Ciphers, signs and self-portraits: How artists of the past signed their paintings
Not every masterpiece of painting contains the signature of the artist. There were reasons for this, both at the dawn of the Renaissance and in the modern era; they are…

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VARIETIES OF LANDSCAPE GENRE
Landscape (from FR. paysage - country area) - a genre of fine art where the main subject is nature. As an independent genre landscape appeared in the VI century in…

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Secrets of family happiness from star couples
Surely, every person entering into marriage hopes that his family will be strong and happy, and that the couple will live together for many years. But these hopes are not…

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Hans Hoffman

5 masterpieces of painting, which depict much more than the audience sees

Considering the masterpieces of world painting, few people think that behind an idyllic landscape a portrait of a person can be hidden, and behind a drawn wave – a huge whale. Modern technologies and research methods allow us to find out what the artists portrayed initially. This review presents famous paintings that hide much more than the audience sees.
The Black Square K. Malevich

A sensational discovery was made a couple of years ago. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the famous “Black Square” by Kazimir Malevich, a series of manipulations were carried out on the painting, among which was the use of X-rays. The result of screening the canvas with UV rays surprised the researchers very much. It turns out that behind the black square hid two color images. One of them is a cubofuturistic composition, and the other is supermatic. Continue reading

Solid Charm: Elizabeth Boehm Vintage Postcards

Postcards of Elizabeth Boehm were incredibly popular at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. They could be seen in the collections of the imperial family, in the Tretyakov Gallery and in the huts of ordinary peasants. Charming children in Russian national costumes, depicted in various everyday scenes, still cause the tenderness of the inhabitants.
Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm (nee Endaurova) was born a respected wealthy family in 1843. The artist recalled: “In letters to my friends in St. Petersburg I constantly put my pictures of dolls and animals; and it was this that drew the attention of several people who understood that I should seriously take up drawing. ” Continue reading

Little-known facts about the dark side of the brilliant artist Caravaggio

He was one of the great masters of baroque, and his difficult life in many respects determined his creation, which today is admired throughout the world. And Caravaggio himself believed that painting is not only a matter of reflecting reality, but also turning it into something more: “You must not only look at my paintings, but also feel them.”

The artist was known to contemporaries not only for his works, but also for his controversial nature, and in his life there were many stories – both tragic and anecdotal.

1. Real name
His real name was Michelangelo Merisi, but he was better known as “El Caravaggio” (in honor of the small town in Lombardy, where his family came from). Continue reading

Why does music influence our emotions so much
In an article from the series “Ask, Answer,” designed to quench reader’s curiosity, BBC Future journalist explores the impact of music on people's emotional state. “Why does music have a…

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Who are the model women who inspired great artists
“Model” - this word is involuntarily associated with the image of a sensual woman with a languid look and a gorgeous figure. In his memory immediately appear the masterpieces of…

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10 skillful fakes that museums took for originals
Artistic fakes are a very real threat that museums constantly have to contend with. Fake artifacts appear in many museums from time to time, which can be displayed for several…

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