The Ancient Greeks of course started the ball rolling. They're pretty much responsible for Western culture. Then you know what came next. The Romans conquered them and borrowed their culture. Rome fell. We had the Middle Ages. Whereas a lot of history happened in the Middle Ages, art took several…
It's important to know what you like, for it will be those people you'll be stealing from. Most folks would rather say "inspired by" but I prefer honesty. When I like something, I steal. I steal so much from so many different sources though that you cannot even tell I…
More than likely, you've seen some of the works of Edward Robert Hughes. Perhaps on greeting cards. My wife has a t-shirt with Midsummer Eve, painted in 1908. Edward Robert Hughes Midsummer Eve Edward Robert Hughes (1851-1914) is the nephew of Pre-Raphaelite painter Arthur Hughes. His uncle was his first…
John William Godward was a Neo-Classicist English artist. Born on August 9, 1861 in England, he was the oldest of five children. He was successful enough in the late 19th century to exhibit at the Royal Academy. But towards the end of his life, Neo-Classicism fell out of favor as…
The Birth of Venus. Why is this such an important painting? First, let's look at who Venus is. Venus is the Ancient Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty. After all, what's more important to an artist than love and beauty? The Ancient Greeks and the Romans pretty much gave us…