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 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.
Christmas-Time
Eastman Johnson — Longfellow’s portraitist, Dutch Masters admirer, and chronicler of American life — captured slavery, family, and freedom on canvas with quiet humanity and extraordinary skill.
Rosa Bonheur
Rosa Bonheur defied convention to become a pioneering artist, transforming her love of animals into monumental works like The Horse Fair—a powerful testament to skill, independence, and artistic devotion.
Émile Zola by Édouard Manet
Émile Zola defends Édouard Manet against Salon critics, praising his modern vision and securing a lasting friendship, later immortalized in Manet’s portrait of Zola surrounded by symbols of art, literature, and innovation.
Virtual Trip to meet the Pre-Raphaelites
The Pre-Raphaelites reimagined art through intense realism, nature, and emotion—Rossetti and his circle reshaping Victorian creativity into a vivid world of beauty, symbolism, and imaginative “conception.”
Singer with a Glove…
Degas, a reluctant Impressionist, fused classical training with modern vision, capturing Parisian life—especially women at work and in performance—through dynamic composition, light, and an unflinching sense of immediacy.
Theodoros Ralli
Born in Constantinople, Theodoros Ralli became Greece’s most celebrated Orientalist painter — a charming Parisian socialite nicknamed Don Juan, with an iron will and a passion for the East.
Spring Break Virtual Destination
During COVID-19, all you need is love and Art — join us virtually in Giverny, the charming French village where Monet created his legendary Waterlilies, from the comfort of your home.
Still Life à la cafetière
Van Gogh’s Still Life à la cafetière, a symphony of blues, yellows and oranges, showcases his extraordinary mastery of colour — transforming humble everyday objects into vibrant, moving art.