Art History
Born Today in Art History: Jean-Honoré Fragonard and the Politics of Pleasure (April 5, 1732)
Born on April 5, 1732, Jean-Honoré Fragonard reminds us that the nude in art has always been about wit, sensuality, and freedom—not just anatomy.
This Week in Nude Art History: Four April Dates That Changed the Human Figure
From Prud’hon to Dürer, four early-April art history dates show how artists redefined the nude as feeling, pleasure, ideal form, and inquiry.
This Week in Nude Art History: Goya, Valadon, and the Week America Put the Body on Trial
This week in nude art history, Goya, Suzanne Valadon, and the Mapplethorpe prosecution reveal the same recurring fight over who gets to depict the body honestly.
Born Today in Art History: Max Ernst and the Surrealist Body (April 2, 1891)
Today marks the 135th birthday of Max Ernst, born April 2, 1891, in Brühl, Germany — one of the most
Francisco Goya Was Born Today, 280 Years Ago. He Painted the Nude That Ended the Age of Goddesses.
Two hundred and eighty years ago today — March 30, 1746 — Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was born
Georges Seurat Died Today, 135 Years Ago. He Proved the Body Is Made of Light.
Georges Seurat died on March 29, 1891. He was thirty-one years old. He had been painting seriously for about a
March 18: The Day Art Disappeared Twice
Two events happened on March 18 — separated by sixteen years and 5,000 miles — that together tell us everything
Mikhail Vrubel Was Born Today, 170 Years Ago. He Made the Body a Cathedral.
One hundred and seventy years ago today — March 17, 1856 — a boy named Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel was born