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Left: Af Klint’s 1907 painting known as Group IV, The Ten Largest, No. 2, Childhood, from a series charting life’s four main stages—the others being Youth, Adulthood and Old Age. Right, a digital collage with a photograph of af Klint c. 1901. Right: Portrait photograph of Hilma af Klint c. 1901. Portrait is collaged with a tree image created by the photographer.

Women Who Shaped History

A Swirl of Intrigue Surrounds Swedish Painter Hilma af Klint’s Newfound Status as an Icon of Abstract Art

Long overlooked, the artist made pioneering works in the early 20th century. Today she’s a global star—but some scholars insist she should be sharing the spotlight

Portrait of a Gentleman, His Daughter and a Servant at the Musée de la Chartreuse in Douai, France

Cool Finds

Expert Rediscovers Painting by Renaissance Master Lavinia Fontana, One of the First Professional Female Artists

The artwork had been hiding in plain sight in the archives of a provincial museum in France, where it will eventually go on permanent display

A section of Eugène Delacroix's Study of Reclining Lions

Cool Finds

This Painting of Lounging Lions Was Hanging in a Family’s Living Room. It Turned Out to Be an Original Delacroix

Titled “Study of Reclining Lions,” the previously unknown work by the renowned French Romantic painter has been owned by a family in France since the mid-1800s

Sharad Purnima: The Autumn Full Moon, Nathdwara, Rajasthan state, India, opaque watercolor, tin and gold on cotton, possibly handwoven, late 19th century

See These Newly Restored Massive Paintings Devoted to a Hindu God

The artworks, part of a new exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, help shed light on a traditional religious practice

The statue Brooklyn by Daniel Chester French being hoisted at the Brooklyn Museum in 1964

Over the Last 200 Years, a Small Library Became One of New York City’s Biggest Museums. A New Showcase Tells the Story of Its Unique Legacy

To mark its bicentennial, the Brooklyn Museum highlights the pieces that have shaped its collection—and the foundational art made in the borough

The portrait recently went on display at England's Wrest Park.

Does This Mysterious Portrait Depict Lady Jane Grey, the Doomed Queen Who Ruled England for Nine Days in 1553?

After conducting a new analysis, some researchers think it may be the only portrait of Grey created during her lifetime—a conclusion that has generated controversy

The title page painting in Jay Matternes: Paleoartist and Wildlife Painter features a dynamic scene from the Pliocene.

See Stunning Illustrations of Prehistoric Life From One of the Most Renowned Paleoartists in the World

A new book highlights the beautiful work of Jay Matternes, an accomplished artist who drew everything from mammoths to early humans

The four-stud Lego brick and the one-stud Lego brick sculptures, pictured alongside a piece of hair

This Lego Brick Is About the Size of a Human White Blood Cell. It Just Became the World’s Smallest Sculpture

Created by microscopic artist David A. Lindon, the record-breaking sculpture measures just 0.00099 by 0.00086 inches and can’t be seen with the human eye

Orlik in the 1980s with The Meek Shall Inherit the World, one of the missing paintings

Reclusive Surrealist Painter Is Searching for His Lost Masterpieces

When little-known artist Henry Orlik was evicted from his London flat, dozens of his paintings went missing. Now wildly successful with more than $2 million in sales, he’s offering a reward of nearly $63,000 to get them back

This George Romney sketch was discovered in a dumpster in upstate New York.

Cool Finds

This 18th-Century Sketch by a Renowned English Portraitist Was Hiding in a Dumpster in New York

The tiny drawing by artist George Romney depicts Henrietta, Countess of Warwick. It will be sold at an upcoming auction in London

Lily Gladstone poses on the red carpet at the Academy Awards in March 2024.

See Lily Gladstone’s Stunning Oscar Gowns Designed by an Indigenous Artist

The two gowns were a collaboration between Gucci and a porcupine quillwork artist. Both are now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus says he and his wife, Skye, loved Banksy's Crude Oil (Vettriano) "since the moment we saw it."

Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus Is Selling His Beloved Banksy Painting

The pop-punk musician is auctioning off Bansky’s 2005 painting “Crude Oil (Vettriano)” and plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to Los Angeles charities

A group of women sewing a quilt on the porch of a property in Georgia, May 1939

From the Antebellum South to the Civil Rights Movement, Black American Women Have Long Told Their Stories Through Quilts

In a new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, over 30 works showcase the significance of this quilting tradition

The Getty Museum has acquired Cristian en el Amor de Calle by Matías Sauter Morera.

The Getty Museum Acquires Its First A.I.-Generated Artwork

“Cristian en el Amor de Calle” by Costa Rican artist Matías Sauter Morera will appear in the museum’s upcoming exhibition, “The Queer Lens: A History of Photography”

A view of the exhibition “Tsedaye Makonnen—Sanctuary :: Mekdes” at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art

These Seven Stunning Towers Memorialize Lost Black Lives With Mirrors, Light and Ethiopian Cross Designs

At the National Museum of African Art, a Washington, D.C. artist’s work illuminates a gallery room and honors 54 people who died this century

Untitled Robot Painting, Alexander Reben, 2025

Artists Sign Open Letter Protesting Christie’s Upcoming All-A.I. Art Auction

Some artists fear that A.I. models trained on their work will eventually put them out of business, while others are embracing the latest technology in an effort to expand the bounds of human creativity

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Five Unusual Ways People Used Lead—and Suffered For It

Cultures throughout history have put lead to use for wacky and often deeply poisonous purposes

The scans show traces of a woman's portrait that Picasso had painted over in 1901.

Cool Finds

See the Hidden Portrait of a Mysterious Woman Discovered Beneath a Picasso Painting

X-ray and infrared imaging has revealed a long-hidden painting beneath “Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto,” providing researchers with new insights into the artist’s blue period

Researchers think the portrait depicts a businessman, lawyer or banker.

Cool Finds

Experts Say They’ve Found a Portrait of a Mysterious Businessman Hidden Beneath a Titian Masterpiece

When the Renaissance artist painted his famous “Ecce Homo” around 1570, he covered up a portrait of an “an unknown professional man” standing at a desk

Washington at Princeton, Charles Willson Peale, 1779

This Historic Portrait of George Washington Is Being Restored to Its Former Glory

The 18th-century painting by Charles Willson Peale had previously been the subject of mismanaged restoration attempts. Now, experts in Versailles are bringing it back in line with the artist’s original intent

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