New Essays in Art History.
Close readings of paintings, artists, symbols, scandals, and strange details.
The Fighting Temeraire: How Turner Faked a Ship’s Death to Write His Own Legacy
Turner did not simply paint a ship's final tow. He edited it into a eulogy.
Van Gogh Wanted a Matching Set
The rivalry hidden inside an exchange of portraits, and how one earnest request turned into three self-portraits and a dedication that didn't survive the decade.
More to Read
Fresh essays and archive picks for wandering through art history.
The Deceitfulness of Riches: What Truly Makes Us Rich?
Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale's lavish garden scene asks whether beauty, abundance, and luxury can ever replace love.
The Face He Never Stopped Practicing On
Rembrandt returned to his own face for forty years, not as vanity, but as discipline.
The Fighting Temeraire: How Turner Faked a Ship’s Death to Write His Own Legacy
Turner did not simply paint a ship's final tow. He edited it into a eulogy.
#OOTD: Absolute Monarchy Edition
Hyacinthe Rigaud's 1701 portrait of Louis XIV is the most influential power outfit in Western history.