#royal portraits

King Louis XIV painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1701 European Art

The Sun King’s Reflection: Portraits of Louis XIV

Louis XIV was definitely a great arts patron but sadly a slightly less great king. However, that didn’t stop him from being self-indulging,...

Magda Michalska 17 February 2025

Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Henry VIII of England, ca. 1537, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain.  History

Royal Portraits: The Art of Image

Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” For monarchs...

Abreeza Thomas 17 February 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Queen Mother Idia of Benin

Africa is a beautiful continent filled with sweeping landscapes and mighty rivers. Its history is filled with great kingdoms and large empires. Its...

James W Singer 17 February 2025

Rococo

Queen Marie Antoinette in 10 Portraits

Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France and Navarre before the French Revolution, is renowned for numerous portraits that depict her life.

Zuzanna Stańska 16 January 2025

The Rainbow Portrait Renaissance

Masterpiece Story: The Rainbow Portrait

Queen Elizabeth I is known throughout history as one of the most famous British Queens. Even without a husband, she successfully ruled England for 45...

Anna Ingram 11 December 2024

Herstory

Masterpiece Story: The Portrait of Empress Dowager Cixi by Katharine Augusta Carl

Art and politics have been closely intertwined throughout global history. This article studies the case of The Empress Dowager Cixi of China by...

Iolanda Munck 11 December 2024

Long Read

Badass Queens from Classical History

A rollicking adventure through the lives of great leaders and queens from ancient times. Famous female leaders are a fascinating bunch. Here at...

Candy Bedworth, Guest Profile 9 December 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Phoenix Portrait of Elizabeth I

One of the most famous depictions of Elizabeth I is Nicholas Hilliard’s Phoenix Portrait, depicting the Queen with a pendant shaped like a mythical...

Guest Profile 5 December 2024

Baroque

10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Anthony van Dyck

Anthony van Dyck, a Flemish Baroque painter of remarkable skill, left an indelible mark on art history. His signature style of refined portraits and...

Jimena Aullet 24 October 2024

Ancient Egypt

Nefertiti as a Beauty Icon

Nefertiti is a beauty icon and one of the most powerful women who has inspired us throughout centuries. Responding to the rhythms of the age, she...

Marina Kochetkova 18 October 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées and One of Her Sisters

To a 21st-century viewer, the portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées might seem homo-erotic. However, pictured with her sister, the Duchess of Villars,...

Anna Ingram 8 October 2024

Painting

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey: Unveiling the Life of England’s Nine-Day Queen

Paul Delaroche’s Execution of Lady Jane Grey is a mesmerizing piece that captures the essence and tragedy of one of England’s most ill-fated...

Sabrina Phillips 18 September 2024