Self-Portrait? This Cézanne three-quarter view portrait, at bust level, represents the painter in his early forties. Self-Portrait – Analysis Paul Cézanne is perceived as a Post-impressionist, although …
Paul Cézanne worked on the series The Card Players from 1890 to 1895. Although numerous studies were created during this period, 5 paintings can be recognized as finished works. Those paintings of the same name The Card Players are kept at the Barnes Foundation, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Orsay Museum, Paris, Courtauld Institute of Art, London …
Paul Cézanne painted a portrait of his wife Hortense Fiquet known as Madame Cézanne in a Red Armchair in oil on canvas around 1877. This portrait is kept in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. What is depicted in Madame Cézanne in a Red Armchair? The painting represents Marie-Hortense Fiquet in …
Madame Cézanne in a Red Armchair (Paul Cézanne, 1877) Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted Mont Sainte-Victoire in oil on canvas between 1902 and 1904. This painting is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. What is depicted in the Mont Sainte-Victoire? In the painting Mont Sainte-Victoire next to the mountain, houses, and nature at its foot are represented. Mont Sainte-Victoire – Analysis The motif of Mont Sainte-Victoire is …
Paul Cézanne painted The Boy in the Red Vest between 1889 and 1890 in the oil on canvas technique. This painting is part of Foundation E.G. Bührle’s collection in Zurich. What is depicted in The Boy in the Red Vest? The painting represents a boy named Michelangelo di Rosa with a melancholic expression, in a sitting position, …
The Boy in the Red Vest (Paul Cézanne, 1889-1890) Read More »
The Arnolfini Portrait is an oil painting on an oak panel realized in 1434 by the Early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck. The artwork depicts the Italian merchant Giovanni Arnolfini with his wife, symbolically portrayed in their mansion in the Flemish city of Bruges. What is Depicted in The Arnolfini Portrait? The Arnolfini Portrait is …
Paul Cézanne painted Portrait of Gustave Geffroy in oil on canvas around 1895. This painting is part of the collection of the Orsay Museum in Paris. What is depicted in The Portrait of Gustave Geffroy? The painting shows Gustave Geffroy sitting at a table in his office, surrounded by books. The Portrait of Gustave Geffroy – Analysis Cézanne was …
The Portrait of Gustave Geffroy (Paul Cézanne, c.1895) Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted Lady in Blue, c. 1900, in oil on canvas technique. This painting is part of the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. What is depicted in Lady in Blue? The painting Lady in Blue represents an unidentified female middle-aged person in an elegant blue dress. The woman is represented in a sitting position …
Paul Cézanne painted Portrait of Vallier in oil on canvas in 1906. This painting is in Private Collection. What is depicted in the Portrait of Vallier? The painting shows Cézanne’s gardener in a sitting position with a straw hat that appears in almost all of his portraits. Portrait of Vallier – Analysis Cézanne was committed …
Paul Cézanne painted Mont Sainte-Victoire in oil on canvas between 1897 and 1898. This painting is in the collection of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. What is depicted in the Mont Sainte-Victoire? The painting shows Mont Sainte-Victoire up close as well as partially its valley with vegetation. Mont Sainte-Victoire – Analysis The motif of Mont Sainte-Victoire …
Port Art is a movement that emerged in the mid-to-late 1950s in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Emerging in the mid 1950s in Britain and late 1950s in America, pop art reached its peak in the 1960s. By using imagery from popular art and mass cultures, such as advertisements, comic books, and …
Pop Art Movement: History, Characteristics, Artwork Read More »
Art Deco was a style marked by bold colors and daring geometry that produced opulent and intricate artwork. The Art Deco style is especially reminiscent of Ancient Egyptian aesthetics. This is shown by the use of simple geometric forms, fields of unblended color, symmetry, and a focus on line, as Art Deco artists sought to …
Art Deco Art and Architecture Movement: History, Characteristics, Artists Read More »
Cubism is an avant-garde art movement characterized by the breaking down of forms into geometric shapes to the point where representation confronts abstraction. Often this had an uneasy effect and had as a result of the establishment of multiple viewpoints within a single work. At first, this was done on the flat two-dimensional surface but …
Cubism Art Movement: History, Characteristics, Artwork Read More »
Abstract Expressionism describes a style of abstract art developed in New York City in the 1940s and 50s by American painters. The movement developed following World War II, and is also known as the New York School. Being the first American artistic movement to achieve international influence, Abstract Expressionism effectively shifted the creative center of …
Abstract Expressionism Art Movement: History, Artists, Artwork Read More »
The rigid rules of classical art and the social unrest emerging due to widespread industrialization created the conditions for a rebellious group of young British artists to express their discontentment. The English Pre Raphaelite painters formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) in 1848. The Pre Raphaelite vision was to convey a new spiritual seriousness and sincerity …
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Art Movement: History, Artists, Artwork Read More »
Renaissance art is the decorative, fine, and applied arts produced during the Renaissance, a time in European history. The cornerstone of Renaissance art was Classical antiquity, considered to be the most noble of all historical traditions. The Renaissance period began in Florence, Italy, approximately in the 14th century. Famous supporters of the movement included members …
Renaissance Art Movement: History, Artwork, Artists Read More »
The Hudson River School was an American art movement that began in the middle of the 19th century through 1825-1870. It was led by a group of landscape painters who were influenced by Romanticism in terms of style. The Hudson River School was the first American art school to be included in the canon of …
Hudson River School Art Movement: History, Artists, Artwork Read More »
Futurism is an avant-garde art and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. Futurist movement highlighted the dynamic, speed, energy, and force of machines and the vigor, change, and restlessness of the modern world. The representation of motion and speed is a distinctive feature of futurist art. They specifically followed the idea …
Futurism Art Movement: History, Artists, Artwork Read More »
Post-Impressionism is a predominantly French art movement, that arose as a reaction to Impressionism and scientific approach on the naturalistic depiction of light and color. It is an art movement characterized by vivid styles and colors, thick paint applications, clear brush strokes, and more symbolic content. Other notable characteristics in their creation are stress geometric …
Post-Impressionism Art Movement: History, Artwork, Artists Read More »
The Realism Art Movement began in the middle of the 19th century as a response to Romanticism and History painting. Realism movement thrived in France from 1840 to the end of the nineteenth century and tried to depict modern life honestly and impartially. Characteristics of the realism art movement include depictions of regular workers and …
The Barbizon School was an informal group of French painters that produced work in and around the village of Barbizon, which lies just outside of Paris close to the Forest of Fontainebleau. They were pioneers of the Naturalist movement in landscape art painting. Barbizon school is characterized by tonal qualities, colour harmony, loose brushwork, and gentleness …
The Barbizon School Art Movement: History, Artists, Artwork Read More »
Emil Nolde was a Danish painter born on 7 August 1867 in Nolde, Denmark. After learning furniture design for four years, Emil enrolled at the Karlsruhe School of Applied Arts to study art in 1889. Three years later, he took up the position of art instructor at St. Gallen. Nolde then abandoned his teaching job …
Emil Nolde – Artwork & Bio of the Danish Painter Read More »
Francis Bacon was an Irish painter born on 28 October 1909 in Dublin, Ireland. Due to his father’s distaste for homosexuality, Bacon was exiled from his father’s house as a teenager. He spent the next period of his life traveling around Europe, eventually settling in London in the late-1960s. Bacon initially worked with furniture design …
Francis Bacon – Artwork & Bio of the Irish Painter Read More »
Georgia O’Keeffe was an American painter born on 15 November 1887 in Wisconsin, USA. Encouraged by her family from an early age, Georgia received watercolor lessons from Sara Mann, a local artist. Between 1905 and 1908, O’Keeffe attended the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League, studying under John Vanderpoel and William Merritt …
Georgia O’Keeffe – Artwork & Bio of the Amerian Painter Read More »
Hans Holbein was a German painter born in Augsburg, Germany, in 1497. Holbein was born into a family with an artistic background, which influenced him to become a painter. In 1515, Holbein moved with his brother to Basel, where they apprenticed with Han Herbster. In addition, he took trips to Italy to study the works …
Hans Holbein – Artwork & Bio of the German Painter Read More »
Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter born in October 1632 in Delft, The Dutch Republic. Born into a lower-class family, Vermeer got early art training in the 1640s as an apprentice of Carel Fabritius, who was the pupil of Rembrandt Rijn. In 1653, Vermeer married a Catholic woman from a well-to-do family, converting to Catholicism …
Johannes Vermeer – Artwork & Bio of the Dutch Painter Read More »
John Sloan was an American painter born on 2 August 1871 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Encouraged by his father, an amateur painter, Sloan pursued an art career and left school as a teenager. He practiced etching by copying prints from the bookstore where he worked. Sloan studied at the Spring Garden Institute and the Pennsylvania …
John Sloan – Artwork & Bio of the American Painter Read More »
Max Ernst was a German painter born on 2 April 1891 in Bruhl, Germany. Ernst, being a rebellious young man, abandoned his study of philosophy and picked up painting. He developed his ability by studying and copying the works of famous painters. In 1919, Ernst created collages and recreated manuals and catalogs fantastically. He also …
Paul Klee was a Swiss painter born on 18 December 1879 in Munchenbuchsee, Switzerland. Klee, favoring his interest in drawing and painting over music, decided to pursue an art career. From 1900, he studied in the atelier of Franz Von Stuck in Munich. However, Klee’s involvement with modern art did not begin till 1911 after …
Phillip Guston was an American painter born on 27 June 1913 in Montreal, Canada. As a young boy, Guston occupied himself with comic books and drawing them, prompting his mother to enroll him at the Cleveland School of Cartooning. Subsequently, he attended the Manual Arts High School and Otis Art Institute. After his education, Guston …
Phillip Guston – Artwork & Bio of the American Painter Read More »
Rene Magritte was a Belgian painter born on 21 November 1898 in Lessines, Belgium. Magritte’s artistic studies began in 1916 at the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. On his return to Belgium after his military service, he worked as a draftsman under the supervision of Victor Servranckx and started painting freelance the following year. The …
Rene Magritte – Artwork & Bio of the Belgian Painter Read More »
Salvador Dali was a Spanish painter born on 11 May 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia. Dali studied art as a teenager at the Madrid School of Fine Arts and furthered at the Special Painting, Sculpture, and Engraving School of San Fernando. He experimented with several mediums before eventually associating with the surrealists. In the mid-1930s, Dali …
Salvador Dali – Artwork & Bio of the Spanish Painter Read More »
Rembrandt van Rijn was a Dutch painter and printmaker, widely considered one of the greatest artists of all time. Rembrandt was born on 15 July 1607 in Leiden, the Dutch Republic. After withdrawing from the university, Rembrandt apprenticed under Jacob Swanenburgh and Pieter Lastman. On his return to Leiden, Rembrandt established his studio and started …
Rembrandt van Rijn – Artwork & Bio of the Dutch Painter Read More »
Thomas Gainsborough was a British painter born on 14 May 1727 in Sudbury, England. As early as 1737, Gainsborough showed an interest in portraiture and landscape painting, a theme he would maintain throughout his art career. In 1740, he began studying under Hubert Francois Gravelot in London and furthered his education at the St Martin’s …
Thomas Gainsborough – Artwork & Bio of the British Painter Read More »
Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor and painter born on 10 October 1901 in Stampa, Graubunden. Alberto’s artistic background influenced his development so much that he painted his first at age twelve. Giacometti studied at the Ecole des Arts Industriels under David Estoppey and Maurice Sarkissoff. Giacometti also studied ancient works in Italy before moving …
Alberto Giacometti – Artwork & Bio of the Swiss Sculptor Read More »
Howard Hodgkin was a British painter born on 6 August 1932 in Hammersmith, London. Hodgkin decided to become a painter early on and studied at the Camberwell School of Art, where he created his first work as a teenager. Subsequently, he spent four years at the Bath Academy of Art. After completing his studies, Hodgkin …
Howard Hodgkin – Artwork & Bio of the British Painter Read More »
Jean Arp was a French sculptor born on 16 September 1886 in Strasbourg, Alsace. Arp began studying art in Strasbourg and then transferred to Paris to complete his schooling. Afterward, Arp’s ability developed rapidly, and he co-founded the Der Moderne Bund in Switzerland in 1911. Subsequently, Arp moved to Zurich, where he co-founded the Dada …
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American painter born on 22 December 1960 in Brooklyn, New York. After he dropped out of high school, Basquiat developed his artistic ability solely by visualizing and practicing. He never attended an art school. Basquiat and his friend made graffiti on walls and buildings in downtown Manhattan, which helped him gain …
Jean-Michel Basquiat – Artwork & Bio of the American Painter Read More »
Jan Van Eyck was a Dutch painter born in 1390 in Maaseyck, Maastricht. Jan’s older siblings were painters, and he received his first art lessons from his older brother Hubert. His first works were book illustrations that won him recognition from notable persons. In the early-1420s, Van Eyck became the court painter to John of …
Jan Van Eyck – Artwork & Bio of the Dutch Painter Read More »
Roy Lichtenstein was an American painter born on 27 October 1923 in New York. Roy was born into a comfortable family, and his parents supported his artistic ambitions. As a teenager, he received art instructions at the Parsons School of Design. Afterward, Lichtenstein attended the Arts Students League and the Ohio State University. Lichtenstein …
Roy Lichtenstein – Artwork and Bio of the American Painter Read More »
Damien Hirst is a British conceptual artist born on 7 June 1965 in Bristol, England. As a child, Hirst struggled with school but excelled in art, leading to his decision to pursue art at the university. From 1986 to 1989, Damien studied art at Goldsmiths University of London and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. Hirst’s …
Damien Hirst – Artwork & Bio of the British Installation Artist Read More »
Edouard Manet was a French painter born on 23 January 1832 in Paris, France. He took drawing classes as a teenager and later took lessons in Thomas Couture’s studio. Despite his immense talent, Manet’s revolting traits saw his works constantly refused by the Salon. He responded by holding regular meetings with like-minded, talented painters and …
Edouard Manet – Artwork & Bio of the French Painter Read More »
Giorgio De Chirico was an Italian painter born on 10 July 1888 in Volos, Greece. De Chirico took an interest in art and Greek mythology as a child and received full support from his parents. He studied at the Higher School of Fine Arts in Athens for two years before moving to Munich, where he …
Giorgio De Chirico – Artwork & Bio of the Italian Painter Read More »
Fernand Leger was a French painter born on 4 February 1881 in Argentan, France. When Fernand’s artistic talents began to manifest at a young age, his parents sent him to apprentice with an architect. He got formal training at the Academie Julian and the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs. Subsequently, Leger exhibited at the Salon des …
Fernand Leger – Artwork & Bio of the French Painter Read More »
Jacques-Louis David was a French painter born on 30 August 1748 in Paris, France. Despite the influence of successful family members who were architects, David chose to pursue an art career. He first received art instructions under Joseph-Marie Vien before enrolling at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1766. Coupling his determination with …
Jacques-Louis David – Artwork & Bio of the French Painter Read More »
Andy Warhol was an American painter born on 6 August 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Andy suffered from a disease that kept him at home as a child. To pass the time, he played with paper cutouts and read comics. Warhol also took art classes at Carnegie Institute under Joseph Fitzpatrick. In 1945, Warhol enrolled at …
Andy Warhol – Artwork & Bio of the American Painter Read More »
David Hockney is a British painter born on 9 July 1937 in Bradford, England. Hockney began his art education at the Bradford School of Art in 1953, studying there for four years under Frank Lisle. He furthered his education at the Royal College of Art from 1959 to 1962. Hockney’s abilities shone at the college, …
David Hockney – Artwork & Bio of the British Painter Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted Mont Sainte-Victoire and Château Noir in oil on canvas in 1904. This painting is part of the Artizon Museum collection in Tokyo. What is depicted in the Mont Sainte-Victoire and Château Noir? The central part of the painting shows Château Noir surrounded by a dense forest, which is towered over by Mont Sainte-Victoire. Mont …
Mont Sainte-Victoire and Château Noir (Paul Cézanne, 1904) Read More »
Paul Cézanne painted Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley in oil on canvas between 1882 and 1885. This painting is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. What is depicted in the Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley? In the foreground …
Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley (Paul Cézanne, 1882-1885) Read More »
The Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc., consisting of Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, and Paul Cezanne, independently presented their works for the first time in 1874. The exhibition was held at 35 Boulevard des Capucines, the old studio of photographer Nadar. It was revolutionary to consider …
The 1st Impressionist Exhibit: A Comprehensive Look Read More »
Riders on the Beach is a painting by Paul Gauguin, executed in 1902 in Tahiti. The painting features five riders on horses, with two of them wearing hooded jackets and hiding their faces. Gauguin’s style in this painting seems to combine Impressionism and Cloisonnism, creating colorful shapes outlined in black. The riders are seen moving …
Golconda is an oil on canvas painting painted by Surrealist artist René Magritte in 1953. It is currently located in the Menil Collection of Houston, Texas, U.S. It represents a series of almost identical men with bowler hats suspended in mid-air. What is Depicted in the Golconda? The painting depicts a group of men dressed …
Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-1943, Oil on canvas, 127 x 127 cm, The Museum of Modern Art, New York Broadway Boogie Woogie is one of the last works by Dutch abstract painter Piet Mondrian. Realized between 1942 and 1943, the painting depicts a vibrant grid of multi-colored lines and blocks of primary colors. …
Broadway Boogie Woogie (Piet Mondrian, 1942-1943) Read More »
