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Painting story
Saint Francis in Meditation by Zurbarán
Saint Francis in Meditation (1635 to 1639) by Francisco de Zurbarán shows the saint kneeling in a patched habit, his face hidden in the shadow of…
Famous Paintings, Explained
The stories behind famous paintings, the painters who made them, and the movements that shaped them. Every work here can be recreated by hand in oil on canvas.
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Painting story
Saint Serapion by Zurbarán
Saint Serapion (1628) by Francisco de Zurbarán shows a Mercedarian friar who gave his life to free Christian captives, hanging by his wrists in a…
Painting story
Agnus Dei by Zurbarán
Agnus Dei (c. 1635 to 1640) by Francisco de Zurbarán shows a lamb with its feet bound, lying on a stone ledge against a dark background: the Lamb…
Painting story
Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose by Zurbarán
Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose (1633) is the only still life Francisco de Zurbarán signed and dated: three groups of objects in a row…
Art guide
10 Famous Zurbarán Paintings and Their Stories
Discover 10 famous Zurbarán paintings, from Agnus Dei and Saint Serapion to his still lifes. Explore their stories, details and museum collections.
Art guide
Living Room Decor Ideas
Living room decor ideas built around wall art: one large painting above the sofa, dark walls, gallery walls and lighting, plus how high to hang…
Painting story
Frida Kahlo Paintings
Frida Kahlo painted around 140 pictures, many of them of herself: her broken spine, her marriage to Diego Rivera, her lost pregnancies and her two…
Painting story
Victoria Mortis by Owe Zerge
Victoria Mortis (1921) by Owe Zerge shows a young man playing chess against Death while an hourglass marks the remaining time. The painting turns…
Painting story
L'Apparition by Gustave Moreau
L'Apparition (c. 1876 to 1877) by Gustave Moreau shows Salome, just after her dance, pointing at the severed head of John the Baptist as it floats…
Painting story
La Belle Dame sans Merci by Frank Dicksee
La Belle Dame sans Merci (c. 1901) by Frank Dicksee shows a knight in armour walking beside a fairy lady on horseback, from John Keats's ballad of…
Painting story
Circe Invidiosa by John William Waterhouse
Circe Invidiosa (1892) by John William Waterhouse shows the enchantress Circe pouring green poison into the sea to turn her rival Scylla into a…
Painting story
The Cursed Woman by Octave Tassaert
The Cursed Woman (La Femme damnée) is an 1859 oil painting by Octave Tassaert: four nude women drifting down through blue air beneath a gold…
Painting story
Anna Passini on the Balcony of the Palazzo Priuli
Anna Passini on the Balcony of the Palazzo Priuli shows the painter's young wife on a carved Gothic balcony above a Venetian canal in spring,…
Painting story
The Surprise of the Master's Unexpected Arrival
The Surprise of the Master's Unexpected Arrival shows a dining room full of servants caught mid-party by the master and mistress of the house, who…
Art guide
15 Most Famous Scary Paintings in Art History, Ranked by How Often People Look for Them
Saturn eating his son, a demon crouched on a sleeping woman, a scream under a blood-red sky. The 15 creepiest paintings in art history and their…
Painting story
Witches' Sabbath by Goya
Witches' Sabbath (El Aquelarre) shows the Devil as a great black goat crowned with leaves, receiving children from a circle of witches under a…
Painting story
The Nightmare by Fuseli
The Nightmare shows a woman asleep across a bed with her head thrown back, an incubus squatting on her chest and looking out at the viewer, and a…
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Curated collectionsOdyssey, Magic and Witchcraft, Famous Women, Landscapes and more.Artists A to ZEvery painter in the catalogue, with an archive of their works.Art movementsRenaissance to Expressionism: what defines each and who led it.Top 100 most famous paintingsThe ranked list, with the story behind every entry.
