Art History

April 3, 2025

Previously Unseen Sketches of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo Make Their U.S. Debut

The famed Sistine Chapel and its artist, Michelangelo, gains a new perspective with an ongoing exhibition at the Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg, Virginia. Titled Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine, the exhibition features 38 objects related to the ideation and planning of the storied chapel located in the heart of the Vatican. Of this number, seven drawings are being shown in the United States for the first time, making this a historic exhibition.

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March 20, 2025

530-Year-Old Sketch by Leonardo da Vinci Reveals Secret Passageways in Sforza Castle

Throughout the late 1400s, Leonardo da Vinci often visited Sforza Castle, nestled in what is now the heart of modern-day Milan, as a member of Duke Ludovico Sforzaโ€™s court. While there, da Vinci not only worked on a painting commissioned by the duke, but produced several sketches depicting the castleโ€™s layout and its intricate passage systems.

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February 20, 2025

Frida Kahlo Museum: Iconic Painterโ€™s โ€˜Blue Houseโ€™ in Mexico City Offers Insights About Her Life and Work

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is known for her soulful self-portraits, depicting her passions, struggles, and dreams in bright colors. But it's also easy to lose sight of the human behind the artistโ€”a woman full of curiosity, a lifelong art lover, a disabled creator, and even a beloved host and member of her community.

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February 14, 2025

Infrared Technology Reveals Secret Portrait Hidden Beneath Picasso Painting

Painted in the fall of 1901, when Pablo Picasso was just 19 years old, Portrait of Mateu Fernรกndez de Soto is one of the very first artworks from the painterโ€™s Blue Period. The 124-year-old painting features Picassoโ€™s friend and fellow Spanish artist Mateau Fernรกndez de Soto, rendered in a monochromatic color palette that reflects Picassoโ€™s low mood at that time.

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