Artists, academics, and critics discuss the historical origins, original reception, and slow climb to critical acclaim for Eugene Delacroix's painting commemorating the Revolution of 1830, "Liberty Leading the People."
The Golden Age of Dutch Art boasted Johannes Vermeer (1632-75), whose showpiece, "The Art of Painting" (c. 1666-68), is critically examined and analyzed. The painting's planned prominent role in the ill-fated Third Reich is also described.
'Dance at the Moulin de la Galette' brims over with joie de vivre and the pleasures of a Sunday afternoon. This 1876 painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) and its lesser-known twin are celebrated by art aficionados and historians.
An appreciation of Rembrandt's 1642 painting "The Night Watch," featuring the Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lt. William van Ruytenburch. The iconic painting's creation and history are detailed by art historians and critics.
Sandro Botticelli's 'La Primavera' is one of art history's most hotly debated paintings. Created in the 1480s and rediscovered only in the 19th century, historians and critics weigh in on the enigmatic painting's origin and meaning.
Created as "disposable art" circa 1830, the woodblock print of "The Great Wave" by 70-year-old Katsushika Hokusai has earned acclaim and a place of honor in the art world. Scholars and critics discuss the work's creation and wide influence.
The statue of the young girl in a real ballet dress is often seen today just as a pretty image of dancer making one of the classic moves of ballet. But to the people who first saw the statue when it was unveiled it was a dangerous, even disgraceful, portrayal of a degenerate girl little more than a whore.
