Masterpiece Story: The African King Caspar by Hendrik Heerschop
White subjects have dominated the Western art tradition for millennia, while people of color have been vastly underrepresented and misrepresented.
James W Singer 16 February 2025
#The Netherlands
Holy Cow! Why Did the Dutch Painters Love Cows?
Every time I look at 17th-century Dutch paintings, I ask myself the same question: why do they always show cows? You will probably think this is a...
Magda Michalska 12 February 2025
Maria Sibylla Merian—An Artist Who Changed Science Forever
In the 17th century, it has been widely believed that insects were just spontaneously born of mud, dirt, or rotting flesh, but that notion has been...
Nicole Ganbold 11 February 2025
Johannes Vermeer in 10 Paintings
Johannes Vermeer was one of the masters of the Dutch Golden Age. He was born in Delft, Netherlands, in 1632 and died there at age 43, apparently...
Tom Anderson 6 February 2025
Pure Happiness, Fun, and Joy in Jan Steen’s Paintings
I am a true happiness digger and I’m looking for happiness also in art. If you are a frequent reader here, you may have seen our other articles...
Rute Ferreira 20 January 2025
Nine Reasons to Smile with Frans Hals’ Portraits
Frans Hals (c. 1582–1666) was one of the Dutch Golden Age painters. Born in Antwerp, he spent his entire adult life in Haarlem. Hals is most famous...
Joanna Kaszubowska 20 January 2025
Masterpiece Story: The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer
Among many representations of domestic scenes of respectable Dutch middle-class households, there is one that never ceases to impress and capture the...
Giordana Goretti 19 January 2025
The Dutch Master of Selfies: Rembrandt’s 6 Magnificent Self-Portraits
Rembrandt van Rijn, one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art, was born 416 years ago in Leiden, Netherlands. Today, people take...
Zuzanna Stańska 15 January 2025
10 Vincent van Gogh Self-Portraits You Need to Know
Vincent van Gogh created 36 self-portraits in the space of only 10 years. These works are an amazing source of knowledge not only of how Van Gogh...
Zuzanna Stańska 15 January 2025
Judith Leyster: The Leading Star of the Dutch Golden Age
Judith Leyster was a highly regarded genre painter in 17th-century Holland. Her career was cut short by her marriage, and after her death, her...
Catriona Miller 13 January 2025
Winter Through Pieter Bruegel’s Eyes
Nature is ever-present in Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s work. As seasons change, the painter captures nature’s subtle details. Among them,...
Javier Abel Miguel 13 January 2025
Masterpiece Story: Threatened Swan by Jan Asselijn
Swans are normally characterized as graceful birds. They are magnificent and majestic. However, Jan Asselijn displays another side of these elegant...
James W Singer 5 January 2025
