The January page of the Très Riches Heures shows the Duc de Berry at his New Year feast. Here is how to read the table, the dogs, the tapestry and the gold ship.

The ox, the ass, the lily and the star in Old Master Christmas paintings are coded sentences. Hugo van der Goes's Portinari Altarpiece shows how to read them.

Gustav Klimt (born 14 July 1862) made Vienna's most recognisable paintings, from the gold of The Kiss to the late portraits. Six of his works explained, each with a full article.

Searching for Bruegel's Tower of Babel? This is the painting: roughly 114 by 155 centimetres of oil on oak, painted in Brussels in 1563 for an Antwerp merchant collector. The biblical tower of Genesis 11 under construction, modelled on the Roman Colosseum. What the painting shows, why a tower, and how to bring the fine print home.

Searching for Botticelli's Primavera? This is the painting: roughly 203 by 314 centimetres of tempera on poplar, painted in Florence around 1480 for the Medici family. Nine figures in a flowered orange grove. What the painting shows, why so many figures, and how to bring the fine print home.

Searching for Hokusai's Great Wave off Kanagawa? This is the print: roughly 25 by 37 centimetres of multi-block colour woodblock, designed in Edo around 1830 to 1832. A giant wave, three small boats, and Mount Fuji holding the centre. What the print shows, how it was made, and how to bring the fine print home.

Searching for Caravaggio's Narcissus? This is the painting: roughly 110 by 92 centimetres of oil on canvas, painted in Rome at the start of his career. A young man kneeling at a dark pool, looking at his own reflection. What the painting shows, why it is so dark, and how to bring the fine print home.

Searching for Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring? This is the painting: 44.5 by 39 centimetres of oil on canvas, called the Mona Lisa of the North. A girl in a yellow jacket and blue-yellow turban turns her head over her shoulder and looks directly at the viewer. What the painting shows, why she is so well lit, and how to bring the fine print home.

Searching for Gustav Klimt's The Kiss? This is the painting: 180 by 180 centimetres of oil and gold leaf, two clothed figures kneeling on a flowering meadow, painted at the peak of Klimt's Golden Phase. What the painting shows, why he used so much gold, and how to bring the fine print home.

Searching for Francisco Goya's The Coven? This is the painting: a Black Painting from 1821-1823, a Devil in goat form presiding over a circle of witches, painted directly onto Goya's own dining-room wall. What the painting shows, why he painted it, and how to bring the fine print home.

Two Witches' Sabbath paintings, twenty-five years apart. How Francisco Goya used the supernatural to attack the very institutions that fed it.

The Elegance of White: A Vintage Persian Cat Portrait for Timeless Interiors When it comes to interior décor, few elements combine charm, nostalgia, and sophistication as effortlessly as vintage-style artwork. Our White Persian Cat Portrait embodies all of these qualities in a single stunning piece. A Regal Tribute to Feline Grace This vintage-style illustration captures the essence of the Persian cat: elegance, poise, and an undeniable sense of royalty. The cat’s piercing ga

The "Girl with a Pearl Earring," painted in 1665, is one of the most captivating masterpieces by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. This article delves into the life of Vermeer and the historical context of this iconic painting, offering a glimpse into a world where art and mystery intertwine. Johannes Vermeer, born in 1632 in Delft, Netherlands, remains an enigmatic figure in art history. His life, much like his art, is shrouded in a veil of mystery. Vermeer's world was one

From a modest Vienna childhood to the Golden Phase: Gustav Klimt's life, and how The Embrace (1907) joins Symbolism, gold leaf and Art Nouveau.

Caravaggio painted The Seven Works of Mercy in Naples in 1606-1607, soon after fleeing Rome. It packs all seven acts of charity into a single dark street scene above the altar of the Pio Monte della Misericordia, where it still hangs, and shows how he turned a theological list into drama.

Albrecht Dürer's Young Hare is a watercolour and gouache study dated 1502, kept in the Albertina in Vienna. It measures about 25 by 22.5 centimetres and shows a hare in meticulous detail, every whisker and strand of fur observed closely, which is why it remains one of the best-known animal pictures in European art.

Johannes Vermeer's The Love Letter, painted around 1669-1670, shows a woman with a cittern receiving a letter from her maid, seen through a darkened doorway. The small canvas measures about 44 by 38.5 centimetres and is kept in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is one of the museum's best-loved Vermeers.

Storm Below Mount Fuji "Storm Below Mount Fuji" is an evocative artwork that captures the raw, untamed beauty of nature juxtaposed against the serene majesty of one of Japan's most iconic landmarks, Mount Fuji. This piece, like many that draw inspiration from the natural world, offers a stunning visual narrative that speaks to the heart of nature's dual character - its tranquil beauty and its potent fury. The Artistic Essence of Storm Below Mount Fuji The artwork presents a d

Lady with a Bouquet of Daisies is a portrait of a woman holding daisies by Leopold Schmutzler (1864-1940), a Bohemian-born German painter known for portraits and Rococo-style genre scenes. This article dates it to 1940, the year he died, and reads it as a blend of realistic portraiture and Art Deco elegance. Leopold Schmutzler - Lady with a Bouquet of Daisies Leopold Schmutzler's "Lady with a Bouquet of Daisies" painted in 1940, presents an enchanting yet complex tableau, one

The Renaissance, which flowered in Europe from the 14th to the 16th century, valued balance, symmetry and humanist ideals. The Baroque, dominant in the 17th century, replaced calm harmony with drama, movement, strong light and shadow, and emotion. This shift in art reflected wider changes in religion, politics and science across European society. The transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque period marked one of the most significant shifts in art history. This era, spann