Van Eyck, Jan (c.1390-1441) Portrait of Giovanni (?) Arnolfini and his Wife 1434 Oil on oak, 82.2 x 60 cm National Gallery, London This must be one of the most famous paintings in the world, and one of the most intriguing.…
Vermeer, Jan (1632-1675) Girl with the Red Hat (Meisje met de rode hoed) c.1669 Oil on panel, 22.8 x 18 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington Girl with the Red Hat is one of Johannes Vermeer’s smallest works, and it is…
Vermeer, Jan (1632-1675) Girl with a Flute (Meisje met de fluit) c.1669–1675 Oil on panel, 20 x 17.8 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington Once cautiously attributed to Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Flute was more likely painted by a studio…
Vermeer, Jan (1632-1675) A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal (Staande Virginaalspeelster) c.1670–1672 Oil on canvas, 51.7 x 45.2 cm National Gallery, London A young woman standing at a keyboard holds our eye with a direct gaze. Suffused in the light…
Vermeer, Jan (1632-1675) A Young Woman Seated at a Virginal (Zittende virginaalspeelster) c.1670–1672 Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 45.5 cm National Gallery, London A colourful hanging tapestry has been swept to one side to reveal a young woman seated at a…
Bellini, Giovanni (c.1430-1516) Madonna del Prato (Madonna of the Meadow) c.1500–1505 Oil on synthetic panel, transferred from wood, 66.5 × 85.1 cm National Gallery, London The Virgin Mary adores the Christ Child sleeping on her lap. Giovanni Bellini was one of…
Manet, Édouard (1832-1883) Le Chemin de fer (The Railway, Gare Saint-Lazare) 1873 Oil on canvas, 93.3 x 111.5 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington The Gare Saint-Lazare, in 1873 the largest and busiest train station in Paris, is unseen in this painting.…
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) La Gioconda (Monna Lisa) c.1503–1506 Oil on poplar, 79.4 x 53.4 cm Musée du Louvre, Paris A false identity problem It is only since the 20th century that certain historians, but more often amateurs in search of recognition,…
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Vergine delle rocce (Virgin of the Rocks) c.1491–1499 and 1506–1508 Oil on poplar, thinned and cradled, 189.5 x 120 cm National Gallery, London Full title: The Virgin with the Infant Saint John the Baptist adoring the Christ Child…