And how Impressionists and Modernists were different from them — Paintings are one of the most impressive creations of a human genius. What a pleasure to admire them at museums and galleries, in books, smaller or larger screens. I know how hard it might be to navigate in this world, bearing in mind all the names, and recognising epochs while…

What is a style, a genre, or an art school — Indeed, even the specialised art resources often operate those key art history terms the wrong way. Genres are taken for styles, the same goes for numerous movements and trends, while art schools would be mixed up the artist’s nationality. Without further ado, let us look at the basic terminology used…

Did it really belong to her real-life character? — HBO’s key project of the beginning of 2022, The Gilded Age by the Downtown Abbey star series writer Julian Fellows proved to be a success and was immediately extended for the second season (more to come, we may assume). Perhaps, it owes its wide popularity not only to the exuberant…

Smart Art — Art History Escape Digest, March 2022 — The month of March 2022 turned out to be an especially dark period in the world’s history. The ongoing war in Ukraine has no mercy for the innocent lives, nor does it spare the local museums that become victims of the cruel missile strikes and shelling attacks. While cultural workers…

Ultimate selection of films with art and inspired by art — These days, there are tons of opportunities to experience art outside of physically going to museums, galleries and curated shows. …

Smart Art — Art History Escape Digest, January 2022 — The new year brought lots of novelties into the world of art and its history. In this new Smart Art Digest series, I will share the most interesting art content and news that was brought to you this month under the welcoming roof of the Smart Art — Art History…

The art history alchemy of precious minerals, metals, flora and fauna — Back in the day, the perceived value of artwork was only based on the image of an artist and the marketing efforts behind it. Well, at least, not entirely, as it is often the case of today. In the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and later centuries, painters often justified the high…

Extensive list of the most anticipated, interesting and exciting museum shows of the year — *This story has an updated version with a special focus in shows still open in autumn/December 2022. The year 2020, when we all suddenly got stuck in our homes, gave us a wonderful opportunity to look at the art we love with a fresh perspective. In 2021, we finally got…

Where it all starts and why the story never ends? — What a shaky ground one steps in when it comes to discussing the inevitable yet so uncomfortable questions of the restitution of the works of art. Wait, why returning something unlawfully taken away in the past could ever be labelled uncomfortable? Isn’t it a perfect case where “common sense often…