Three figures. The plot of the Old Testament. Queen Esther is of Jewish origin. She learned that the Vizier, the king’s favorite, was going to treacherously destroy her people. She decided to tell her husband about it at a feast. In the presence of Haman himself. Rembrandt shows the most dramatic moment. Esther has just …
Rembrandt “Ahaseurus and Haman at the Feast of Esther” Read More »
Bronzino’s painting “Allegory with Venus and Cupid” is one of the most mysterious and erotic paintings of Renaissance era. The artist put in it a secret message, which was intended to the king of France. What did the artist, or rather the customer of the painting, Cosimo I of Medici, the ruler of Tuscany, want …
Agnolo Bronzino “Allegory with Venus and Cupid”. Secret Message to the King Read More »
It would seem that Henri Rousseau portrayed an ominous scene. A predator crept up to a sleeping person. But the feeling of anxiety does not occur. For some reason, we are sure that the lion will not attack the gypsy. Moonlight gently falls on everything. The gypsy robe seems to glow with fluorescent colors. And …
The sleeping gypsy. Striped masterpiece by Henri Rousseau Read More »
“He (Fabritius) was Rembrandt’s disciple and Vermeer’s teacher… And this tiny canvas (The Goldfinch painting) is that very missing link between them.” Quote from Donna Tartt’s novel “The Goldfinch” (2013) Before the novel by Donna Tartt has been published, few people have ever heard about such an artist as Fabritius (1622-1654). Much less his small painting The Goldfinch (33 x 23 cm). But it was thanks to …
The Goldfinch: a painting by a forgotten genius Fabritius Read More »
The painting by Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) “The shepherds of Arcadia” is unlikely to attract your attention in the Louvre as it is. Unless you adore Poussin. However, if you know the painting’s plot, it becomes almost the most interesting one among all the paintings in the world. So, what do we see in the picture? As judged by the name, we see three shepherds and a lady, …
The Shepherds of Arcadia. Poussin’s most mysterious painting Read More »
“The worst crimes are committed not by those who break the rules. But by those who follow them eagerly”. – Banksy No one really knows who he is. Maybe he doesn’t even exist. Some people suggest that several influential artists are hidden under the Banksy name. Banksy (presumably born in 1973) gives his own comments …
⠀⠀ The Renaissance. Italy. XV-XVI centuries. Early capitalism. The country is ruled by rich bankers. They are interested in art and science. The rich and powerful surround themselves with the talented and wise. Poets, philosophers, artists, and sculptors dialogize with their patrons every day. For a moment, it may seem that wise men really rule people, just as Plato wanted. The ancient Romans and Greeks weren’t forgotten either. They also built a society …
The Renaissance era artists. 6 great Italian masters. Read More »
Ancient Greek myths are exciting adventures of gods, heroes, and evil creatures. They are interesting in every respect. They are more entertaining than Hollywood blockbusters and give an opportunity to understand a completely different mindset of people of pre-Christian civilization. But not only ancient authors gave us knowledge about mythology. Artists who lived before the …
Mythological paintings. The main characters and symbols Read More »
The myth about Perseus and Andromeda is one of the best-known ones. Everyone knows the monster who wanted to devour a beautiful maiden and about the courages hero who defeated the demon and saved the beauty. But we hardly remember the details. However, the myth details are one more intriguing than another. Both the prehistory …
Perseus and Andromeda. The characters and symbols in the Rubens’ painting Read More »
Only few people knew about Botticelli’s “Spring” for as long as… 450 years! At first, it was housed by Medici descendants. Later, it was moved to the Uffizi Gallery. However… You won’t believe it – it had been stored in repository for 100 years! And only in the early 20th century it was introduced to …
“Spring” by Botticelli. The main characters and symbols Read More »