Soledad Castillo Jara

Political scientist with a strong passion for Art History. Great admirer of Vermeer and Velázquez. Researcher and amateur painter of still lifes.

Articles by Soledad

Art History 101

Genres Explained: Still Life in 10 Paintings

Let’s explore the history of still life through a selection of 10 paintings corresponding to two key moments: the 17th century in the Netherlands,...

Soledad Castillo Jara 26 November 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Sofonisba Anguissola by Anthony van Dyck

Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish painter born in Antwerp (then Spanish Netherlands, now Belgium) in 1599 and passed away in London in 1641. From 1621...

Soledad Castillo Jara 8 September 2024

Johannes Vermeer, Girl With a Pearl Earring, c. 1665, Mauritshuis, Hague, The Netherlands. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

The Girl with a Pearl Earring is usually the first image that comes to mind when we think of Johannes Vermeer. It has inspired multiple references in...

Soledad Castillo Jara 4 August 2024

velazquez bodegon Dine & Wine

Spanish Bodegones of the 17th Century

Looking at a painting and getting hungry? It might be a bodegón! Here we define the genre of Spanish bodegones in the context of 17th-century...

Soledad Castillo Jara 29 July 2024

Baroque

10 Things You Should Know About Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish artist. Considered one of the greatest exponents of the Baroque, he is best known for his mythological, allegorical,...

Soledad Castillo Jara 30 May 2024

Sculpture

Donatello’s Mary Magdalene: Penitence and Salvation

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, better known as Donatello, was a sculptor born around 1386 in Florence, which is also the city in which he died in...

Soledad Castillo Jara 17 March 2024

WTF Art History

The Caganer: A Christmas Tradition

As Christmas approaches, many of us are probably decorating our homes for the holidays which will hopefully bring us some joy. One of the main...

Soledad Castillo Jara 22 December 2023

Baroque

Dark Shadows of Seville in Murillo’s Paintings

Apart from fulfilling commissions for churches and noblemen’s mansions, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo painted genre scenes depicting poor children in...

Soledad Castillo Jara 30 June 2023