Maintaining a precarious balance between representation and abstraction, Picasso and Braque saw themselves as pursuing a daring and dangerous course.
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If you suddenly found yourself the heir to a royal throne, what steps would you take to advertise that you are indeed the rightful inheritor?
Gil de Siloé, The Tomb of Juan ...
The subject takes control over the outdoor setting, expressing her independence in spite of limitations.
A summer day in Paris: Berthe Morisot’s ...
Renoir wanted to forget everything he knew about how to paint so that he could render light as it really is.
How to recognize Renoir: The Swing
Like a phoenix, this church rose from the ashes. Wren’s enormous dome was the first of its kind in England.
Wren, Saint Paul’s Cathedral
Lacking access to the cafes and bars male Impressionists painted, Morisot mastered intimate domestic interiors.
Berthe Morisot, The Cradle
Manet decided to replace the idealized female nude with the image of a known prostitute. It didn’t go so well.
Édouard Manet, Olympia
This aborted commission was meant for a museum that was to be on the site of the Musée d’Orsay—where it now stands.
Auguste Rodin, The Gates of Hell
Central to the Counter Reformation, Bernini’s double colonnades activate St. Peter’s and reach out into the city.
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