Photo: Leonardo da Vinci via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (Left); Apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (Right)

The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in art history. The Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece has been widely studied and millions flock to Paris' Louvre Museum to see it in person every year. However, it is far from the only existing version of this painting. A copy made by one of da Vinci's apprentices at the same time as the original—making it the earliest known copy—is held in Madrid's Museo del Prado. The Prado Mona Lisa painting sheds light on the creation and details of the original, but is also a striking piece in its own right.

This painting has belonged to the Prado Museum since its foundation in 1819. However, for almost two centuries it was regarded as a relatively unimportant copy among the dozens of surviving Mona Lisa duplicates from the 16th and 17th centuries. This was exacerbated by a repainting the original composition had suffered. At some point in the 18th century, the landscape in the background was all covered in black, possibly due to some elements being unfinished.

Its fate changed in 2011. Aware of it being a copy that dated back to the first quarter of the 16th century, the Louvre requested to have it featured in an exhibition titled Leonardo's Last Masterpiece: The Sainte Anne. To get it ready, the Prado Museum launched a restoration project. On top of finding that the black varnish had been added almost two centuries later, they submitted their Mona Lisa to a study of infrared reflectography and radiography.

This process unveiled the preparatory underdrawing, identical in structure but traced with a different style in both paintings, as well as the drawing's corrections. This revealed that the copyist followed much of da Vinci's process for making the original piece. “The figures are identical in size and shape and were transferred by tracing, undoubtedly from the same cartoon,” writes the Prado Museum. Despite their similarities, the museum states, “There is no doubt that the imprecision and delicacy of Leonardo's painting is quite different to the precise technique of the artist who painted the Prado panel.”

While lacking da Vinci's signature sfumato and its drawing is of a lesser quality, the Prado's Mona Lisa offers unique insights, from the color palette—as the varnish in the original has become cracked and yellowed with age—to the changes made by da Vinci on the go, which were relayed to this painting. “Overall, the panel seems to reflect an intermediate stage in the creation of the Louvre painting,” says the Prado Museum. Ultimately, this copy of the Mona Lisa is the closest thing we have to a time machine that allows us to peek inside da Vinci's working methods.

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, currently on display at the Louvre, is arguably the most famous painting in art history, but it actually has a “twin” painting at the Prado Museum.

Photo: Leonardo da Vinci via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

The Prado Museum's Mona Lisa painting sheds light on the creation and details of the original, but is also a striking piece in its own right.

Image: Apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Since it was made by one of da Vinci's apprentices at the same time as the original, it is the earliest known copy on record.

Photo: Apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

For two centuries, a black varnish covered the landscape in the background.

Photo: Apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

A study of infrared reflectography and radiography then revealed the preparatory underdrawing, identical in structure but traced with a different style.

Photo: Apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

“Overall, the panel seems to reflect an intermediate stage in the creation of the Louvre painting,” says the Prado Museum.

Photo: Apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

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READ: ‘Mona Lisa’ Has a Nearly Identical Painting Created at the Same Time

“Irises” by Vincent Van Gogh. 1889. (Photo: The Getty, Public domain)

As home to one of the nation's most thorough art collections, The Getty has found an innovative way for it to reach more audiences. By launching their Open Content program back in 2013, they've made hundreds upon thousands of their cultural artifacts freely accessible online to anyone in the world. Throughout the years, this priceless resource has only grown, with The Getty recently announcing that nearly 88,000 high-resolution images of artworks from its collection are now available for free download under Creative Commons Zero (CC0).

“Users can download, edit, and repurpose high-resolution images of their favorite Getty artworks without any legal restrictions,” writes the museum. “Add a print of your favorite Dutch still life to your gallery wall or create a shower curtain using the Irises by Van Gogh—the possibilities are endless.”

Browsing an archive this size can feel like a daunting endeavor. That's why The Getty has designed a user-friendly platform that allows people to search by artist name, title, date, culture, medium, dimensions, object type, and more. The museum has vowed to continue to grow this resource as it acquires more works and others enter the public domain.

Getty's Open Content program is home to iconic works by trailblazing artists. One can explore the last two centuries of painting with creations by Claude Monet, Piet Mondrian, Édouard Manet, and Edvard Munch; study historical marble sculptures, like the famed Alexander the Great portrait; or get lost in the intricate details of the medieval Book of Hours.

“We’re glad the art community has adopted CC0 as the industry standard to help broaden the impact of collections worldwide and remove barriers to experiencing art,” says Richard Rand, associate director of collections at the Getty Museum. “We hope the public continues to enjoy exploring and using our images in creative ways for years to come.”

Start exploring The Getty's Open Content platform here.

The Getty recently announced that nearly 88,000 high-resolution images of artworks from its collection are now available for free download.

“Landscape with Ceres (Allegory of Earth)” by Jan Brueghel the Younger, Hendrik van Balen. 1630s. (Photo: The Getty, Public domain)

“Users can download, edit, and repurpose high-resolution images of their favorite Getty artworks without any legal restrictions,” writes the museum.

“Sunrise (Marine)” by Claude Monet. 1872 or 1873. (Photo: The Getty, Public domain)

The Getty's Open Content program is home to some iconic works by trailblazing artists, from modernist painters to historical marble sculptures.

“Landscape near Arnhem” by Piet Mondrian. 1900-1901. (Photo: The Getty, Public domain)

The Getty: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
h/t: [Open Culture]

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READ: Nearly 88,000 Art Images From The Getty Are Now Free To Download and Use How You Like

 

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The world-renowned painter Claude Monet is famous today, and during his time among his Impressionist peers, for his fascination with natural scenes. Perhaps best known for painting the water lilies at his home at Giverny, he also found beauty in other parts of nature and architecture, including haystacks, cathedrals, and seascapes. Among Monet's paintings, the Seine River makes frequent appearances. He painted his hazy, cool-toned Matinée sur la Seine, temps net (translated as Morning on the Seine, clear weather) over 20 times, varying shades to reflect nature's own changes. Some examples of this series can be found at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the White House in Washington, D.C., among other collections. In March 2024, a painting from this series sold at Christie's for an impressive $18.4 million.

This Matinée sur la Seine, temps net series featuring the banks of the river was painted between 1896 and 1897. Monet created his own studio on a boat from which he could observe the chosen vantage. His works reflected shifting weather and light, and are stunning examples of Impressionists' treatment of light. Many of the works were then exhibited at the Galerie Georges Petit in 1898. The works also represent Monet's growing love for Giverny, the picturesque town he adopted in middle age and in which he lived the rest of his years. The painting series focused on where the Seine passes by this locale, rather than in Paris' bustling heart.

The recently auctioned work shows a sunny day beginning to break over the river, fluffy clouds just peeking out. The contemporary critic, Maurice Guillemot, upon viewing the works and interviewing the painter deemed the series “a marvel of contagious emotion and intense poetry.” The last time this specific work was offered at auction was 1978, when it was purchased by an anonymous buyer. This sale hit an impressive figure; however, it pales in comparison to some of Monet's other works—a water lilies painting sold for $74 million in 2023. No matter the price tag, a chance to own a Monet from this series is a rare treat.

A version of Monet's Matinée sur la Seine, temps net sold at auction at Christie's on March 7, 2024, fetching an impressive $18.4 million.

A copy of “Morning on the Seine” currently held at Boston's MFA. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)

h/t: [Christie's]

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Photo: Aix-en-Provence

When Paul Cézanne was a young man, his father purchased a mansion in the French town of Aix-en-Provence. And, as any artist is apt to do, Cézanne took it upon himself to decorate the walls with his art. While it was thought that all of his oil paintings, watercolors, and murals in the home, known as Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, had been documented, we now know that this is not true.

During a renovation of the “Grand Salon” in August 2023, the remains of a previously unknown mural were discovered. Prior to the discovery, art historians had recorded nine Cézanne pieces in the home, which was sold by the artist and his sister in 1899. Those murals were transferred to canvas and dispersed to different museums. Now, this newly recovered work was recently presented at a press conference attended by Cézanne's great-grandson, as well as the mayor of Aix-en-Provence, and experts from Société Paul Cézanne and the Musée Granet.

Found under layers of plaster and wallpaper, the remains of the mural appear to show a maritime scene. The borders contain ship masts and banners flying in the breeze, though unfortunately, the central and lower sections have been ripped away, not allowing us to see what else the Post-Impressionist painter had in mind. “A sky, banners atop a ship’s mast? A port entrance? With this unexpected discovery, Cézanne has not finished moving us, either,” the mayor and French senator Sophie Joissains shared on Facebook.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the fragments of this new work once renovations are complete in time for the 2025 celebration that Aix-en-Provence is planning for Cézanne. Joissans added, “The public will then be able to discover this place, enriched by the updating of its first paintings produced from 1859, as well as by the arrival in Aix of the most famous of Cézanne’s paintings, The Card Players.”

And while you may be wondering if Cézanne left any more surprises, researchers shared that the rest of the home has been checked thoroughly, so they don't expect anything else to be discovered.

A mural by Paul Cézanne was discovered under wallpaper in plaster in his family home.

“House and Farm at Jas de Bouffan” by Paul Cézanne. 1887. (Photo: WikiArt, Public domain)

The remains of the mural appear to show a seascape, with ship masts and banners still visible.

Photo: Sophie Joissains

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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“The Fourth Oriental Head” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

The seventeenth-century Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn was known for his use of contrast and experimental brushwork in his stunning paintings, but many people would be hard-pressed to name more than one or two of his works. Now, thanks to the work of New York's Morgan Library and Museum, you can view almost 500 original Rembrandt etchings online for free.

The Morgan Library and Museum, which is celebrating its 100th year, has digitized “almost 500 images from the Morgan’s exceptional collection of Rembrandt etchings,” according to its website. Some of these etchings include self-portraits and sketches of scenes from the Bible, everyday life, and landscapes. They date from the late 1620s to the mid-1660s.

On its website, the library states, “Renowned in the history of printmaking, Rembrandt's etchings are famous for their dramatic intensity, penetrating psychology, and touching humanity.” These aspects of Rembrandt's work are as clear as day in his etchings, as the people in his portraits stare just to the side of the viewer with an intensely focused look in their eyes. Even his landscapes are striking and authentic, with trees drawn to stand out starkly against the sky and additional foliage carefully penciled in.

To view these etchings for yourself, you can go to the Morgan Library and Museum's website.

The Morgan Library and Museum recently uploaded nearly 500 Rembrandt etchings to their website, which are free for anyone to view.

“The Artist's Mother Seated” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

“Peasant with his Hands Behind his Back” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

These 500 etchings cover a wide variety of topics, from portraits of everyday people to expansive Biblical scenes.

“Christ Before Pilate” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

“Sacrifice of Isaac” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

“The Beheading of St. John the Baptist” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

Landscape portraits are also common in the collection of etchings.

“The Three Trees” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

“Cottage Beside a Canal with a View of Ouderkerk” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

According to the Morgan's website, each of these etchings “are famous for their dramatic intensity, penetrating psychology, and touching humanity.”

“Nude Man Seated Before a Curtain” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

“Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.

Morgan Library and Museum: Website | Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [Open Culture]

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READ: You Can Now View Nearly 500 Rembrandt Etchings for Free Online

Photo: Maia C via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED)

Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein is primarily known for his paintings that look like frames from a comic strip, but did you know that he was also a sculptor? The American artist has several public sculptures on view, but perhaps some of his most charming work comes from his House series. These whimsical sculptures play with color and perspective in a way that is uniquely Lichtenstein.

Produced in the late 1990s, the House series consists of two freestanding and one wall sculpture. Rendered in white, red, and yellow, the houses change dramatically depending on where the viewer stands. The relatively flat sculpture appears fully three-dimensional when viewed at a precise angle. This playful game of perspective was carefully cultivated by the artist, who produced numerous studies for the three sculptures.

Moving from sketches on paper to small mockups, Lichtenstein plays with the placement of color, perhaps in an effort to see which combination gave the most dramatic result. While a full-scale prototype of House I was produced in 1996, the final versions from the House series were fabricated posthumously after Lichtenstein died in 1997 at the age of 73. Today, House I is on view in the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and House III can be found at Atlanta's High Museum of Art. The painted aluminum piece was fabricated in 2003 after being commissioned by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.

House II, of which both an artist's proof and a posthumously fabricated edition exist, is harder to view. This is primarily because both fabrications are part of private collections. It was last on view in 2013 when it was part of a Lichtenstein exhibition in Venice.

In the late 1990s, Roy Lichtenstein designed a series of House sculptures that are carefully cultivated illusions.

Watch High Museum of Art curator Michael Rooks discuss Roy Lichtenstein's House III.

h/t: [Laughing Squid]

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Van Gogh in a self-portrait, 1887. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Artist Vincent van Gogh is one of the world's most famous painters in art history. Known for cutting off his own ear in a depressed period in later life, the painter was a leading figure in the Post-Impressionism movement. But before his vivid swirls and vases of sunflowers, Van Gogh was inspired by realist painters such as Jean-François Millet. His early works were scenes of everyday life, such as shoes with laces undone, prisoners, peasants, and tranquil country scenes. Among these works is a small canvas called Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring. Painted in 1884, the work was dramatically stolen in 2020, returned in an IKEA bag in 2023, and now it will be on display to the public for the first time since this chain of events.

The painting was stolen while it was on loan to the Singer Laren Museum outside Amsterdam in the Netherlands. As the world locked down in March 2020, thieves snuck into the shutter museum, smashed glass, and made off with the painting under their arm. Covered on camera, the identity of the thief and his criminal backers was eventually discovered by law enforcement. However, the painting was not recovered. Art detective Arthur Brand says, “We knew that the painting would go from one hand to another hand in the criminal world, but that nobody really wanted to touch it because it wasn’t worth anything. You could only get in trouble. So it was a little bit cursed.”

Brand told media that someone holding the painting even totally contacted him, and with permission of authorities he organized a drop by the unnamed individual. The individual came to Brand's home with the painting wrapped in bubble wrap, placed inside a pillow case, and encased in a classic blue Ikea bag.

The painting was quickly verified to be the true Van Gogh. Unfortunately, it now has a visible white gash that goes through the many layers of paint and varnish. Marjan de Visser, a conservator, has already begun working to clean the old varnish and learn more about the materials of the painting so that it can be preserved for generations. De Visser explains, “This is how the young Van Gogh painted, before he went to art academy in Antwerp.”

After its three year adventure, the painting was finally returned to its owner, the Groninger Museum. Now, it has triumphantly been presented to the media, and will soon go on view to the public. Starting March 29, 2024, visitors will be able to view the piece at the Groninger Museum. It now presents a fascinating spectacle of both one of the world's greatest artists and one of the world's most recent dramatic art thefts.

A painting by Vincent van Gogh, titled Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, was stolen in 2020, and mysteriously returned in an IKEA bag after three years.

Embed from Getty Images

Now, it will go on display to the public in March 2024.

Embed from Getty Images

h/t: [The Guardian]

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We're back with another art history quiz, and this one's quite a challenge. We first introduced our Spot the Self-Portrait quiz in April 2023, and we must admit, for anyone with a decent knowledge of art history, it was probably a breeze. So, for the sequel, we dug a bit deeper and found 20 more self-portraits by famous painters from the 17th century all the way up to the first half of the 20th century. Are you up to the challenge? Test your knowledge with Spot the Self-Portrait II quiz and see how you fare.

And remember, if you enter your email address, you'll not only receive your results straight to your inbox, but you'll also get information about many of the famous artists featured in the quiz. Don't worry, it's optional, and you can receive your results on-screen no matter what.

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Embed from Getty Images

Gustav Klimt lived at a pivotal time in European history, as the once-powerful Austrian Empire was nearing its end. A member of the artistic Vienna Secessionist movement, he was influenced heavily by the Art Nouveau trends. The works of his later life before his death of Spanish Flu in 1918 are most famous. Colorful, slightly abstracted portraits gilded in gold filled this “Golden Phase.” Klimt‘s images captured the faces of wealthy Vienna, including Fraulein Lieser, of a wealthy Austrian Jewish family. The public last glimpsed this portrait of the dark-haired woman with soft eyes in 1926, and it was thought to be lost in the horrors that swept Europe during World War II. However, in a shocking twist, the painting has reemerged decades later, headed for display and the auction block.

Nazi violence against Jewish people across Europe was accompanied by massive looting sprees. Priceless works of art held by Jewish families were absconded with, leading to decades of modern efforts post-war to find and return the works to descendants or relatives. Other precious works were lost in the bombing and fighting of the war. That is the fate art historians long believed befell the portrait of Fraulein Lieser. Ernst Ploil, of Kinsky Auction House where the work will be sold, told the BBC: “The painting is described as lost in all catalogues raisonnés (comprehensive lists of Klimt's work). In our circles, ‘lost' means probably destroyed, probably burnt during the war, but in any case no longer in existence; it was not to be expected that it would ever reappear. We took an active approach and not only researched the Lieser family as potential restitution claimants, but we also approached potential representatives based on our experience from previous restitution proceedings.”

So far, no evidence has been discovered that the painting was looted. The present owners acquired it in the 1960s. They, as well as relatives of the Lieser family, will profit from the sale. Taking place in April, the auction is anticipated to be sensational, potentially reaching an estimated price of $54 million. Another example of Klimt's portraiture work sold this year for an incredible $108.4 million dollars—setting a European art auction record. These incredible prices suggest the immense continuing impact and popularity of Klimt's work.

This Gustav Klimt portrait of Fraulein Lieser was believed to have been lost, but it has recently emerged from a private collection and is headed to auction.

h/t: [BBC]

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Charles II in Armour, 1681, by Juan Carreño de Miranda. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Thanks to modern technology, we’re able to uncover hidden images within historic works of art. One recent discovery comes from a 17th-century portrait of a royal. The Habsburgs ruled early modern Europe. For almost seven centuries, members of the clan intermarried and ruled across Europe. From Hungary to Portugal and Germany, their power rose and fell. Austria remained the center of the family's power, where they ruled from 1282 until 1918, for much of this period as Holy Roman Emperors. Another outpost was the Spanish monarchy, where that branch of the family aggressively consolidated power by marrying their own relatives. The result was Charles II—the last Habsburg king of Spain—whose life was depicted in the work of painter Juan Carreño de Miranda.

Carreño de Miranda was a court painter in Madrid whose portraiture was influenced by the Baroque greats such as Titian, Rubens, and Van Dyck. He spent the second-half of the 17th century churning out depictions of Spanish nobles and royalty, including Charles II. Charles II was born in 1661. His father, Philip IV, was the uncle of his mother Mariana of Austria. He became king as a child in 1665, so his mother acted as regent. However, Charles II was unfortunately destined for a life of difficulty and disease throughout his childhood and adulthood.

Charles II was the only one of his parent's children to survive to adulthood. His progress from boy to man has been revealed by x-ray in Carreño de Miranda's work Charles II in Armour. Painted in 1681 when the king was 20 years old, it depicts the monarch in military regalia with all the symbolism of a bold leader. His armor was made for his esteemed ancestor Phillip II, and the young king stands in front of a battle scene in the background. However, x-ray examinations of the painting reveal the canvas previously boasted a different image. Behind the young man was a much shorter, yet similar in appearance, child king. His hair in both images is loose, his face long, and his pose similar.

According to the Museo del Prado where the painting resides, “Carreño probably used what had become an obsolete portrait of the child king to paint on top of it a new portrait that updated his image as an adult, showing his taller stature. He then added a strip of canvas to the top in order to augment the height of the painting, and he trimmed the sides slightly so that it would correspond to the format of the painting of Philip IV (also painted by the artist).” The now hidden image of the younger king is closely related to a verson painted of the 10-year-old monarch which now hangs in the Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias. But behind both images of the king lurk sad realities of inbreeding in one of Europe's most dominant royal houses.

Charles II was the result of 16 generations of Habsburg inbreeding, including his own parent's very close genetic relationship. Within these generations of the Spanish royal family, researcher Gonzalo Alvarez discovered, “[o]f 34 children, half died before their tenth birthday, and 10 died before their first.” Charles II was rare in surviving, but he was born with intellectual and physical disabilities which affected his health and hindered his ability to speak. In particular, he had the Habsburg jaw, a severe underbite which made life difficult. He was infertile and left no heirs, dying at 35, plagued by senility and seizures. This sad life lurks behind his royal portraits, which nonetheless attempt to frame the monarch as the last of a powerful dynasty.

Behind this portrait of the Spanish King Charles II is a past portrait, x-rays reveal. The king is depicted as younger and shorter in the older version.

Este retrato de Carlos II adulto que pinta Carreño de Miranda en 1681 esconde otra obra: Carreño reutilizó un lienzo en el que había pintado años antes un retrato del rey más joven y en la misma estancia, el Salón de los Espejos del Real Alcázar de Madrid pic.twitter.com/b5g29SJlq6

— Museo del Prado (@museodelprado) July 8, 2020

Charles II was a member of the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs, a ruling family of Europe known for inbreeding.

Carlos II de España, circa 1680, by Juan Carreño de Miranda. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

h/t: [Museo del Prado]

This article has been edited and updated from an earlier version that misspelled the Habsburgs.

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