Curated Stories From Antiquity to Contemporary Art
Hypatia of Alexandria: The Life and Death of a Female Philosopher
Hypatia of Alexandria was one of the ancient world’s most brilliant female philosophers. She was especially gifted at mathematics, and she taught a number...
Sam Gilliam: Disrupting American Abstraction
Sam Gilliam is a contemporary, American painter, active since the mid-20th century. He has dismantled and reconstituted his artistic practice numerous times. From his...
Roman Legion XX: Military Life In Roman Britain
The Legion XX Valeria Victrix was one of the Roman legions led by Emperor Claudius in 43 AD, during the conquest of Britain. It...
Medusa’s Head: The Gorgon Depicted in 6 Stunning Works
Medusa, the infamous gorgon, was a source of inspiration for countless artists in many historical periods. Consequently, many artists have used a variety of...
Anchorites: Medieval Women And Men Walled Up Alive
During the Middle Ages, numerous medieval women and men willingly chose to be walled up alive, something that seems unimaginable today but was ordinary...
The Plague of Justinian: The First Recorded Global Pandemic
The devastating plague tore through the Byzantine Empire, which was ruled by Emperor Justinian I. This was the start of the first of three...
Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Turbulent Life of a Philosophical Pioneer
Ludwig Wittgenstein was one of the most influential and multi-faceted thinkers of the 20th century. The Viennese philosopher went through several career-changes, fought in...
Magic in the Ancient World: Egyptian Deities and Uses
In Ancient Egypt, magic was invoked through deities, primarily by trained priests, but also by pharaohs, magicians, and ordinary people. It was an integral...
Rome’s Greatest General: Who Was Scipio Africanus?
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (236-183 BCE) had a fascinating life. Scipio’s youth was marked by one of the most traumatic events in Rome’s history...
Inside the Brothel: Depictions of Prostitution in 19th Century France
The French Impressionism movement was groundbreaking in many ways. It challenged academic standards put in place by the high-class Parisian salon. It set the...
European Names: A Comprehensive History From the Middle Ages
In antiquity, it was common practice for families of note to use their familial names to denote their high birth. In the Roman Republic,...
Kay Sage: The Mesmerizing and Tragic Life of a Brilliant Artist
Women surrealists represent a lost chapter of the history of art. Besides Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, and other famous men surrealists, plenty of formidable...
Female Nudity In Art: 6 Paintings And Their Symbolic Meanings
Nudity and art have been connected since the beginning of humanity. Female nudity in art, divine or mortal, became a fascinating and shocking symbol....
How The Mona Lisa and These 4 Famous Artworks Were Never Finished?
Some of the most famous artworks adored by millions all over the world were never actually finished. Either from an intentional artistic choice, a...