Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter born on 25 October 1881 in Malaga, Spain. Picasso began to show a talent for art at an early age and received his first lessons from his father. At 13, Picasso had developed an ability that surpassed his father’s. The following year, he moved with his family to Barcelona, …
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Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter born on 7 March 1872 in Amersfoort, Netherlands. Piet was born into a family with artistic interests – his father was a headmaster who painted as a hobby, and his uncle was a professional artist. Piet received his first art lessons from his father and uncle before enrolling in …
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Max Beckmann was born on 12 February 1884 in Leipzig, Germany. Beckmann developed an early interest in art, often making sketches in class. After failing to enter the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden, Max enrolled at the Weimar-Saxon Grand Ducal Art Academy, studying under Carl Frithjof Smith and graduating with a diploma in 1902. …
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Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish painter born on 28 June 1577 in Siegen, Westphalia. At age 14, Rubens began his artistic education, studying under Tobias Verhaecht, Adam van Noort, and Otto van Veen. In 1600, Rubens traveled to Italy, where he became the court painter for the Duke of Mantua. He returned to Antwerp …
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Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch painter born on 30 March 1853 in Groot-Zundert, the Netherlands. After abandoning formal education in 1868, Vincent apprenticed at an art dealing firm in Paris – Goupil & Cie – and eventually became an art dealer. He decided to be an artist in 1880 and returned to his parent’s …
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Winslow Homer was born on 24 February 1836 in Boston, Massachusetts. He started learning about art from his mother early on and apprenticed under John H. Bufford. Afterward, Homer worked as a freelance illustrator in his studio before studying briefly at the National Academy of Design. Subsequently, he participated in successful exhibitions and made several …
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Odilon Redon was a French painter born on April 20, 1840, in Bordeaux, France. He first studied under Stanislas Gorin, who introduced Redon to the works of Romantic artists. In 1864, Redon enrolled in the studio of Jean-Leon Gerome. A year later, unsatisfied with Gerome’s firm methods, Redon moved to Bordeaux, where he became Rodolphe …
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Paul Gauguin was a French post-impressionist artist whose work continues to captivate and intrigue art enthusiasts around the world. His life and career were marked by a series of unconventional choices and bold artistic experiments that challenged the norms of his time. From his early days as a stockbroker to his later years as a …
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Titian, also known as Tiziano Vecellio, was a prominent Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He is highly regarded for his use of color and painterly techniques. Born in Pieve di Cadore, Italy between 1488-1490, Titian spent most of his life in Venice after being trained by Gentile and Giovanni Bellini. Titian was renowned …
Masaccio was an early Renaissance painter born in San Giovanni Valdarno, Florence in 1401. His father was a notary and his grandfather an innkeeper. Masaccio began working as a painter in Florence when he was just 17 years old. He’s widely regarded as one of the most significant painters of the early 15th century and …
Mary Cassatt was a prominent artist in the Impressionist movement, known for her portrayals of women in everyday life. Born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Cassatt spent most of her adult life in France, where she befriended notable artists such as Edgar Degas and exhibited with the Impressionists. Cassatt’s journey to become a professional artist began as …
Italian artist Umberto Boccioni was a prominent figure in the Futurist movement during the early 20th century. Born on October 19, 1882, in Reggio di Calabria, Italy, he received training from painter Giacomo Balla and learned to use pointillism techniques. Boccioni’s work played a critical role in defining the revolutionary aesthetic of Futurism. Boccioni’s paintings …
Edward Hopper was an American painter born on 22 July 1882 in Nyack, New York. Hopper was born in a middle-class family to parents who noticed his talent early and supported his artistic ambitions. However, Hopper’s parents insisted that he study illustration due to its lucrativeness at the time. In 1889, Hopper enrolled in …
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Gustave Corbet was a French painter born on 10 June 1819 in Omans, France. Despite having no formal artistic education, Corbet established himself as one of the best artists of his time. After moving to Paris in 1840, he developed himself by copying the works of old masters and painting Plein air instead of enrolling …
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Kurt Schwitters was a German painter born on June 20, 1887, in Hanover, Germany. Kurt was the only child of his parents. In 1900, he traveled with his father to the World’s Art Fair in Paris. Kurt enrolled at the Dresden Academy in 1909, studying there till 1915. Since 1901, Schwitters struggled with epilepsy, which …
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Georges Braque was a French painter born on 13 May 1882 in Argenteuil, France. Braque was one of the pioneers of the Cubism art movement. Working with his father, a decorator, initiated Braque’s artistic interests. In 1902, he abandoned his work as a decorator and focused on painting. Initially, Braque made colorful artworks in the …
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Jackson Pollock was an American painter born on 28 January 1912 in Cody, Wyoming. Pollock began his artistic education at the Manual Arts High School and furthered at the Art Students League under Thomas Hart Benton. Working as a custodian at the Museum of Non-Objective Painting, he met Peggy Guggenheim, who encouraged him to exhibit …
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Henri Matisse was a French painter who was the leading pioneer of the Fauvism movement. He was born in Picardy on 31 December 1869 and initially studied Law in Paris. The year Matisse returned to San Quentin, he contracted appendicitis and began to paint. In 1891, Matisse moved to Paris to study art, first in …
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Jasper Johns is an American sculptor born on 15 May 1930 in Augusta, Georgia. Johns started drawing at a young age and nursed the ambition of becoming a professional artist. After studying at the University of South Carolina for three semesters, Johns moved to the Parsons School of Design. However, he only spent one semester …
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Joseph Cornell was an American sculptor born on 24 December 1903 in Nyack, New York. Cornell never received formal art instruction, developing his artistic prowess solely through his hunger for learning about cultures and art. He discovered what would be his signature art medium while checking out Japanese print shops. Cornell participated in the 1930s …
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Juan Gris was a Spanish painter born on 23 March 1887 in Madrid, Spain. Gris, discovering his interest and ability in art, abandoned school to focus on painting. He studied under José Moreno Carbonero in Madrid. In 1906, Gris moved to Paris, where he worked as an illustrator before his association with Picasso, and Braque …
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Camille Pissarro was a Danish painter born on 10 July 1830 in St. Thomas, Danish West Indies. Pissarro initially trained to take over and run the family mercantile business, but he chose to pursue his artistic interests instead. In the 1850s, Pissarro developed as a painter. He traveled to Venezuela with Fritz Melbye, studied at …
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Auguste Rodin was a French Sculptor born in Paris on 12 November 1840. Auguste was born into a low-income family, his father, Jean-Baptiste, was a local police station clerk and the sole breadwinner. Rodin enrolled at the French National School of Drawing and Mathematics when he was 13 and learned the basics of drawing and …
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Gustave Caillebotte was born to a wealthy French family in Paris on 19 August 1848. His father, Martial, owned a textile manufacturing business, but Gustave was interested in other things. Gustave took to painting as early as 1860, but it remained a hobby. Caillebotte bagged a law degree in 1868 and served as an officer …
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Honore Daumier was a talented French artist born in Marseille on 26 February 1808. Honore’s father, Jean-Baptiste, was a glazier, poet, and copyright, albeit not so famous. Jean-Baptiste moved his family to Paris in 1816 to find favor in the court and become famous. Honore enjoyed a lower-middle-class education but leaned towards art rather …
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Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter and printmaker born on 12 December 1863 in Loten, Norway. Munch spent plenty of time in and out of hospitals due to his weak immune system. He picked up a hobby of drawing and painting to pass the time. His fascination with art grew, and he consequently taught himself …
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Francisco Goya is one of the most influential artists in Spanish history, known for his innovative techniques and powerful political commentary. Born in 1746 in the Aragon region of Spain, Goya began his artistic career as an apprentice to a local artist. He quickly gained recognition for his skill and moved to Madrid to work …
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Georges Seurat was a French painter who revolutionized the art world with his unique technique of pointillism. Born in Paris in 1859, Seurat showed an early interest in art and went on to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. His early works were influenced by the Impressionist movement, but Seurat soon developed his own style, …
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Edgar Degas was a renowned French painter, sculptor, and printmaker who became prominent in the Impressionist group during the late 19th century. Born into a wealthy family in Paris in 1834, he received support from his liberal family to pursue art. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and honed his skills by …
Leonardo da Vinci was a true Renaissance man, with talents spanning across painting, sculpture, architecture, engineering, and science. Born in 1452 in Vinci, Italy, he began his artistic career under the tutelage of Andrea del Verrocchio. He quickly showed natural genius and curiosity that set him apart from other artists of his time. Da Vinci’s …
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Diego Velázquez was born in Seville, Spain in 1599 to parents of the lower nobility. He began his apprenticeship at the age of 11 under the Mannerist painter Francisco Pacheco, where he quickly surpassed his master in technical skill. Velázquez became one of Spain’s greatest baroque artists and is recognized as one of the greatest …
Gustav Klimt, a prominent Austrian symbolist painter, was born in Vienna in 1862. Klimt was the founding president of the Vienna Secession movement, that played an important role in shaping the era around 1900. Throughout his life he had to support his lower middle-class family financially. Klimt’s art was marked by frank sexuality and primarily …
Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) was a French Romantic painter known for his influential role in the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements. Born into a military family, Delacroix displayed an early interest in art and began studying with Pierre-Narcisse Guérin at the age of 17. Throughout his career, he produced over 9,000 works in various mediums including painting, …
Doménikos Theotokópoulos, better known as El Greco, was an artist born in Greece in 1541. He lived and worked primarily in Spain, where he achieved great success as a painter, sculptor, and architect. El Greco’s unique style of painting featuring exaggerated proportions and bold colors with emotional intensity was not fully appreciated during his lifetime …
Egon Schiele was an Austrian artist who gained recognition for his expressionist paintings, drawings, and prints. Born on June 12th, 1890 in Tulln, Austria, he attended the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts for two years and was greatly influenced by the Jugendstil movement. His artwork stands out due to its raw sexuality and intensity. One …
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Henri Rousseau was a French painter and one of the most notable naive artists of the modern era. He is known for his vibrant and intricate paintings that depict wild animals, lush jungles, and exotic figures. Despite receiving no formal artistic training, Rousseau’s work influenced many avant-garde artists. Rousseau worked in the Parisian customs service …
John Constable was an influential landscape painter who rose to prominence during the early 19th century. Born in East Bergholt, Suffolk, he belonged to a wealthy corn merchant family and received education at different private and grammar schools. He taught himself how to paint and exhibited his artworks at the Royal Academy in London before …
Kasimir Malevich, a Russian avant-garde artist, was born on February 23, 1879, in the Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire. He started his career painting landscapes, farming and religious scenes after which he enrolled at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture to study art. Malevich’s seminal works such as Black Square (1915) and …
Albrecht Dürer was a renowned German Renaissance artist born on May 21, 1471 in Nuremberg, Germany. He was widely known for his vast body of work which includes altarpieces, religious works, portraits, self-portraits and copper engravings. His high-quality woodcut prints made him famous and established his reputation across Europe in his twenties. Dürer was considered …
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (also known as simply Auguste Renoir) was a French painter born on 25 February 1841 in Limoges, France. Renoir’s early talent for decoration earned him a job in a porcelain factory in his hometown. In 1860, he started traveling to the Louvre to study the works of the Old Masters. Two years later, …
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Eugene Boudin was a French painter born on 12 July 1824 in Honfleur, France. After his family moved to Le Havre in 1835, Boudin opened a stationary and picture frame shop, where he would meet Impressionist painters Jean-Francois Millet, Constant Troyon, and Thomas Couture. Encouraged by these artists, Boudin abandoned his shop and started painting …
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Claude Monet was a French painter born on 14 November 1840 in Paris, France. Monet painted early on and later attended the Academie Suisse in Paris. His military service in Algiers temporarily halted his career. On his return, Monet continued his studies in the studio of Charles Gleyre. In 1865, he exhibited two of his …
Fred Bugs is an Italian painter and illustrator primarily known for joining and following the neo-expressionist movement of post-Pop art. He was born Federico Cabras, in Bosa, Italy on September 29, 1997. Early Life Fred Bugs became fascinated with abstract art in the early 2000’s, during his time in middle school in Bosa, Italy. He …
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Eva Strautmann is a contemporary artist from Germany, born in 1963 in Strang (Rothenfelde). She studied literary studies at the Free University of Berlin, where she obtained a Magister Artium. Throughout her career, Eva has displayed an intuitive and gestural artistic practice with oils on canvas that often produces meditative art pieces. After completing her …
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Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) was an American painter renowned for his portraits, particularly his iconic portrait of George Washington, which is featured on the United States one-dollar bill. He was born in North Kingston, Rhode Island, and showed an early talent for art. Stuart received his initial training in Newport, Rhode Island, and later traveled to …
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Markus Luepertz is a renowned German artist whose contributions to the contemporary art world have been significant. Born in 1941 in what is now Poland, Luepertz grew up in a family of artists and was exposed to art from a young age. He studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he was influenced by the teachings …
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Hiroshige Ando was a legendary Japanese woodblock print artist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of Ukiyo-e. He is best known for his landscape series, The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. His great talent developed in the 1830s when he made numerous sketches during …
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Maurice Brazil Prendergast (1858-1924) was an American Post-Impressionist artist. Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Prendergast is known for his delicate landscapes and vibrant scenes of outdoor leisure depicted in oil and watercolor paintings. Unlike the philosophy of The Eight group he was a member of, Prendergast’s style differed as he championed the work of Paul …
Carlo Crivelli is a notable Late Gothic painter of the Venetian school who was born in Venice around 1430. He came from a family of painters and gained inspiration from the Vivarini, Squarcione, and Mantegna. He spent most of his life in Italy’s Marches region, specialising in highly emotional expressions using colour, line work, and …
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, born in Lyon, France in 1824, was a prominent mural painter of the 19th century. He hailed from an ancient noble family and became a co-founder and president of Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. His work influenced fellow artists such as Robert Genin. Puvis de Chavannes captured attention through his Symbolist style …
Annibale Carracci was a prominent Italian painter born in Bologna in 1560. He came from an artistic family, with Ludovico and Agostino being well-known artists as well. Annibale learned painting from Ludovico and printmaking from Agostino, and may have also trained with Bartolomeo Passarotti, resulting in several early works such as portraits and genre subjects. …
Arnold Böcklin was a 19th-century Swiss symbolist painter born in Basel on October 16, 1827. He attended the Dusseldorf Academy from 1845-1847 where he painted scenes of the Swiss Alps. Böcklin was known for his moody landscapes and sinister allegories that greatly influenced late 19th-century German artists and presaged the symbolism of the 20th-century Metaphysical …
William James Glackens was an American painter known for being one of the founders of the Ashcan School. This school rejected traditional academic art and embraced a new wave of realist art that depicted everyday urban life. Glackens’ style of painting featured street scenes and middle-class urban life in a matter-of-fact realism. Glackens studied at …
William Harnett was a talented and influential 19th-century American still-life painter. Born in Clonakilty, Ireland, he was brought to Philadelphia by his immigrant parents as an infant. Harnett began working as an engraver before attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and later studying at New York’s National Academy of Design. Harnett’s skillful arrangements pushed …
Rufino Tamayo, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico in 1899, was a prominent painter, printmaker, and sculptor of Zapotec heritage. Tamayo began his artistic career as a teacher of drawing and physical education before moving to Mexico City in the 1920s to pursue a career in art. Tamayo’s work was influenced by Pre-Columbian art as …
Joseph Beuys was a German avant-garde sculptor and performance artist. He was associated with the international Conceptual art and Fluxus movements, which focused on challenging traditional notions of art. Beuys’ work reflected concepts of humanism, sociology, and anthroposophy. His artwork was evocative of his exploration of the human experience, physical and emotional. Beuys viewed art …
Robert Campin was a prominent Flemish painter who was born around 1378 in Tournai, France. He played a vital role in transitioning the early Netherlandish school from Gothic into the Renaissance. His works showcase his keen attention to detail and a unique ability to capture the nuances of human expression. Campin gained recognition for his …
Reginald Gray was a prominent Irish portrait artist, known for his works that capture the essence of his subjects. Born in Dublin in 1930, Gray studied at The National College of Art before becoming part of the School of London led by Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach. This experience greatly influenced Gray and …
John Singleton Copley (1738-1815) was an American painter who is widely regarded as the finest artist of colonial America. He was born to Richard and Mary Singleton Copley, both Anglo-Irish, on July 3, 1738 in Boston, Massachusetts. His early life and education greatly influenced his career as a portraitist in colonial New England. Later in …
Raoul Hausmann was a prominent Austrian artist and writer, who played a significant role in the Berlin Dada movement. Born to a portrait and history painter, he received formal artistic training in painting and sculpture. During this time, he became interested in art criticism and started publishing polemical articles. Hausmann’s experimental photographic collages and sound …
David Alfaro Siqueiros was a Mexican painter and muralist who was born on December 29, 1896 in Chihuahua, Mexico. Along with Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, he was one of the founders of the modern school of Mexican mural painting. His art reflected his Marxist political ideology and he was known for creating large …
Paolo Uccello was a prominent Florentine painter and mathematician who lived during the late Gothic and early Renaissance period. Despite being trained in a Gothic style of painting, Uccello attempted to reconcile this style with the emerging Renaissance art styles of his time. The artist was especially known for his obsession with perspective, which he …
Giorgio Morandi was an Italian painter and printmaker whose works of art mainly revolved around simple subjects such as vases, bottles, bowls, flowers and landscapes. He was born in Bologna to Andrea Morandi and Maria Maccaferri. Throughout his life, he lived quietly in a modest apartment that he shared with his three sisters. Morandi specialized …
Luca Signorelli, a renowned Italian Renaissance painter born in Cortona, Tuscany, was known for his exceptional skills as a draftsman and unique use of foreshortening. Having studied under Piero della Francesca and Benedetto Bonfigli, he developed an individual style that later formed the basis of many masterpieces. Signorelli’s works are characterized by their immense scale, …
Lorenzo Ghiberti was an Italian Renaissance sculptor best known for creating the bronze doors of the Baptistery of Florence, also known as the Gates of Paradise. Born in Pelago, Italy in 1378, Ghiberti initially trained under his stepfather Bartoluccio as a goldsmith. He eventually became a respected master in bronze sculpture, which was an expensive …
Michiel Sweerts, also known as Michael Sweerts was a renowned Flemish painter and printmaker of the Baroque period. Born in Brussels in 1618 and died in Goa, India in 1664, this esteemed artist is revered for his allegorical and genre paintings, portraits, and tronies. Not much is documented about Sweerts’ early career or artistic training. …
Robert Delaunay was a French artist who is known for co-founding the Orphism art movement in the early 20th century. He was born into a prominent family descended from French aristocracy in Paris, France, in 1885. Delaunay was one of the first painters whose works were completely non-representational, and he appointed color as the main …
Johann Heinrich Fussli (1741-1825) was a Swiss-born British painter, draughtsman, and writer on art. He was known for his dramatic, original, and sensual style of painting. His father Johann Caspar Fussli was a portrait painter who instilled in him an appreciation for fine art. Initially studying theology, Fussli rejected the academic path to become an …
Tom Thomson, a renowned Canadian landscape artist of the early 20th century, was born in Claremont, Ontario in 1877. The artist produced about 400 oil sketches and around 50 larger works on canvas depicting scenes inspired by the Canadian wilderness. His works mainly centered around trees, skies, lakes, and rivers. Thomson held a prominent position …
Henry Moore (1898-1986) was a British sculptor who is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Born in Castleford, Yorkshire, Moore was interested in sculpture from an early age, but initially trained as a teacher before serving in the army during World War I. In 1919, he used grant …
Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida was a Spanish Valencian painter, born in 1863. He lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his aunt and uncle, who recognized his artistic skills and enrolled him in art school at the age of 9. Sorolla’s style was a variant of Impressionism and he painted predominantly …
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French artist who gained prominence during the Post-Impressionist period of the late 19th century. He was born into an aristocratic family in Southern France and developed his interest in art during his childhood. Despite suffering from brittle bones, he went on to become one of the most famous Parisian artists, …
Henri-Edmond Cross was a French painter and printmaker known for his contributions to Neo-Impressionism. He was born in Douai, Nord, France in 1856, and studied law before moving to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. His early works were in the dark colors of realism, but after meeting with Claude Monet in 1883, …
Hannah Höch was an influential member of the Dada movement and a pioneer of 20th-century collage and photomontage. Born in Gotha, Germany in 1889, she attended the School of Applied Arts in Berlin and later enrolled in the National Institute of the Museum of Arts and Crafts to focus on graphic arts. Höch is best …
Alexandros of Antioch was a sculptor of the Hellenistic period. He is widely believed to have created one of the most famous classical sculptures, the Venus de Milo statue. Alexandros was known to work as a wandering artist on commission, although little else is known about his life. According to inscriptions found in Thespiae, Greece, …
Georges de La Tour is a Baroque painter renowned for his luminous religious paintings. He was born in 1593 in Vic-sur-Seille, Lorraine, to a family of bakers. Initially trained as a painter by his father before going on to study with other artists, La Tour gained acclaim for masterfully manipulating light and shadow. La Tour’s …
Frederick Horsman Varley was a renowned Canadian painter and member of the Group of Seven, a group of celebrated Canadian landscape painters. Born in Sheffield, England in 1881, Varley studied art in England and Belgium before serving as a war artist in England and France from 1918-20. He produced some of the most moving canvases …
André Derain was a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of the Fauvism movement along with Henri Matisse. Born on June 10, 1880 in Chatou, Yvelines, Île-de-France, just outside Paris, Derain studied painting in Paris at the Académie Carriere from 1898 to 1899. Derain had an important role in the development of Fauvism and Cubism. …
Eva Hesse was a groundbreaking artist who helped redefine the possibilities of sculpture in the 1960s. Born to a Jewish family in Hamburg, Germany, she immigrated to New York City with her family in 1939 to escape Nazi persecution. Hesse studied art in New York and at Yale School of Art and Architecture. Hesse’s works …
John Frederick Kensett was a prominent American landscape painter and engraver who was born on March 22, 1816, in Cheshire, Connecticut. He came from an artistic family with his father and uncle being engravers. Kensett himself trained as an engraver under their guidance before turning to landscape painting. As a member of the Hudson River …
Elizabeth Murray was a prominent postmodern abstract artist from the United States. She was born in Chicago in 1940 and is known for her transformation of traditional rectangular canvas paintings into unconventionally-shaped canvases, which played a significant role in revitalizing painting during an era dominated by Conceptual Art. Her works are held in major public …
Lorenzo Lotto was an Italian painter, illustrator, and draughtsman who was born in Venice around 1480. Although he spent much of his career in different cities in north Italy, he is traditionally placed within the Venetian school. Known for his perceptive portraits and mystical paintings of religious subjects, Lotto is considered one of the most …
El Lissitzky was a Russian artist, born in 1890, who was a key figure in the vanguard of Bolshevik artists that shaped the aesthetic program of Soviet Russia. He was involved in various avant-garde art movements such as Suprematism and Constructivism and became a pioneer of nonrepresentational art. Lissitzky began his career illustrating Yiddish children’s …
Dale Chihuly is a renowned American glass artist. Born in Tacoma, Washington in 1941, he studied under Harvey Littleton at the University of Wisconsin before completing his Master of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design. As a young artist, Chihuly was interested in weaving and incorporated glass shards into his tapestries, leading …
Barbara Hepworth, a British sculptor born in Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1903, was one of the most influential figures in the development of abstract art in Britain. Despite being a female artist during a time when it was difficult for women to gain recognition in the art world, Hepworth went on to become one of the …
Charles-Francois Daubigny, born in Paris in 1817, came from a family of painters and was taught by his father and uncle. His debut in the Paris Salon took place in 1838 where he exhibited landscapes throughout his career. In 1843, he settled with his family in Barbizon to work outdoors exclusively. With an eye for …
Jacob van Ruisdael, known for his landscapes, is considered the foremost landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Born in Haarlem, Netherlands in 1628 or 1629 to a family of artists, he received his training from his father and uncle. Throughout his career, he produced hundreds of works that showed his mastery over light and …
Theodore Rousseau, born in Paris in 1812, was a leading figure in the development of landscape painting. He was a founding member of open-air painting in France and his direct observation of nature made him an important figure in the Barbizon school of landscape painters. Though trained initially in the Neoclassical tradition, he based much …
Aaron Bohrod was a renowned American artist known for his trompe-l’oeil still-life paintings. He was born on November 21, 1907, in Chicago to Jewish immigrant parents from Bessarabia. Bohrod received his artistic education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League of New York. Bohrod earned several Guggenheim fellowships …
Georgia O’Keeffe was an American painter, born on November 15, 1887. She attended the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York for art education. O’Keeffe is considered the “Mother of American modernism” and became the first female modernist painter in the United States. O’Keeffe’s art style was characterized by finding …
Yves Tanguy was a French painter who later became an American citizen. He primarily worked in the surrealist style and was born on January 5, 1900, in Paris. Both of his parents were Breton origin, which influenced his artwork to some degree. Tanguy’s commitment to Surrealism started after viewing two paintings by de Chirico on …
Sidney Goodman was a figurative painter and draftsman originally from Philadelphia, PA who gained public attention in the early 1960s for his oil paintings which explored the human form. He received his degree from the Philadelphia College of Art in illustration in 1958. His figural paintings quickly earned him critical success, leading to inclusion in …
Pierre Bonnard was a French painter and printmaker renowned for his bold use of color. Born in 1867, he was a founding member of the avant-garde Post-Impressionist group Les Nabis. His early work was created under Symbolist thought and influenced by Paul Gauguin’s works and Hokusai’s prints. He later became known as a leading figurehead …
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Reginald Marsh, an American painter and printmaker, was born in Paris in 1898 to artistic parents. He moved to the United States when he was two years old and later studied at Yale University and the Art Students League of New York under prominent artists like John Sloan, George Luks, and Kenneth Hayes Miller. Marsh’s …
Man Ray was an influential American artist who spent most of his career in Paris. Born Emmanuel Radnitzky in 1890 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Man Ray pursued a range of artistic forms such as painting, object art, and filmmaking. He considered himself a painter above all but became one of the leading photographers and painters of …
Frederick Childe Hassam was an influential American Impressionist painter born on October 17, 1859, in Dorchester, Massachusetts. His urban and coastal scenes were highly successful and instrumental in popularizing Impressionism to American collectors, dealers, and museums. Hassam studied at the Boston Art School before traveling to Paris to study under two academic artists. While in …
Lovis Corinth was a renowned German painter and printmaker who made significant contributions to the Impressionist and Expressionist movements in art. Born in Tapiau, Germany, he demonstrated his artistic talents from a young age and received extensive academic training to hone his skills. Corinth’s works are characterized by their versatility, featuring landscapes, interiors, portraits, as …
Leon Spilliaert was a Belgian artist known for his dark, brooding paintings and graphic art. Born in Ostend in 1881, he displayed an interest in art and drawing from a young age. His work is characterized by emotionally charged self-portraits and figurative scenes that explore the interior emotional landscape of people. Spilliaert’s unique style centers …
Domenico Ghirlandaio was a notable painter of the early Renaissance period. Born in Florence, Italy in 1449, he went on to become one of the most successful artists of his time. His nickname “Ghirlandaio” came from his father who was a skilled goldsmith known for creating garland-like necklaces worn by Florentine women. One of Ghirlandaio’s …
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was a prominent French landscape and portrait painter who set a new standard for the landscape genre as an independently valuable art form. Born on July 16, 1796, Corot grew up in a village near L’Isle-Adam on the Oise river. His father was a prosperous draper, and his mother was a fashionable modiste. …
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Katsushika Hokusai was a renowned Japanese artist and printmaker who lived from 1760 to 1849. He was born Kawamura Tokitaro in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, and was raised by Isa Nakajima, a mirror maker for the Shogun. Hokusai began his career as an artist at an early age and went on to become one of …
Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin was a renowned 18th-century French painter, whose mastery of still life and genre paintings has left an indelible mark on the art world. Born in Paris on November 2, 1699, Chardin spent his entire life in the city he called home. His bourgeois upbringing would influence many of his works, which …
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Albrecht Altdorfer was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman born between 1480 and 1486. He learned the art from his father and went on to become one of the founders of landscape painting. His early work was unconventional, featuring eccentric subject matter in small, intimate works in unconventional media. In 1506, he began signing and …
Matthias Grünewald was a renowned German Renaissance painter of religious works who exemplified the movement’s visionary expressive style. Born in Würzburg, Germany around 1480, little is known about his life except for his meticulous execution with a focused concern for Gothic perfection. Although his birth name was Mathis Gothardt, Grünewald is mistakenly referred to by …
Fra Filippo Lippi was a renowned Florentine painter who lived in the second generation of Renaissance artists. He was born around 1406 and died in 1469 while working on a commission in the Papal States. Although he had an undeniably religious context, Lippi’s works were revolutionary because they experimented with color and naturalism. Lippi began …
Pieter de Hooch, born in Rotterdam to a bricklayer father and midwife mother, was a Dutch genre painter of the Delft school. He worked in Rotterdam, Delft, and Amsterdam and was a pupil of Claes Berchem in Haarlem. De Hooch registered with the artists guild in Delft as an independent painter in 1655. De Hooch …
Gustave Moreau was a legendary French painter born in Paris in 1826. He displayed an early talent for drawing, and attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he received traditional academic training in painting. Moreau’s works fell out of favor but had a revival in the 1960s, decades after his death. One fascinating fact about Moreau …
Jacob Lawrence was an American painter and the most widely acclaimed African-American artist of the 20th century. He is best known for his Migration Series and War Series, which documented African American historical subjects and contemporary life. Lawrence was born in 1917 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Southern migrants. At age 13, he moved …
Jose Clemente Orozco, born on November 23, 1883 in Mexico, is renowned as the most influential muralist of the 20th-century to work with frescos. He was part of the “Big Three” alongside Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros who dominated the Mexican mural renaissance. His political murals significantly influenced the movement, which sought to instill …
Charles Demuth was a renowned American painter and a leading exponent of Precisionism. Born on November 8, 1883, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he had his early training under Thomas Anshutz and William Merritt Chase at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Demuth’s use of watercolor to portray industrial and natural landscapes of his hometown stood …
Agnolo Bronzino was a prominent figure of Florentine Mannerism, who revolutionized 16th-century painting with his polished and elegant portraits. Born in 1503 in Monticelli near Florence, Bronzino studied under Raffaellino del Garbo and Jacopo da Pontormo. His style was influenced by the greats like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Durer. Bronzino became the primary court …
Giovanni Antonio Canal, more famously known as Canaletto, was born in Venice in 1697 to a family of artists. He started his career assisting his father, a painter of theatrical scenery. Canaletto is known for his vivid topographical paintings that captured the beauty of Venice, Rome, and London. He made meticulous preparatory drawings and often …
Robert Rauschenberg was a trailblazing American artist whose works anticipated the Pop Art movement and are celebrated as the first postmodern art. Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Rauschenberg studied under Josef Albers at Black Mountain College. He married Susan Weil and traveled to Paris to study at Académie Julian. Dyslexic from an early age, he …
Oscar Bluemner was a renowned Prussian-American Modernist painter who was part of the “Stieglitz Circle”. Prior to becoming a painter, he trained as an architect and designer before turning to painting in the early 20th century. His paintings were heavily influenced by Cubism and reflected his interest in visual, emotional, and psychological resonance. Bluemner immigrated …
Mark Tansey is a well-known American painter born in 1949 in San Jose, California. He was born into an art historian family, which influenced his painting style greatly. His paintings are meticulously detailed and often monochromatic, displaying motifs lifted from historical paintings or important artists and philosophers. Tansey’s works are calculated allegories about the meaning …
William Hogarth was a renowned British artist known for his satirical engravings and paintings. Born in London in 1697 to a poor family, Hogarth’s father’s failed business left them in debt. He started his career as an apprentice to an engraver where he discovered his passion for art. Hogarth is best known for his moral …
Lawren Harris was a Canadian artist and influential member of the Group of Seven, an art movement that helped establish Canadian art as a distinct genre. Born in Brantford, Ontario in 1885 to a wealthy family, Harris was able to focus on his artistic pursuits without financial concerns. He studied art in Berlin before returning …
Joerg Immendorff was a renowned German Neo-Expressionist painter known for his symbolic and figurative style. He was born on June 14, 1945, in Bleckede, Lower Saxony, Germany. His parents separated when he was young, which may have influenced some of the themes that would later come to define his art. Immendorff studied under Joseph Beuys …
Jose Guadalupe Posada was a prolific Mexican artist who lived from 1852 to 1913. He was primarily a printmaker and illustrator, producing an estimated 20,000 prints on Mexican society and politics during his lifetime. His works often used satirical calaveras (skulls or skeletons) to criticize social issues in Mexico. Posada’s artwork has greatly influenced the …
Born in Venice in 1696, Giambattista Tiepolo became one of the most prominent painters of the 18th century with his elegant Rococo style. He is especially known for his luminous frescoes depicting ancient history, myths and sacred legends that often graced grand-scale baldachins or altarpieces. Studying under Gregorio Lazzarini since youth, he was inscribed in …
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker known for his portraits of German royalty, mythological paintings and biblical scenes with elongated figures. He was born in Kronach, part of the bishopric of Bamberg in Germany. It is speculated that his father, Hans Maler, was his first teacher. Very little is known …
George Inness was a prominent American landscape painter born on May 1, 1825, in Newburgh, NY. He is recognized as one of the most influential American artists of the nineteenth century. Inness was greatly inspired by French Barbizon landscape painting and the radical work of Théodore Rousseau. He distinguished himself from the Hudson River School …
Frédéric Bazille was a prominent French Impressionist painter whose career spanned only five years before his untimely death at the age of 28. Bazille’s paintings were characterized by his use of bright colors, loose brushwork, and attention to light and shadow. He was known for his figure paintings placed within a landscape en plein air. …
Frans Hals was a prominent 17th-century Dutch painter and portraitist known for his intimate realism and radical free approach, with his technique evolving to impress an Impressionist style. He spent most of his life in Haarlem, where he painted portraits of wealthy citizens and large group portraits that often featured civil guards. Hals was born …
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Franz Kline was an American painter born on May 23, 1910, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He studied art at Boston University and the Heatherley School of Art in London. Kline is associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1940s and 1950s and was a leading painter known for his distinctive monochromatic paintings. Kline’s early career …
Gerard David was a celebrated Netherlandish painter and manuscript illuminator born around 1460 in Oudewater, Netherlands. Not much is known about his early years, but he later became a well-respected member of the painters’ guild in Bruges. He was the last great master of the Bruges school and created portraits, altarpieces, and illuminations during his …
Diego Rivera was a prominent Mexican painter and muralist, born in Guanajuato, Mexico, on December 8, 1886. His interest in art began at an early age of three and his parents encouraged him to pursue it. Rivera spent over ten years in Europe where he became a leading figure among the Parisian avant-garde artists. As …
Cimabue, the Italian painter and mosaicist from the 13th century, was known as a pioneer in art towards naturalism. He introduced three-dimensional designs using medieval techniques to create his own style that set it apart from conventional art of his times. Cimabue’s style was characterized by vigor and vivacity, which represented a shift away from …
Antoni Gaudí was a Catalan architect and designer known for his highly individualized, sui generis style that defies classification. He was born in Catalonia on the Mediterranean coast of Spain on June 25, 1852, and studied in Barcelona. Gaudí became an expert in making boilers and worked almost entirely in or near Barcelona. His exceptional …
Born in Lithuania in 1898, Ben Shahn was a leading American social realist artist of the 1930s. He studied at New York University and City College during the 1920s before gaining major recognition for his series The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti in 1932. Shahn’s expressive figurative paintings, murals, and posters were inexorably tied to …
Frederic Sackrider Remington was an American artist famous for his depiction of the Old West through paintings, illustrations, sculptures, and writings. Born in Canton, NY in 1861 to a distinguished family, Remington studied art at Yale University and the Art Students League of New York. He went on to become the most successful and famous …
Jean-Michel Basquiat was a renowned Neo-Expressionist painter, recognized for his unique approach to painting with graffiti-like images and scrawled text. Born in Brooklyn to a Puerto Rican mother and Haitian father, Basquiat’s multicultural roots became an inspiration for his groundbreaking artworks. He rose to fame in the early 1980s as part of the New York …
Edward Ralph Kienholz was an American installation artist and sculptor born in 1927 in Fairfield, Washington. He moved to Los Angeles in 1953, and eventually became known for his critical commentary on modern life through his artwork. Kienholz’s art often explored themes of social injustice, inequality, and the dark side of American culture. Throughout his …
George Wesley Bellows was a renowned American realist painter born in Columbus, Ohio in 1882. Although he studied at Ohio State University, Bellows moved to New York City in 1904 to pursue art as a profession. Influenced by painter Robert Henri and associated with The Eight, Bellows became known for his bold depictions of urban …
Asher B. Durand was a celebrated American painter, engraver, and illustrator born in Jefferson Village (now Maplewood), New Jersey on August 21, 1796. Early in his career, he studied engraving before becoming an apprentice and partner to the engraver Peter Maverick. Durand eventually established himself as an influential figure in the arts and became known …
Franz Marc was a celebrated painter and printmaker of German Expressionism. Born in Munich in 1880, he grew up surrounded by art as his father was a professional landscape painter. Marc studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich where he was exposed to French Impressionist paintings, which greatly influenced his artistic style. Marc’s …
Oskar Kokoschka, an Austrian artist, poet, and playwright, was a significant contributor to the Expressionist movement. He was born in Pöchlarn, Austria, in 1886 and studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Vienna. Later on, he worked for Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese Workshops), a company that produced high-quality goods using traditional handicraft methods. Kokoschka …
Amedeo Modigliani was a prominent Italian painter and sculptor born on July 12, 1884, in Livorno, Italy. He developed a unique modern style, known for his surreal elongation of faces, necks, and figures. This distinct style was influenced by his strong Jewish heritage inherited from his family. Modigliani pursued art with encouragement from others and …
Emily Carr was a preeminent Canadian painter of the first half of the 20th century, born on December 13th, 1871. Her art style was influenced by the Post-Impressionism and Fauvism movements, which she studied under when she lived in France. One notable achievement is organizing an exhibition of seventy watercolour and oil paintings that represented …
Fernando Botero is a renowned artist from Colombia, known for his distinctive style of painting and sculpture that features whimsical, exaggeratedly rotund figures. Born in 1932 in Medellín, Botero left matador school to pursue his passion for art, studying Renaissance and Baroque masters across Europe. Botero’s signature style, “Boterismo,” became widespread in the 1970s and …
Balthazar Klossowski, better known by his pseudonym Balthus, was a French painter who challenged traditional European painting categories. He was born in Paris in 1908 to a Polish father and an artistic mother. As a child, he was exposed to the Parisian cultural and artistic elite and befriended prominent figures of the 1920s. Throughout his …
Thomas Moran was a highly acclaimed North-American painter during the 19th century. Born in Bolton, England, he was considered part of the second generation of great US landscape painters. He contributed significantly to the Hudson River School and the Rocky Mountain School. His vision of the Western landscape helped create Yellowstone National Park. Moran’s artistic …
Alice Neel (1900-1984) was an American realist painter who gained recognition for her expressive and honest portraits. Throughout her career, she used an expressionistic style of line and color, penetrating the psychological acumen of her subjects with emotional intensity. However, Neel’s works were largely overlooked for the first forty years of her career but have …
Fairfield Porter was an influential American painter, printmaker, and writer. Born in Winnetka, Illinois in 1907, he graduated from Harvard in 1928 and later studied under painter Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League of New York. Porter is recognized as one of America’s most significant 20th century painters for keeping Realism alive during …
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was a prominent American-born artist known for his nocturnal London cityscapes, full-length portraits, etchings, and lithographs. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1834 to Major George Whistler and Anna McNeill, he spent part of his youth in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he received his early education at the Imperial Academy of Sciences. …
Artemisia Gentileschi was a renowned Italian Baroque painter born in Rome, Italy, in 1593. She learned the art of painting under her father, Orazio Gentileschi, who was also a successful painter. Gentileschi was strongly influenced by Caravaggio’s realistic style and became known for her powerful, dramatic depictions of biblical and mythological scenes. Despite facing multiple …
Caspar David Friedrich was a renowned German Romantic landscape painter who was born on September 5, 1774. He grew up in a religious household and experienced the loss of his mother and sisters at an early age. Friedrich is considered one of the most important figures of the German Romantic movement, thanks to his mid-period …
Albert Bierstadt was a landscape painter best known for his depictions of the American West. Born in Germany, he moved to Massachusetts with his family as a child. Bierstadt joined several journeys of the Westward Expansion, where he sketched and painted landscapes. He became part of the Hudson River School and Rocky Mountain School, both …
Anselm Kiefer was a prominent figure in the Neo-Expressionist movement of the late 20th century. He incorporated unique materials such as straw, ash, clay, lead, and shellac into his works to create a texture that defied tradition. His works often explored themes of German history, mythology, and expressed the ambivalence of his generation toward German …
