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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"Love Letter" by Jan Vermeer
At the first glance at Jan Vermeer's famous painting “Love Letter”, the name seems far-fetched, because the letter itself is hardly noticeable. But the lute in the hands of a…

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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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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

What secret is hidden by the canvas “Cornflowers” by Igor Grabar

Igor Grabar is known not only as an art critic and restorer, but also as a talented impressionist artist. Under his leadership, the Tretyakov Gallery turned into a world-famous museum complex, and the multivolume History of Russian Art was written by his own efforts. Much is known about the professional activities of Grabar, but the details of his personal life are still shrouded in mystery. The key to its solution can serve as his picture “Cornflowers”.

Art for Igor Grabar has always been the subject of knowledge and creation. As a child, Igor showed a passion for drawing. According to his parents, he harassed piles of paper and enthusiastically painted with paints. When the boy grew up, he began to take painting lessons, spent hours in the workshop. After – he entered the Lyceum of Tsarevich Nikolai in Moscow. Igor’s childhood passed in the Ryazan province, and moving to Moscow opened up new horizons for him. Continue reading

3 curious facts about famous works of art

Different people perceive works of art differently, and the viewer’s point of view can radically differ from what the artist himself put into his work. And many famous paintings have interesting stories that allow you to look at a picture or sculpture from a completely new perspective.

1. Manneken Pis
Those who have ever been to Brussels must have seen one of Belgium’s most notable attractions – the Manneken Pis sculpture. As the name suggests, she portrays a little boy pissing in a fountain. Archival records show that the original sculpture was installed in 1388. Then it was a stone statue that served as a public fountain, but it was either destroyed or stolen at some point. The “Manneken Pis” in its current form was designed and installed by the Flemish sculptor Jerome Duchenoy in 1619. Continue reading

A LITTLE ABOUT WALL PAINTING
FRESCO Fresco (derived from ital. fresco, literally-fresh) - one of the techniques of wall painting. The painting is written on raw plaster paints diluted in water. When dried, a film…

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ART TECHNIQUES
Watercolor (from Italia. aquarello) means painting with water based paints. There are several varieties of watercolor techniques: dry-painting on dry paper, with drying each layer of paint before applying the…

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What is special about the landscapes that are called the most Italian: Veduta and Capriccio
History did not preserve the name of the tourist that the first one wanted to take away from Italy a picturesque "postcard" in memory of the trip and thereby laid…

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