Art & History: Essays and Stories on Artists, Museums, and Meaning
Double Portrait of a Giant and a Dwarf
“Dwarfs” and “giants” were long seen as curiosities of nature. In the Middle Ages…
Vittore Carpaccio’s Lion of Saint Mark: Venice’s Symbol in the Doge’s Palace
In Venice, the Doge’s Palace stood as the stage of a thousand-year republic. Its…
Portraits of Power: Gentile Bellini Between Sultan and Doge
From the Doge’s Hall to the Sultan’s court, Gentile Bellini’s portraits tell a story…
Trolls, Death, and Tender Monsters: The Magical World of Theodor Kittelsen
Have you ever smiled at a sea monster or felt sorry for an old…
The History of Emotion in Art: From Sacred Awe to Existential Angst
What do we feel when we look at a painting? And what did the…
Happy Birthday, Pierre-Auguste Renoir!
Today, we celebrate the birthday of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), one of the most…