Renaissance

THE MADONNA LIA AND THE STUDENTS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI The Madonna Lia, painted by Francesco Napolitano, is part of a group of works executed in Leonardo da Vinci’s Milanese workshop at the end of the 15th century, during the years when Leonardo was engaged in numerous assignments at the Sforza court. Here is what […]

ANNUNCIATION BY LEONARDO: ANALYSIS AND CURIOUS FACTS To Leonardo painting is a mental act, a way to understand reality and nature. In Annunciation by Leonardo, painted when the artist was probably in his early twenties, you can already see its interest in nature and curiosity about phenomena of the world that Renaissance man was trying to […]

The theme of the Pietà has been depicted by many artists, but one has always impressed me in a particular way, the Pietà by Titian. It’s a painting executed by the great Venetian artist who, as required, depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Christ. However, in the work appear other figures, among […]

LIFE AND WORKS OF CATHARINA VAN HEMESSEN, A FLEMISH FEMALE PAINTER Catharina van Hemessen is the first Flemish female painter whose life and works are known. Her story and works, together with those of many other female artists, make us rewrite a piece of art history where women played an important role, not only as muses […]

PORTRAIT OF A MAN IN A RED TURBAN BY VAN EYCK: DESCRIPTION AND CURIOUS FACTS Who is the man in the painting Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban by van Eyck and why is he wearing a red turban? This painting is shrouded in mystery, like other van Eyck’s works and all his life. According to […]

THE MARRIAGE OF THE VIRGIN BY RAPHAEL: ANALYSIS AND MEANING What is the meaning of The Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael and why is it important to know it? This painting marks the final part of Raphael’s early period and the beginning of his artistic maturity. Here is what you need to know Analysis and meaning of […]

THE ARNOLFINI PORTRAIT: CURIOUS FACTS, DESCRIPTION AND WHERE TO ADMIRE THE PAINTING What story and what mysteries are hidden in the Arnolfini Portrait? It’s one of Jan van Eyck’s masterpieces, and it’s certainly one of my favourite, because it’s extremely complex and full of symbolic meanings. I might spend hours looking at it! In this […]

LA VELATA BY RAPHAEL: WHO THE WOMAN LOVED BY RAPHAEL WAS AND WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE PAINTING Who was the Velata by Raphael and why did he portray her? Is it true that she was the woman loved by the artist? There are many theories about the identity of the Velata by Raphael but only one […]

LA FORNARINA BY RAPHAEL: WHO SHE WAS AND WHERE TO ADMIRE THE PAINTING Which story does la Fornarina by Raphael tell and who is the young woman made immortal by this painting? Stories of any kind have circulated about this painting and for this reason this work has become legendary. We don’t know almost anything […]

MADONNA OF THE CHAIR BY RAPHAEL: CURIOUS FACTS AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PAINTING In the Madonna of the Chair Raphael describes one of the most delicate and tender scenes of all his artistic production. It seems that this painting emanates an infinite tenderness that I could hardly resist when I was in front of it and I exchanged […]

DAVID BY DONATELLO: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE SCULPTURE AND WHERE IT IS HOUSED What does it come to your mind if I talk about David by Donatello? Some people think immediately of the famous Italian film award; other people, instead, think of the bronze statue by Donatello. In this post you’ll find 5 […]

THE VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH CANON VAN DER PAELE BY VAN EYCK: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT A MASTERPIECE The Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele is one of the largest and most famous masterpieces by Jan van Eyck. In terms of size it is second only to the Adoration of the Mystic […]