In 1921 a French critic posed a priceless question: "By what witchcraft did [Vermeer], representing the most daily and commonplace sights, manage to give the viewer so mysterious, so grand, so exceptional an emotion?" Vermeer produced only 36 paintings before he died at 43. Yet each piece blissfully

Baroque art, Clean, Contemplative, Domestic, Serene, Tranquil

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), the son of a barber and wigmaker in London's Covent Garden, dominated landscape painting in Britain during the first half of the nineteenth century. Although he initially became known for his topographical watercolors, which he began exhibiting at the Roy

Beautiful , Ethereal, Painting in britain, Romantic art

As a young artist, Domenikos Theotokopoulos was fascinated by news of the Renaissance, which reached all the way to his home on the island of Crete. Crete was controlled by Venice, then an important center for commerce and the arts. Domenikos headed for this cultural hub around 1560, determined to le

Dreamy, Epic, Fantastic, Religious, Renaissance art

Judith Leyster signed her paintings with a unique symbol: her initials interwoven with a lodestar. This visual translation of her last name means "guiding light" in Dutch. But for 200 years after her death Leyster's light was blacked out in the art world. Until the late 1870s her work was attributed

Baroque art, Bright, Elegant, Joyful, Lush, Playful