The [Not]Laughing [Non]Cavalier
Frans Hals’ Laughing Cavalier is one of the most iconic portraits in art history. Even those who don’t know it, know it! But have you ever noticed that the figure isn’t a cavalier? In fact, he’s not even laughing. Introducing Frans
Celebrating women
What better way to get ready for Navaratri (a festival dedicated to strong women) than celebrating some truly incredible female artists and their achievements. Here's ten trailblazers to keep an eye out for in a gallery near you.
A Good Fabrication
Throughout his lifetime, and long after his death, stories have cemented his reputation as a megalomaniacal monster of lust and cruelty. But how many of these stories are based in fact, and how many are made up to intensify the
Man vs. turtle
420 years after the Renaissance Masters - Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo - died, they were reborn as crime fighting turtles. But how closely related are they?
It’s All About David
Donatello: a pioneer of the Renaissance. His David: the first free-standing, male nude since Antiquity. But what does it mean? Does David remind us underdogs do succeed? To have faith in God? Or does he celebrate queer culture?
A different perspective
La Pietà. A seminal work in Art History, and a sculpture which defined the career of one of the world’s greatest artists. But what, if in addition to the Pietà, Michelangelo was referencing another event?
EXCOMMUNICATING A FRIAR
On this day in 1497, the Borgia Pope, Alexander VI, excommunicated the Dominican friar, Girolamo Savonarola. But who was Savonarola? What did he do that deserved excommunication in a time so rife with sin? And why is it important?
A Jigsaw of Symbolism
A lot of what we know about the Arnolfini Portrait is speculation. Symbols read and pieced together with things we do know so that we can create a potential understanding of it. But what are they trying to say?
Michelangelo: Fact vs Fiction
Given the sheer volume of surviving documents written by, to, and about Michelangelo, it’s a wonder that we have so many myths relating to the Renaissance Master. Time to see what’s fact, what’s fiction, and what has been exaggerated.
Raphael: Homage or Theft?
Considered one of the greatest artists of all time, Raphael is clearly highly influenced by other artists. But where do you draw the line? Where is the line between inspiration, quotation and plagiarism? And was Michelangelo's reaction justified?
