Realism

Frederic Edwin Church aurora borealis: Frederic Edwin Church, Aurora Borealis, 1865, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Aurora Borealis by Frederic Edwin Church

Aurora Borealis is an American national treasure. It explores the relationship between the land, its viewer, and its destiny. It is a masterpiece of...

James W Singer 5 May 2024

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City, 1885, White House, Washington DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City is a masterpiece of Black art and history. It was painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner during a time of incredible...

James W Singer 5 May 2024

History

The Great Depression: An Unprecedented Time in Art History

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Great Depression wreaked havoc on the world, especially in the United States. In 1933,  Franklin D. Roosevelt...

Sam Malone 1 May 2024

Realism

Artists and Industrial Revolution: Images of the Changing World

The Industrial Revolution brought fundamental and irreversible social changes. But what was its influence on art and artists? Discover works by...

Europeana 1 May 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Summer Squall by Winslow Homer

The crashing waves roar with deafening thunder, and the foamy spray flies with a quickening speed. Great gusts of wind blow the waters over the rocks...

James W Singer 21 April 2024

Realism

Eid Al-Fitr – Islamic Prayer in Art

The distinctive ritual of Islamic prayer, known as namaz (in Urdu) or salah (in Arabic) has captivated the imagination of many Orientalist painters.

Maya M. Tola 10 April 2024

Édouard Manet boating: Édouard Manet, Boating, 1874. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Boating by Édouard Manet

Known as the father of modernism in art, Édouard Manet was a key figure in the shift from Realism to Impressionism. Finding the guidelines of the...

Natalia Iacobelli 7 March 2024

Frants Henningsen, Funeral, 1883, National Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Funeral by Frants Henningsen

Funeral by Frants Henningsen is a Danish masterpiece of emotions. It examines the different psychological reactions to love, loss, and...

James W Singer 18 February 2024

Ukraine Special

Mykola Pymonenko: An Idyllic View of Ukraine

Mykola Pymonenko (1862-1912) was a Ukrainian realist painter. He spent almost his entire life in Kyiv and dedicated his career to painting genre...

Jimena Escoto 24 August 2023

Artist Stories

Taras Shevchenko: Ukrainian Liberty Idol

Taras Shevchenko was an outstanding Ukrainian artist and poet. Born to a peasant family, he became a Ukrainian liberty idol and national artistic...

Kateryna Martynova 24 August 2023

Women Artists

Anna Bilińska’s Parisian Career and Tragic Life

Read the story of Anna Bilińska, a Polish painter who spent her life in Paris. Discover her moving portraits and the fascinating story of her...

Magda Michalska 12 April 2023

Artist Stories

Winslow Homer – Painter of America

From soldiers to frolicking schoolchildren and New England fishing communities, Winslow Homer depicted American life. His works present unidealized,...

Alexandra Kiely 10 November 2022