This large fresco is a masterclass in linear perspective. The Forum like architecture is bilaterally symmetrical and provides a very large number of orthogonals that converge, with rigid mathematical precision, […]
At first sight Slave Ship seems to depict a beautiful sunset over a tumultuous sea. A Turner tactic to lull you in. A stark counterpoint to the horrors and barbarity […]
There are many reasons that the female nude is such a popular subject for painting. It is an aesthetically pleasing subject. Most artists and most patrons have been men. It […]
When we study art we tend to concentrate on France and Italy, with the Netherlands, UK and USA forming a second tier. Which is unfair to Spain which through history […]
You probably haven’t heard of Francesco Squarcione, but he is well worth knowing about. Born in Padua in 1395 he was a member of the painters guild by 1423. Considering that […]
Artists often create illusions. Using technique to make you see things well beyond just a 2D surface. The picture above proves how the eye and brain can be easily led […]
So let’s play devil’s advocate here. Anything is “art” purely if the “artist” says that it is. No other criteria apply. This is irrefutable and cannot be challenged. The physical […]
Many years ago the BBC was a world class broadcaster; politically neutral, comedy that was actually funny and unafraid to broadcast high brow content. Unlike today where it is just […]
The Macchiaioli were a group of Italian painters who predated the Impressionists with whom they had many very striking similarities. Named “Macchiaioli” as an insult by a critical journalist writing in in November […]
This is great fun, takes little time and is very interesting indeed. The history of art is like an incredibly complicated jigsaw, with the individual artists as the pieces. The […]