Art History

  • Lady with an Ermine: Portrait of a Lover
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    Lady with an Ermine: Portrait of a Lover

    Lady with an Ermine is one of four portraits of women painted by Leonardo Da Vinci during his career and demonstrates his expertise in capturing the details of the human form. In this article, Singulart investigates Da Vinci’s life as well as that of the painting’s subject.  Who was Leonardo Da Vinci?  Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian polymath…

  • The Last Supper: The Greatest Masterpiece of the Renaissance
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    The Last Supper: The Greatest Masterpiece of the Renaissance

    One of the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance by one of its greatest masters, Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper is a complex depiction of this iconic biblical subject. In this article, Singulart investigates the life and achievements of Leonardo Da Vinci and examines the complexities of this masterpiece. Who was Leonardo Da Vinci? Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an…

  • The Adoration of the Magi and Da Vinci’s Unique Iconography
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    The Adoration of the Magi and Da Vinci’s Unique Iconography

    Leonardo da Vinci’s The Adoration of the Magi, despite its unfinished state, remains a complex and rich depiction of humanity within its biblical subject matter. In this article, Singulart examines the life and career of one of the world’s most famous artists and deciphers the meanings held within this unfinished masterpiece.  The Adoration of the Magi and Da Vinci‘s Early…

  • Orange and Yellow and Rothko’s Multiforms Aesthetic
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    Orange and Yellow and Rothko’s Multiforms Aesthetic

    Mark Rothko is one of the seminal figures of the abstract art movement, renowned for his ‘multiforms’: two or three bright blocks of color, separated by soft edges that blend into the color of the background. Singulart will be looking at the history of Rothko’s multiforms, and in particular at how he created Orange and Yellow, a seminal artwork from…

  • Large Bathers: Balance and Tension Between the Sacred and the Irreverent
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    Large Bathers: Balance and Tension Between the Sacred and the Irreverent

    Paul Cézanne is one of the most celebrated Post-Impressionist artists, regarded as one of the founders of modern art. His work inspired artists such as Picasso and Matisse, who said that Cézanne was “the father to us all”. His Bathers series is considered home to some of his most striking work, and in this article Singulart will analyze what many…

  • Impression, Sunrise: The Inaugural Impressionist Painting by Monet
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    Impression, Sunrise: The Inaugural Impressionist Painting by Monet

    Claude Monet was a founder of impressionist painting; in fact, the very term ‘Impressionism’ is derived from the title of this painting, Impression, Sunrise. Although his rapid brushstroke technique was considered shocking for the time, it has established Monet as one of the greatest impressionist painters and a master of capturing a fleeting moment in time. In this article, Singulart…

  • False Start: Bridging the Gap Between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    False Start: Bridging the Gap Between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art

    Jasper Johns’ renowned lithograph False Start bridges the gap between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art and represents the development of his practice to encompass verbal as well as visual symbols. Overcoming the limitations of the symbols upon which Johns relied at the start of his career, False Start marks the transition into new territory, taking influences from Marcel Duchamp and…

  • Seed of the Areoi, Paul Gaugin’s most Controversial Work
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    Seed of the Areoi, Paul Gaugin’s most Controversial Work

    Paul Gauguin was a French post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated during his lifetime, Gauguin is now regarded for his experimental use of color and Synthetist style. He is best known for his paintings of French Polynesia, where he lived during the last ten years of his life. Gauguin’s artworks, including Seed of the Areoi, portrayed the French Polynesian islands and explored the…

  • Open Window by Henry Matisse, A Closer Look at His Colorful Oeuvre
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    Open Window by Henry Matisse, A Closer Look at His Colorful Oeuvre

    Henri Matisse’s Open Window is a riotous explosion of color, showcasing the artist’s fauvist style. Open Window shows us Matisse’s view from his hotel room in Collioure, France, and although the subject matter is conventional, Matisse’s representation is anything but. Singulart will explore the influence of the fauvist movement on Matisse’s work, as well as analyzing the techniques that caused…

  • Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion: Francis Bacon’s Shocking Masterpiece
    Art History • Artworks under the lens
    Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion: Francis Bacon’s Shocking Masterpiece

    Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion is a surreal, emotive artwork by Francis Bacon. Completed in 1944, the piece launched Bacon’s career as one of the most influential artists in post-war Britain.  The history of Francis Bacon  Francis Bacon was born in Dublin in 1909. Named after his famous ancestor, the English philosopher and scientist, Bacon…