Art History

April 2, 2024

‘Mona Lisa’ Has a Nearly Identical Painting Created at the Same Time

The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in art history. The Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece has been widely studied and millions flock to Paris' Louvre Museum to see it in person every year. However, it is far from the only existing version of this painting. A copy made by one of da Vinci's apprentices at the same time as the original—making it the earliest known copy—is held in Madrid's Museo del Prado.

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March 12, 2024

Hidden Cézanne Mural Discovered in the Walls of the Post-Impressionist Artist’s Family Home

When Paul Cézanne was a young man, his father purchased a mansion in the French town of Aix-en-Provence. And, as any artist is apt to do, Cézanne took it upon himself to decorate the walls with his art. While it was thought that all of his oil paintings, watercolors, and murals in the home, known as Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, had been documented, we now know that this is not true.

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January 31, 2024

X-Ray Scans Reveal Hidden Portrait of the Young Charles II Behind the Older King

Thanks to modern technology, we’re able to uncover hidden images within historic works of art. One recent discovery comes from a 17th-century portrait of a royal. The Habsburgs ruled early modern Europe. For almost seven centuries, members of the clan intermarried and ruled across Europe. From Hungary to Portugal and Germany, their power rose and fell.

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My Modern Met

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