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Art History

The Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century masterpiece of medieval embroidery, famously narrates the events leading up to and including the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

New Research

Archaeologists Say They’ve Located Harold II’s Lost Manor House

A latrine found in Bosham, England, has helped identify the location of the king’s long-lost residence, offering new insights into medieval life before the Norman Conquest

Experts think the sketch dates to between 1809 and 1814.

A Stunning John Constable Sketch That Hadn’t Previously Been Recorded in the Literature Is Heading to Auction

Experts think the early 19th-century artwork could be an early draft of the British painter’s “View of Dedham Vale From East Bergholt”

The painting is signed "Elimar" in its bottom right corner.

New Research

Someone Bought This Painting at a Garage Sale for $50. Experts Say It’s a Lost van Gogh Worth $15 Million

The portrait of a fisherman was found in Minnesota by an anonymous collector. A new analysis has concluded that it could be the real deal

The recently discovered statue is missing its arms and head.

Cool Finds

A Man Found a Mysterious Statue in a Trash Bag on the Street. It Turned Out to Be a 2,000-Year-Old Greek Artifact

After discovering the ancient artwork in a suburb of Thessaloniki, Greece, the man surrendered it to the police. Authorities are analyzing the statue and investigating why it was abandoned

The mosaic depicts Alexander the Great fighting in the Battle of Issus.

New Research

Experts Are Unraveling the Mysteries of This Breathtaking 2,000-Year-Old Mosaic Depicting Alexander the Great in Battle

The ancient artwork was uncovered during excavations at Pompeii in the 19th century. Now, researchers are conducting a long, intensive analysis

The Approach to Venice or Venice From the Lagoon, J.M.W. Turner, circa 1840

Cool Finds

Someone Sent a Fuzzy Photo of a Painting to Christie’s. It Turned Out to Be a Rare Watercolor by J.M.W. Turner

After its owner submitted the piece to an online appraisal service, auction house specialists realized it had been misattributed to another artist for decades

Works like Tissot's The Convalescent (1872), pictured here, reflect a sense of unease over a modernizing society that was sweeping women up in its fray.

These Stunning 19th-Century Artworks Reveal the Contradictions of the Modern Woman

A new exhibition spotlights James Tissot, whose paintings and prints reflected women’s ever-evolving roles in Victorian society

The Eaton Fire has devastated the community of Altadena.

Music History and Contemporary Art Destroyed in the Deadly Los Angeles Wildfires

An archive of scores by composer Arnold Schoenberg and the collections of countless contemporary artists have been lost in the blaze

Portrait of a Jester looking through his fingers, circa 1548

The Fool Has Appeared in Art for Centuries. What Do These Portrayals of the Complex Character Say About Us?

A new exhibition at the Louvre takes visitors on a visual journey, exploring how the figure of the fool evolved between the Middle Ages and the 19th century

In Still Life With Brioche, c. 1890, Victoria Dubourg Fantin-Latour captures the buttery crust of a signature pastry. Known for her tablescapes, she met her artist husband Henri when both were copying the same painting at the Louvre.

Feast Your Eyes on These Paintings From the Impressionist Era

A new exhibition at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville will bring the food world of the late 19th century to its gallery walls

Fascinating finds unveiled in 2024 ranged from a jade Maya funerary mask to a Roman dodecahedron.

Cool Finds

Seventy-Seven Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2024, From a Mysterious ‘Anomaly’ Near the Great Pyramid of Giza to a Missing Portrait of Henry VIII

The year’s most exciting discoveries included musket balls fired in the early days of the American Revolution, a lost composition by Mozart and a medieval chess piece

Robert Smithson created Spiral Jetty on Utah's Great Salt Lake in 1970.

Utah’s Spellbinding ‘Spiral Jetty’ Has Been Added to the National Register of Historic Places

Robert Smithson constructed the famous 1,500-foot-long land artwork on the shore of the Great Salt Lake in 1970

This gold wreath thought to be from Corinth, Greece, dates to the third to second century B.C.E.

Why Has Gold Dazzled So Many Cultures Throughout History?

An exhibition in Brooklyn examines gold’s ubiquitous appeal across thousands of years through art, artifacts, paintings, sculptures and fashion

Studies of Male Heads, Helmets for Soldiers and Facial Features, Michelangelo, circa 1504

See How Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael Entered and Exited Each Other’s Worlds

A new exhibition in London examines the relationship between the three Italian Renaissance artists, who came together in Florence in 1504

St. John the Baptist and St. Jerome in a detail from The Madonna and Child With Saints

This Peculiar Painting From the Experimental Mannerist Movement Is Back on Display After a Stunning Ten-Year Restoration

Parmigianino painted St. Jerome asleep on the ground in his 16th-century altarpiece—a choice that’s still puzzling experts five centuries later

Caravaggio painted Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini in the early 1600s.

A Rare Caravaggio Portrait Was Hidden Away for Years. Now, Visitors Can See It in Person for the First Time

The 17th-century painting, which may depict a young Pope Urban VIII, wasn’t officially attributed to the renowned Baroque artist until the 1960s

The Blind Girl, John Everett Millais, 1856

You Can Actually Smell the Incense, Rainy Meadows and Musty Cloth in These Pre-Raphaelite Paintings

At an exhibition in England, curators have placed artworks alongside diffusers that dispense carefully crafted fragrances, which visitors can trigger by pushing a button

After the varnish is removed, the painting appears matte and gray.

The Public Is Watching as Conservators Carefully Restore a Rembrandt Masterpiece to Its Former Glory

Experts are removing layers of old varnish from “The Night Watch,” which have yellowed with time, as museumgoers look on through a glass barrier

Iznik tile, 16th  to 17th century, Syria or Turkey.  

An Astonishing, Rarely Seen Islamic Art Collection Goes on Display

At the oldest public art museum in the United States, miniatures, glassware and other intricately created works transport visitors around the world

The bust depicts John Gordon, an 18th-century local landowner thought to be the founder of the town of Invergordon.

Cool Finds

This Forgotten Sculpture Was Used as a Doorstop in a Scotland Shed. It Turned Out to Be a Masterpiece Worth Millions

The marble bust was made by the celebrated sculptor Edmé Bouchardon nearly 300 years ago. After a small town purchased it in the 1930s, it was lost for decades

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