"Today we see the art of the past as nobody saw it before. We actually perceive it in a different way." (John Berger)
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What is genre painting?
Learn what a genre scene is and why this type of subject grew in popularity.
Classic, classical, and classicism explained
What's the difference between classic art, classical art, and classicism?
Naturalism, realism, abstraction and idealization
Naturalism is resemblance to the “real world,” as we see it around us.
Atmospheric perspective explained
As we look into the distance, we lose visual clarity. The specificity of color also decreases.
Foreshortening explained
Renaissance artists relied upon this strategy to render the natural world. Get a tutorial at the School of Athens.
Contrapposto explained
Don’t stand so straight! Relax. Shift your weight. Bend a knee. Just respond to the world, like this spear-bearer.
Classical orders of architecture explained
These decorative systems once adorned Greek temples. It’s an ancient language, but we still speak it today.
Linear perspective explained
No Photoshop! Just a vanishing point, a horizon line, and some orthogonals—that’s the magic formula for reality.
Chiaroscuro explained
This technique captures transitions from light to dark. As Titian knew, it creates the illusion of volume and mass.
