Masterpiece Stories

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Peasant Wedding, 1567 Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Peasant Wedding by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (the Museum of Art History) is located in Vienna, Austria. It is the largest art gallery in the country, housing the...

Anastasia Manioudaki 22 December 2023

Claude Monet, Magpie, 1868-69, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Magpie by Claude Monet

Magpie is a masterpiece by Claude Monet that captures the poetic play of light upon a winter landscape. It is a symphony of ivory and...

James W Singer 22 December 2023

Love Story

Medieval Love Story: King Pedro and Inês de Castro

Every country has its legends and fairytales, and Portugal is no exception. One of the most well-known Portuguese tales is a love story about King...

Helena Pereira 20 December 2023

Lady with an Ermine Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci

One of the greatest masterpieces of Western art, Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci, presents Cecilia Gallerani (ca. 1473-1536). Young,...

Zuzanna Stańska 18 December 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Rooftops in the Snow by Gustave Caillebotte

You open your eyes to the early morning light filtering through your windows. You instantly feel the cold air of the bedroom as you see your warm...

James W Singer 17 December 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Meules by Claude Monet

Claude Monet, the master of Impressionism, loved to paint in series. The one with haystacks (in French called meules) is his most well-known, and was...

Zuzanna Stańska 17 December 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Tailor by Giovanni Battista Moroni

The Tailor is one of Giovanni Battista Moroni’s most famous portraits. Not only is it an astonishing work of art, but the sitter himself is quite...

Joanna Kaszubowska 15 December 2023

Muisca Raft, ca 600-1600, gold, Museo del Oro, Bogotá, Colombia. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Muisca Raft

The Muisca Raft is a masterpiece of Pre-Columbian art. It was created by the Muisca people who lived in a region of today’s Colombia. Muisca...

James W Singer 14 December 2023

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, The Rape of Proserpina Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Rape of Proserpina by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Sail into the world of antiquity through the eyes of the Baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. In the Borghese Gallery in Rome, you can find Rape of...

Ana Djoric 13 December 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Tempest by Giorgione

Giorgione and his masterpiece The Tempest form the rare combination of a mysterious artist and a mysterious painting. This small canvas has puzzled...

Anastasia Manioudaki 13 December 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Venerable Celestial Bodhiruma

Imperial Chinese art has a long history stretching through many dynasties and many centuries. Many social, political, and economic factors have...

James W Singer 8 December 2023

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, ca 1766-1833, lacquered gilt wood, Vietnam, Musée Guimet, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara

Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara was donated to the Musée Guimet in Paris, France, in 1889 by French archeologist Gustave Dumoutier. It represents the...

James W Singer 7 December 2023