Rubens, Peter Paul (1577-1640) Samson and Delilah c.1609–1610 Oil on wood, 185 × 205 cm National Gallery, London Peter Paul Rubens’s Samson and Delilah portrays a tragedy of love and betrayal. According to the Old Testament, Samson, a Jewish hero blessed…
Murillo, Bartolomé Esteban (1617-1682) Autorretrato (Self Portrait) c.1670 Oil on canvas, 122 × 107 cm National Gallery, London Murillo probably painted this self portrait in about 1670, when he was in his early fifties – his hairline is receding and his…
Millet, Jean-François (1814-1875) Femme et enfant dans un paysage (Woman and Child in a Landscape) 1846–1847 Oil on canvas, 45.7 × 38.1 cm National Gallery, London A woman sits on a rocky ledge, her head gracefully turned toward a young naked…
Hals, Frans (c.1582-1666) Young Man holding a Skull (Vanitas) 1626–1628 Oil on canvas, 92.2 × 80.8 cm National Gallery, London A life-size figure stands before us, holding a skull in one hand and gesticulating with the other. Shown close up, the…
Ghirlandaio, Domenico (1448-1494) Madonna col Bambino (The Virgin and Child) c.1480–1490 Tempera on poplar, 88.9 × 57.8 cm National Gallery, London The Christ Child looks up at the Virgin Mary, raising the index finger of his right hand as though he…
Géricault, Théodore (1791-1824) Cheval effrayé par la foudre (A Horse frightened by Lightning) c.1813–1814 Oil on canvas, 48.9 × 60.3 cm National Gallery, London Jean-Louis-André-Théodore Géricault was a keen horseman, and his passion for horses was matched by his expert understanding…
Fantin-Latour, Henri (1836-1904) Autoportrait (Self Portrait) 1860 Oil on canvas, 31.4 × 25.4 cm National Gallery, London On loan from Tate: Bequeathed by Hans Velten 1931. Fantin-Latour painted a number of self portraits in the years 1854–61 which were characterised by…
Duccio di Buoninsegna (c.1255-c.1319) Guarigione del cieco nato (The Healing of the Man born Blind) c.1307–1311 Egg tempera on wood, 45.1 × 46.7 cm National Gallery, London This painting comes from the back of the predella of the large, double-sided altarpiece made…
Daubigny, Charles-François (1817-1878) Honoré Daumier probably 1870–1876, but possibly 1867–1868 Oil on canvas, 76.2 × 62.9 cm National Gallery, London Portraits by Daubigny are quite rare, as he was primarily a landscape painter who was closely associated with the Barbizon group.…
Cézanne, Paul (1839-1906) Autoportrait (Self Portrait) 1880–1881 Oil on canvas, 34.7 × 27 cm National Gallery, London Cézanne was about 40 years old when he painted this self portrait in his apartment in Paris around 1880–1. This was a significant period in…