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Patrick Demarchelier (1943–2022) — one of the most influential and iconic figures in fashion and portrait photography. His work defined the visual aesthetic of major glossy publications in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

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Alexey Venetsianov
"In the Ploughed Field. Spring," 1820s

One of Venetsianov’s most celebrated works—yet also his most enigmatic.

The peasant woman is painted with deliberately distorted proportions, appearing larger than the horses beside her. But this is no ordinary woman—she is an allegory of Spring. Her strength and bearing echo the grandeur of classical antiquity. She guides two horses pulling a harrow, while simultaneously watching over a child-putto nearby.

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Vladimir Alexeevich Aleksandrov
"Forest River," 2007

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Rebus Crespi: Why is the count so large, while the servant appears so small?

Giuseppe Crespi’s *Portrait of Count Fulvio Grati* (1723) creates an optical paradox. A page stands in front, yet seems smaller than the towering count behind him, surrounded by books, lutes, and a Bolognese lapdog. The servant lifting a curtain resembles a stagehand revealing a scene.

No error—Crespi used "hierarchical perspective," where size reflects status, not physics. The count dominates; servants are reduced to props. Only the dog meets the viewer’s gaze. Space itself bends to aristocracy.

#искусство #барокко #иконография
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Ron Francis
"Skateboard," 2009

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

— Helen Keller

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Gian Lorenzo Bernini,
"The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" (1645–1652)

This sculpture depicts Saint Teresa, a Spanish nun and Catholic saint from the 16th century. The scene is inspired by a letter in which Saint Teresa described a vision: in a dream, an angel appeared to her in bodily form and pierced her heart with a golden arrow tipped in fire, filling her with a "sweet torment."

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Jane Bucci, "Moon Blue Cat," 2020

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Incredible mosaic
by English artist Gary Drostle

The fish look like they're actually swimming

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A little anecdote about Pablo Picasso:)

A woman commissioned a portrait from Picasso. The artist asked for a substantial sum and worked on it for several months. When she came to collect it, she said, "I’ll pay you whatever you’re asking, but I have one condition — my nose is unattractive, please make it more beautiful."

Picasso studied the painting for a long while, then finally replied, "Madam, that’s impossible."
"What do you mean, impossible? I’ll pay you!"
"It’s not about the money, señora… I simply don’t remember where I painted your nose."

Painting: "Portrait of a Woman. Dora Maar" (1942)

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Artist Yuval Robichek creates relationship comics that deserve a second look.

Robichek’s drawings are wordless, yet they speak volumes. But to catch the hidden meaning behind their seemingly simple visuals, you often need to take a closer look.

Not all of Yuval’s comics carry deep messages—sometimes he’s just poking fun, drawing clever analogies. Some of his illustrations are lighthearted and touching; others are more direct, highlighting modern romantic rituals with subtle irony.

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Amedeo Modigliani
Jeanne Hébuterne with a Scarf, 1919

A love story:
Can one love more than life? This is one of Modigliani’s final portraits of his muse, painted before their tragic end. Jeanne appears in his signature style—swan neck, almond eyes, flowing lines. He captured her 25 times in three intense years. She was his muse, lover, mother of his child.

The painting holds quiet sorrow. In January 1920, Modigliani died of tuberculosis. Pregnant with their second child, Jeanne sat by the window for hours—then jumped from the sixth floor. Ten years later, she was buried beside him.

Look closely: the scarf around her neck feels like a bond—unbroken, eternal.

#ArtLovers #Modigliani #TrueLove
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Carl Gussow
"The Old Man's Treasure," 1876

As you admire this painting and its touching title, here’s an interesting detail about the artist.

German painter Carl Gussow used specially shaped flat brushes to achieve maximum realism in his work. These brushes eventually became known by his name, so today, in art supply stores, you might come across what’s called a Gussow brush.

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Leonora Fini
"Witches," 1959

Fini painted this work for her muse and friend, Mexican film star Maria Felix. Departing from her typical surrealism, she embraces a baroque expressiveness here. Within a whirlwind of ochre and crimson hues, female figures intertwine. For Fini, the witch is not a malevolent sorceress, but a symbol of absolute female autonomy—hidden power, mystery, and independence from the male world.

#art #painting #leonorafini #mariafelix #surrealism #femininepower

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Free publicity worth millions: how a theft created a pop culture icon

Before 1911, Leonardo’s Mona Lisa was known only to a small circle. Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia cut the canvas from its frame, tucked it under his coat, and walked out of the Louvre. Mass media rose, and newspapers turned the heist into the first global media spectacle. For two years, the portrait dominated front pages, instantly recognizable. Thousands lined up for hours—not to see the painting, but the empty hook and the crime scene.

When caught selling it in Florence, its return sparked nationwide celebration. Peruggia said he stole it to repatriate it to Italy, turning him into a folk hero. The paradox: it wasn’t Leonardo’s genius that immortalized the Mona Lisa, but the crime that made her the most reproduced, iconic figure in global pop culture.

#культура #медиа #MonaLisa
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Franz von Stuck, "The Dance," 1899

This painting belongs to the darker phase of the artist's work. It portrays the image of a "demon-man" and was created under the influence of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the Übermensch. The piece exerts a haunting allure, and many who have viewed the original admit they couldn’t bear to look at it for long.

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A portal to a bygone era: how St. Petersburg transformed ordinary building entrances into monumental art.

The city’s true magic lies beyond heavy doors. Step across the threshold, and the city’s noise gives way to the quiet grandeur of historic halls. Stained-glass kaleidoscopes, majestic caryatids, ornate stucco, and marble—these spaces were designed like palace chambers, meant to awe from the very first step. Calling them "entrances" feels wrong. Only "grand stairwells" will do. ✨

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Juicy summer still lifes
by contemporary artist Yuri Kudrin

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Carl Gustaf Hellqvist
"Valdemar Atterdag Collecting Tax from the People of Visby," 1882

This 1882 painting by C. G. Hellqvist depicts 1361 on Gotland. The Danish king Valdemar IV Atterdag conquered Visby after local peasants, betrayed by the townspeople who shut the gates, were defeated. Half the island’s men died.

The traumatized survivors paid a huge ransom. The scene shows three barrels awaiting gold in the town square. King Valdemar sits in calm authority on a wooden platform. In the foreground, a grieving family stands in silent despair—their sorrow symbolizing a people’s defeat.

#HistoricalArt #ValdemarAtterdag #Visby

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Photographic references for a painterly still life, created following the setup style of the Roerich Art School

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Kuzma Sergeyevich Petrov-Vodkin"Mother and Child", 1927

I remember the bedroom and the nightlight,the toys, the warmth of my little bed,and your gentle, tender voice:“A guardian angel watches over you!”

I recall the nanny undressing me,scolding me in a hushed whisper,while sweet sleep, clouding my eyes,pulls me toward her shoulder.

You’d make the sign of the cross, kiss me,remind me He is near,and fill me with enchanted faith…I remember, I remember your voice!

I remember the night, the warmth of the bed,the nightlight glowing in the shadowed corner,the shadows cast by the lamp’s chains…Were you perhaps the angel then?

Ivan Bunin. “To My Mother”.

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