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Artists

Pope Alexander VII commissioned the elephant sculpture to support an ancient Egyptian obelisk.

This Famous 17th-Century Elephant Sculpture in Rome Keeps Losing the Tip of Its Tusk

Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the statue holds an 18-foot-tall Egyptian obelisk on its back. The four-inch fragment of its tusk was found nearby

Marlene Dietrich, George Hurrell, gelatin silver print, c. 1935

These Extraordinary Photographs of Golden Age Hollywood Stars, From Greta Garbo to Clark Gable, Are Worth a Second Look

Photographer George Hurrell gets another exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, spotlighting a dazzling array of legends captured in black-and-white

Vincent van Gogh's Wheatfield With a Reaper (1889) is one of more than 50 artworks and objects on view in an exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Vincent van Gogh Adored the Color Yellow. A New Exhibition in Amsterdam Wants You to Fall In Love With the Hue, Too

The Dutch artist’s paintings showcase plants, landscapes, objects and buildings in bold shades of yellow

The Táin Bó Cúailnge mosaic, made by Desmond Kinney in 1974, is in Dublin.

Ireland Launches Its Permanent ‘Income for the Arts’ Scheme, Becoming the First Government Committed to Paying Artists

The permanent Basic Income for the Arts scheme was announced last fall, following a nearly identical pilot scheme. Come spring, Irish artists will be able to apply for three years of weekly stipends: a value of almost $60,000

Left: Bella in Her Pluto T-Shirt, 1995. Right: Solicitor’s Head, 2003

Lucian Freud Is Famous for His Unflinching Portraits. These Rarely Seen Drawings Provide an Intimate Window Into His Creative Process

A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London showcases drawings and etchings from throughout the British artist’s 60-year career

Loggers’ Culls, Emily Carr, 1935

These Emily Carr Paintings Will Make You Experience the Beauty of British Columbia’s Landscapes in a Completely New Way

An exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery examines the artist’s attempts to capture nature’s true essence, which she described as “the green idea or ideal”

Installation view of Norman Rockwell's The Dugout at the Art Institute of Chicago

Norman Rockwell’s Painting of the Crestfallen Chicago Cubs Is Now on View at the Art Institute of Chicago

“The Dugout,” painted in 1948, is the museum’s first-ever artwork by the artist, who created more than 300 iconic covers for the “Saturday Evening Post”

Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy, painted by Artemisia Gentileschi circa 1625, will be on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. beginning in late February.

Women Who Shaped History

The National Gallery of Art Acquires 17th-Century Masterpiece by Baroque Painter Artemisia Gentileschi

“Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy” is the gallery’s first work by the Italian artist, who was one of the most influential female painters of her time

The Painter’s Father is in the collection of the National Gallery in London.

Is This Copy of a Long-Lost Northern Renaissance Portrait Actually an Original Albrecht Dürer?

Experts have long assumed that a painting at London’s National Gallery is one of many replicas of an original Dürer portrait. Now, a new book claims that this cracked copy is the real deal

Portrait of a Canon Regular (1552) depicts an unidentified clergy member.

Women Who Shaped History

Historians Thought This Rare Renaissance Portrait by One of the First Famous Female Artists Was Lost to History—Until It Surfaced in North Carolina

Sofonisba Anguissola’s 16th-century painting of a clergyman was known only through a black-and-white photo. However, the original had been hiding in a private collection in North Carolina since 1977

The Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the national anthem, on view at the National Museum of American History

From Giant Art to Amazing Specimens, See These 20 New and Revitalized Smithsonian Shows in 2026

The Institution’s museums are commemorating America’s 250th birthday, showcasing the art of noise and displaying the best of portraiture

Invocation: Severance of Ties, Jim Chuchu, digital video (still), 2014

This Groundbreaking New Showcase of Nearly 60 Works Is the Biggest-Ever Exhibition of LGBTQ+ African Art

One of its co-curators wants historians to expand on the display and “write a proper history” of this artistry

A side-by-side view of Turner's Marford Mill (left) and the real-life inspiration behind it (right)

You Can Buy This 438-Year-Old Mill in Wales That Inspired a Stunning J.M.W. Turner Painting

Rossett Mill was the subject of a landscape by the Romantic painter around 1795. Now, the property is listed at a little over $2 million

William Zachs stands before the Henry Raeburn and Alexander Nasmyth portraits, now on display together at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Cool Finds

The Mystery of the Missing Robert Burns Painting Has Finally Been Solved—After 200 Years of Searches and Seances

The portrait of the renowned Scottish poet vanished without a trace in 1840. Since then, scholars and sleuths alike have been strategizing about how to get it back

Students with the 4-H Club of Dauphin County gathered inside the refrigerated display room at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center to carefully break down the sculpture.

What Happened to This 1,000-Pound Butter Sculpture After the Crowds Melted Away?

At the end of the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show, volunteers and students carefully dismantled the creamy masterpiece so it could be used to produce renewable energy for local homes

Frida on a White Bench, New York by Nickolas Muray surrounded by merchandise inspired by the image

Frida Kahlo’s Image Is on Paintings, Posters, Socks and Sanitary Pads. How Did Fridamania Come to Dominate Popular Culture?

An exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston features paintings by Kahlo, works by artists she inspired and consumer products featuring her self-portraits

Erin and Anyah With Hydrangeas, LaToya Hobbs, acrylic and decorative paper on carved wood, 2023

See the Stunning Artworks by the Winners and Featured Artists of This Boundary-Pushing National Portrait Competition

The seventh edition of the triennial Outwin Boochever contest showcases contemporary artists’ novel approaches to their subjects

A historic marker at Jackson State University, ca. 1950, from the “At the Vanguard” exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture

How Historically Black Schools Create and Preserve Their Own History Through Amazing Artifacts, From Paintings to Marching Band Hats

For nearly 200 years, HBCUs have educated Black Americans. Now, a new exhibition highlights special objects from five universities

The four watches, which borrow from 20th-century paintings, are the latest art-inspired products from the Swiss company Swatch.

See How These Wristwatches Reimagine Famous Masterpieces by Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, Edgar Degas and Paul Klee

The Swiss watchmaker Swatch has partnered with the Guggenheim to create a collection inspired by 20th-century artworks from the Impressionist and Abstract Expressionist movements

The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck, 1434

All Nine of Jan van Eyck’s Surviving Portraits Are Coming Together for the Very First Time in History

The Northern Renaissance painter’s innovative techniques altered the course of art history. An upcoming exhibition in London brings together his 15th-century portraits from collections across Europe

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