Rare Renaissance Portrait—Once Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci—Sets $3.1 Million Record
Bernardino de’ Conti may not be a household name today, but he was ranked among the most important artists in Leonardo da Vinci’s circle in 16th-century Milan. This side-profile portrait was even attributed to Leonardo himself when it was in the Castelbarco Collection in the 1800s. Portrait of an Elegantly-Attired Noblewoman in Profile (ca. 1500) […]
Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?
“Yo, Mona Lisa, could I get a date on Friday?” sang Wyclef Jean on the Fugees’ debut album, in 1994. Around half a century earlier, Nat King Cole had crooned about Mona Lisa as the lady with the mystic smile in an Oscar-winning song. Fast-forward to 2018, when power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z punctuated their […]
Virgin of the Rocks (Leonardo Da Vinci): Great Art Ep.3
Virgin of the Rocks (Leonardo Da Vinci). The queen of heaven, the source of humanity in God, justice tempered by mercy – the Virgin Mary is no casual subject, and countless artists have tried their hand at depicting her. What makes Leonardo da Vinci’s “Virgin of the Rocks” such a notable work? How did he […]
The Last Supper (Leonardo), Great Art Ep.2
The Last Supper de Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s one of the most reproduced paintings in the world – and for good reason. There is almost nothing left of the original, yet Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” remains the most significant representation of the last supper in art history. Christ and his twelve disciples gather […]
On Renaissance, Great Art Ep.1
What makes the Renaissance great? Why are the Big Three practically considered saints, and how much did Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael really transform art? Join us as Columbia Professor David Rosand explains the poetry in the paintings of these Italian High Renaissance masters, and shows us how the stories depicted in some of […]
8 Must-See Paintings At The Uffizi Gallery
1- The Ognissanti Madonna, Giotto Any art enthusiast will appreciate the Uffizi’s varied collection. Giotto’s enormous altarpiece from 1305 is located in Room 2, between two other works of art that have become famous in this space: Santa Trinita Maestà and Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Rucellai Madonna. Along with other outstanding works created in Florence during […]
Does Mona Lisa Have a Hidden Personality?
The Mona Lisa is the most famous portrait in the world – Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. A French scientist has spent more than 10 years analysing the painting. Now with his latest research he claims he has found another portrait of a different woman underneath – claims which are prompting controversy in the art world. […]
Drawing the Italian Renaissance: How artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo & Raphael worked
During the Italian Renaissance, generally held to be the period 1400 – 1600, drawing became a much more important part of an artist’s creative process. With paper becoming cheaper as a result of the book printing revolution in the 1500s, an artist could use it wastefully in a more experimental manner. Find out more about […]
The Hidden Meanings in a 16th-Century Female Nude
How a rarely-seen drawing of the Three Graces by Raphael reveals the era’s ideas about nudity, modesty, shame – and the artist’s genius. It’s part of an exhibition, Drawing the Italian Renaissance – at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace – of drawings from 1450 to 1600, the biggest of its kind ever shown in the […]
Secrets within Masters’ Paintings
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Caravaggio were each brilliant artists, but each also included unexpected features in some of their works. These secret messages and subtleties within their masterpieces went unrecognized for centuries, making the works of art even more astounding than what meets the eye. A prime example is a scientific secret hiding […]