Renoir, Pierre-Auguste (1841-1919) La Première Sortie (At the Theatre) 1876–1877 Oil on canvas, 65 × 49.5 cm National Gallery, London We seem to be sitting in a box at the theatre, which we share with two young women. But we can’t be…
Raffaello (1483-1520) Madonna Garvagh / Madonna Aldobrandini (Garvagh Madonna or Aldobrandini) c.1510–1511 Oil on wood, 38.9 × 32.9 cm National Gallery, London This is one of several small and medium-sized Madonnas made by Raphael in the years immediately following his arrival in…
Monet, Claude (1840-1926) La plage de Trouville (The Beach at Trouville) 1870 Oil on canvas, 38 × 46.5 cm National Gallery, London Monet’s earlier paintings of the Normandy coast had emphasised it as a working seascape, peopled with fishermen who had to…
Alma-Tadema, Lawrence (1836-1912) The Egyptian Widow 1872 Oil on panel, 74.9 × 99.1 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The Frisian artist Alma-Tadema was a great success in England, where he was even knighted. His representations of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman scenes made…
Alma-Tadema, Lawrence (1836-1912) The Death of the Pharaoh’s Firstborn Son 1872 Oil on canvas, 77 × 124 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam In this scene from the biblical book of Exodus, Moses and Aaron (upper right) visit the pharaoh, who is mourning his…
Turner, Joseph Mallord William (1775-1851) The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834 1835 Oil on canvas, 92 x 123.2 cm Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Fire consumed London’s famous Houses of Parliament on the night of…
Blake, William (1757-1827) God Judging Adam 1795 Relief etching, ink and watercolour on paper, 43.2 x 53.5 cm Tate Britain, London This is a hand-finished relief etching, printed on paper from a copper plate. The broken texture visible along the light grey…