We never discuss Leonardo da Vinci’s name when it comes to Renaissance sculpture. And why would we? He left no famous sculptures! So it may surprise you to learn that Leonardo spent 17 years (nearly a third of his life) working on a single sculpture; during which time...
This fresco cycle by Andrea del Sarto was completed over the course of about a decade (thanks to many long pauses) for a church in Florence which no longer exists. The cycle still stands because it's such a famous and integral part of both his reputation and of Florent...
Halfway between Florence and Rome in Italy lays the small town of Orvieto, and The Orvieto Cathedral; most famous today for it’s chapels housing fresco cycles representing – of all things… Judgement Day and the Apocalypse! This cathedral is decorated in demons, the ris...
This is the first of several 1 minute (ish) informational videos... "A Museum Man Minute." This one is about the ONLY marble bust at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City that has teeth! I've got a full blog post about it here, but for a quick introduction, c...
At the National Gallery in London, you’ll find both Hans Holbein the Younger’s double portrait, “The Ambassadors” as well as “Portrait of Pope Julius II” by Raphael. These are – on the surface – very different paintings by very different artists. Sure they both rely on...
Years ago, I had the opportunity to spend an outrageous amount of time at the The Met. I actually worked there for a few years. I'd study whatever was in whichever gallery I happened to be in. I'd read about the collection. And sometimes I'd just stare at whatever was...
This small (single gallery) museum boasts only about 25 – 40 works, but is well worth the visit for anyone with an affinity for Old Master art. I've heard it said that the 20th century was the Golden Age of art forgery and after a visit here it’s easy to believe. I hav...
We tend to think of Michelangelo as a genius whose talent was in full bloom at birth. That he “sprang whole from the mind of Zeus” so to speak - creating 'Michelangelesque' works from boyhood. However, while visiting The National Gallery in London recently, I sat and h...
The Prado Museum in Madrid houses the former Spanish Royal Collection, and therefore has the best collection of classical Spanish art anywhere. Over 50 canvases by the baroque Old Master artist Diego Velazquez make this the largest holdings of his paintings in the worl...
The Tate Britain is the home of the UK's painting collection from 1500 - present. In 2000 they moved their (huge) collection of modern art (Impressionism and later) to the newly established Tate Modern, so that the Tate Britain - "this" Tate - now holds all the Old Mas...
