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Artist Stories

Osman Hamdi: The First and Last Ottoman Orientalist

The first and last Orientalist painter of the Ottoman Empire is Osman Hamdi Bey. Born in modern-day Turkey, educated in Paris, and highly regarded as...

Irina Diana Calu 11 December 2023

Dine & Wine

Paris Bistros: Iconic Places and Space for Art

Is there something more iconic for Paris than its bistros (after the Eiffel Tower, of course)? Let’s have a closer look at the artistic...

Camilla de Laurentis 9 December 2023

Art Travels

The Beautiful Parisian Scenes of Jean Béraud

In the first quarter of the 20th century, Paris was the center of artistic and intellectual activity. Artists, actors, dancers, poets, writers,...

Errika Gerakiti 9 December 2023

Art History 101

The Art of Mandala – An Artistic Road Towards Enlightenment

The art of the mandala is like a secret language of the soul. It represents both a map of the cosmos and the soul’s progress through meditation...

Marina Kochetkova 8 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

Asian Art

Late Mughal Atelier: An Art Historical Journey Through Two Masterpieces by Fayzullah

Fayzullah was a renowned artist of the royal Mughal atelier in the late 18th century, during the reign of Alamgir II. Two of his masterpieces,...

Maya M. Tola, 7 December 2023

Attributed to the Workshop of Nicholas Hilliard, Elizabeth I Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Elizabeth I

The portrait of Elizabeth I is attributed to the workshop of Nicholas Hilliard and showcases the queen in her sixties. Similar to other images of...

Anna Ingram 7 December 2023

History

Yes, Santa Claus Is Real! His Name Is St. Nicholas

Who dressed in winter robes, bestowed gifts under the cover of night, and became a hero to children? This describes Nicholas of Myra, a Middle...

Helen Jeffery 6 December 2023

History

Vintage Claus Is Coming to Town

Today is Saint Nicholas Day, a holiday children across the world love because they get little treats if they are good (look up the Dutch version of...

Magda Michalska 6 December 2023

North American Art

The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Thomas Nast’s Santa Claus

Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Old St. Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Papa Noel, Weihnachtsmann. Whatever your culture is, he is a man of many...

Rachel Witte 6 December 2023

North American Art

Haddon Sundblom: The Artist Behind the Coca-Cola Santa Claus

Various illustrated depictions of the old St. Nicholas, or Bishop of Myra, have existed for centuries, bringing to life his story. Yet, in the end,...

Maria Frazzoni 5 December 2023