Nofernoferuaton and Nofernoferure
PRINCESS FRESCO - The idyllic life of the daughters of Pharaoh, circa 1343-1335, painted plaster, 40x165, Ashmolean Museumhttps://www.ashmolean.org/princess-fresco “With the move to Amarna the art becomes less exaggerated, but while it is often descri ...
Teaching with Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck, before 1395-1441Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?), 1433, oil on wood, 25,5 x 19 cm, National Gallery, Londonhttps://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/e/eyck_van/jan/01page/13turban.html When the time comes for me to introduce my students t ...
The Labours of the Months: February
A young man kneels, cutting stakes with a hatchet — a rare, vivid 1580 Venetian miniature capturing February’s quiet rural labour, from the National Gallery’s charming Labours of the Months series.
Constantino Brumidi
Constantino Brumidi — Greek-Italian immigrant, Vatican fresco master, and political exile — spent decades beautifying the U.S. Capitol, yet died in an unmarked grave, his genius long forgotten by America.
Pilastri Acritani and European 19th century Art
Two ancient pillars looted from Constantinople in 1204, long misidentified as war trophies, inspired Turner and other 19th-century masters — Venice’s silent Byzantine witnesses hiding in plain sight.
The Artist’s Psyche
The Artist’s Psyche embodies the introspective, allegorical vision of Nikolaos Gyzis, where the fragile, winged Psyche becomes a symbol of the creative soul suspended between imagination, idealism, and inward struggle.
Teaching with Domenico Ghirlandaio
Vasari called Ghirlandaio one of the greatest masters of his age — his tender Portrait of an Old Man and his Grandson still moves hearts across five centuries.
House of Venus in the Shell
Hidden along Pompeii’s main thoroughfare, the House of Venus in the Shell dazzles with vivid frescoes — Mars, dolphins, cherubs, and a goddess born from the sea.
The Labours of the Months: January
Twelve tiny Venetian panels, vivid with ultramarine and vermilion, trace a year of rural labour — a rare, charming 16th-century celebration of seasons, work, and life’s quiet rhythm.
The Legendary Shield of Achilles
Homer’s Shield of Achilles — a microcosm of war, harvest, dance, and law — inspired Flaxman’s stunning 1821 silver-gilt masterpiece, proudly displayed at George IV’s coronation banquet.