In ancient Greek mythology, Helios was the embodiment of the sun and drove across the sky every day in his golden chariot, creating the day-night cycle. As the god of the sun, Helios was also associated with light, life, and truth. From his place high in the sky, he was said to see and […]

For centuries, women had no access to formal artistic education and the art world, yet they found ways to influence it and secure their places in history. For centuries, women were patrons, collectors, muses, or creators themselves who impacted the art of others. Some of them had ambitions to become living works of art […]

Entering the Raphael Rooms is like stepping through a portal to the heart of the Italian Renaissance. In the early 16th century, at the peak of the storied art movement, Raphael and his workshop painted a spectacular suite of papal apartments in the Vatican.   The resulting frescoes exemplify the artistic achievement and aesthetic […]

To say that religion shaped everyday life in the Middle Ages would be an understatement. In fact, it was so important that not going to church once a week was simply not an option. There were multiple church services throughout the day, let alone the week, and Medieval religion provided answers where science and […]

In his seminal book of art theory entitled On Painting, Leon Battista Alberti staked a claim for painting as a liberal art for the first time. Split into three sections dealing with geometry, art theory and method, and the ethical constitution of great painters, this brief treatise straddles several disciplines and marks a departure […]