The Farnese Atlas: an exceptional testimony of ancient astronomy

The Farnese Atlas is a marble sculpture depicting the titan Atlas, condemned by Zeus to carry the sky on his shoulders. It is a Roman copy of the 2nd century AD of an older Hellenistic work. What makes this statue unique is the globe that Atlas holds, on which are engraved the constellations of the […]

The Origin of the Milky Way by Rubens: a mythological masterpiece

The Origin of the Milky Way is an oil painting on canvas made by the famous Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens between 1636 and 1638. It depicts the Greco-Roman myth that explains the formation of the Milky Way, this luminous band that crosses the night sky and which is actually composed of billions of stars. […]

Pandora by Rossetti: a mythical and symbolic work

Pandora is a painting made by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1871, which depicts the mythological figure of Pandora holding the box that contains all the evils of the world. Rossetti was an English painter and poet, founder of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who sought to renew art by drawing inspiration from medieval and Renaissance sources. The […]

Chassériau’s painting showing a melancholic and exotic Venus Anadyomene

Venus Anadyomene (or Venus Marine) is a painting by Théodore Chassériau from 1838. It depicts the goddess of love emerging from the waters, according to the myth of her birth. This artistic theme, derived from Greco-Roman mythology, has been revisited by many painters over the centuries. Chassériau is inspired by it in turn, bringing his […]

Divine and human love in Gérard’s painting: Psyche and Love

Psyche and Love is a painting by François Gérard from 1798. It depicts a scene from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where the god of love, Eros, kisses the beautiful Psyche for the first time, whom he has abducted and hidden in his palace. This work, preserved in the Louvre Museum, illustrates the painter’s romantic style and his […]

How Guérin reinvented the legend of Aurora and Cephalus

Aurora and Cephalus is a painting by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin from 1810. It depicts a scene from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where the goddess of dawn, Aurora, abducts the young hunter Cephalus and seduces him. This work illustrates the painter’s neoclassical style and his interest in mythological subjects. Historical context of the painting Pierre-Narcisse Guérin (1774-1833) was a […]

Incredulity of Saint Thomas: the painting that caused scandal in Caravaggio’s time

Caravaggio (1571-1610) was a 17th century Italian painter, considered the leader of the Baroque movement. He is famous for his dramatic use of chiaroscuro, his realistic representation of characters and his ability to express human emotions. Among his most striking works, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas is a masterpiece that caused scandal in its time […]

Still Life with Peaches, Quinces and Jasmine Flowers: the delicate realism of Fede Galizia

Fede Galizia (1578-1630) was an Italian Baroque female painter active in Milan in the 17th century. She is best known for her portraits and still lifes, a genre in which she was a pioneer. Historical context Still life is a type of painting that depicts inanimate objects, often fruits, flowers, utensils or animals. This genre […]

Lucretia by Guido Cagnacci: a masterpiece of Italian Baroque

Guido Cagnacci’s Lucretia is an oil on canvas painting created around 1657 and housed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon. It depicts the suicide of Lucretia, a Roman noblewoman who took her own life after being raped by the son of King Tarquin the Proud. This heroic act triggered the revolt that ended […]

Hypatia by Mitchell: a romantic and tragic representation of the ancient philosopher

Hypatia is an oil on canvas painting created in 1885 by British painter Charles William Mitchell. It depicts the Greek philosopher, mathematician and astronomer Hypatia of Alexandria, who lived in the 4th century AD and was murdered by Christian fanatics. The painting belongs to the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne and measures 244.5 […]

Thor, the god of thunder facing the forces of chaos: an analysis of the painting by Mårten Eskil Winge

Thor’s Fight with the Giants is an oil on canvas painting created in 1872 by Swedish painter Mårten Eskil Winge. It depicts the Norse god Thor in an epic battle against the jötnar, evil creatures that threaten cosmic order. The painting belongs to the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and measures 484 x 333 centimeters. Historical and […]

Pilgrimage to the Island of Cythera: a masterpiece of the fête galante

Antoine Watteau is an early 18th century French painter, considered the founder of the Rococo movement. He created many genre scenes depicting elegant and refined characters in idyllic landscapes, which he called fêtes galantes. The Pilgrimage to the Island of Cythera is one of his most famous and mysterious paintings, housed in the Louvre Museum. […]

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice revisited by Nicolas Poussin

Nicolas Poussin is a 17th century French painter, considered the leader of classicism. He created many landscapes inspired by nature and antiquity, including the famous Landscape with Orpheus and Eurydice, housed in the Louvre Museum. The subject of the painting The painting depicts an episode from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a collection of mythological poems. It tells […]

Souvenir of Mortefontaine by Corot: a painting that celebrates nature and memory

Souvenir of Mortefontaine is an oil painting created in 1864 by French artist Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, considered the precursor of Realism and Impressionism. It depicts a peaceful and harmonious scene in the park of Mortefontaine in Oise where Corot liked to go to paint. It is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris and is […]

Rain Steam and Speed by Turner: a painting that revolutionizes art and society

Rain Steam and Speed is an oil painting created in 1844 by British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner, considered the precursor of Impressionism. It depicts a locomotive crossing a bridge over the Thames in a misty and turbulent landscape. It is housed in the National Gallery in London and is part of the Romantic movement. […]

Albrecht Altdorfer: the painter who immortalized the victory of Alexander the Great

The Battle of Alexander is an oil painting created in 1529 by German artist Albrecht Altdorfer, a pioneer of landscape art and founding member of the Danube School. It depicts the Battle of Issus, which pitted Alexander the Great against Persian King Darius III in 333 BC. Historical context The Battle of Issus was one […]

The Nightmare by Fuseli: a dark and fantastic painting from the late 18th century

The Nightmare by Fuseli is an oil painting on canvas by Swiss painter Johann Heinrich Fuseli, created in 1781. The painting depicts a terrifying scene where a sleeping woman is assaulted by a demon and a horse with glowing eyes. The canvas measures 101.6 x 127.7 cm and is housed in the Detroit Institute of […]

The Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba by Claude Gellée: a luminous and harmonious painting of the French Renaissance

The Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba is an oil painting on canvas by the French painter Claude Gellée, known as “Le Lorrain,” created in 1648. The painting depicts a biblical scene of the departure of the Queen of Sheba to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, transposed into an idealized maritime landscape. The canvas measures […]

The Wedding at Cana by Veronese: a monumental and festive painting of the Renaissance

The Wedding at Cana is an oil painting on canvas by the Italian painter Veronese, created between 1562 and 1563 for the refectory of the Benedictine monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. The painting depicts a biblical scene of Jesus’ first miracle, the transformation of water into wine at a wedding banquet, transposed into […]

The Tempest by Giorgione: a pictorial enigma of the Venetian Renaissance

The Tempest is an oil painting on canvas by the Italian painter Giorgione, dated between 1506 and 1508. It depicts a mysterious scene where a woman breastfeeding a child and a man holding a stick face each other in a stormy landscape. It measures 82 x 73 cm and is housed in the Gallerie dell’Accademia […]
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