European Art

Ancient Greece

Not So Dark After All: Greek Designs from the Dark Ages

Despite lasting only a century (c. 1100-1000 BCE), the dark ages in Greece were an era of material poverty, cultural isolation, and artistic decline.

Lauren Dorsey 25 July 2023

View of the Menagerie at Kew, Thomas Sandby European Art

William Chambers’ Designs for the Royal Gardens at Kew

During the middle of the 18th century, landscape gardening became valued higher than a work of art in England. Landscape gardener William Chambers...

Anna Ingram 24 July 2023

Maria de Knuijt Baroque

Meet Maria de Knuijt: Was Vermeer’s Main Patron a Woman?

We all know Girl with a Pearl Earring, but have you ever wondered to whom the piece originally belonged? In light of the recent, largest Vermeer...

Nicole Ganbold 23 July 2023

Johannes Vermeer, Art of Painting, ca 1666-68, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Art of Painting by Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer is an enigmatic figure in the history of art. He is considered one of the most famous artists of the Dutch Golden Age. Why are his...

James W Singer 23 July 2023

* Johannes Vermeer, Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid (c. 1670–71), National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland. Artist Stories

5 Things You Should Know About Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter who lived and worked during the Dutch Golden Age. Along with Rembrandt and Frans Hals, he is considered one of...

Anastasia Manioudaki 23 July 2023

Jan van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, 1432 Art History 101

10 Things You Need To Know About Jan van Eyck

Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (1390 – 1441) was one of the key artists of the Early Northern Renaissance. His technical brilliance and mastery...

Zuzanna Stańska 21 July 2023

Museum Stories

Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium: Staff Picks

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium are located in Brussels, the capital of Belgium and of the European Union. This complex institution has a...

Nicole Ganbold 21 July 2023

Artist Stories

5 Things You Should Know About Anna Boch

Anna Boch was a Belgian painter. Curious about the trends of her time, such as Pointillism, Luminism, and Art Nouveau, she dedicated much of her life...

Tommy Thiange 21 July 2023

Art Nouveau

Alphonse Mucha’s Pan-Slavic Posters

Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) is the most iconic Art Nouveau artist. His works featuring beautiful women surrounded by nature are still popular today.

Jimena Escoto 16 July 2023

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt van Rijn

Rembrandt painted this group portrait of seven surgeons and the physician Nicolaes Tulp in 1632. He was only 26 years old at that point. Nicolaes...

Zuzanna Stańska 15 July 2023

Artist Stories

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 July 2023

Alexandre_Brun_-_View_of_the_Salon_Carré_at_the_Louvre European Art

Louvre: The World’s Most Famous Museum

Nestled in the heart of Paris on the right bank of the Seine, Musée du Louvre stands as a testament to human creativity and a shared cultural...

Maya M. Tola 14 July 2023