Art History Made Easy

The Color Green: Ecology and Bad Reputation, the Incredible Story

Today green means nature and the planet. For centuries it meant the opposite. Three thousand years of one color changing sides.

Aug 16 • Cool Stories About Art

Color Orange: Which Came First, the Fruit or the Color?

Discover the full story of the color orange, from a poisonous stone in the tombs of Egypt to the Hermes box.

Aug 2 • Cool Stories About Art

How Japan Reshaped Western Art

In 1853, four warships force Japan open. Thirty years later, Monet, Manet and Van Gogh no longer paint the way they used to.

Jul 9 • Cool Stories About Art

7 Secrets in 7 Famous Paintings #2

Discover the secrets hidden inside 7 of the world's most famous paintings: Veronese, Bruegel, Klimt, van Eyck, Hals, Friedrich, Leighton.

Jul 2 • Cool Stories About Art

Understand Rococo in 5 Minutes

The only guide to Rococo you will ever need. In a few minutes, you will understand it better than most people ever will.

Jun 23 • Cool Stories About Art

7 Secrets in 7 Famous Paintings

Discover the secrets hidden inside 7 of the world's most famous paintings: Goya, Munch, Bosch, Vermeer, Caravaggio, Henry Gillard Glindoni, Wyeth.

Jun 11 • Cool Stories About Art

St. Sebastian, St. Jerome & St. Francis: Discover the Secrets to Recognize Them

A simple guide to identifying Sebastian, Jerome & Francis through their attributes and symbols.

May 14 • Cool Stories About Art

How famous artists started

Picasso at 8, Dalí at 6, Michelangelo at 12, Frida at 17: the very first paintings of 10 famous artists, made when they were still children.

May 7 • Cool Stories About Art

First and last paintings of 13 famous artists

Compare first and last works of Van Gogh, Renoir, Goya, Lempicka, Vermeer, Murillo & Rothko. See how 13 masters evolved from start to finish.

Apr 12 • Cool Stories About Art

Peter, Paul, and John: Discover the Secrets to Recognize Them

A simple guide to identifying Peter, Paul & John through their attributes and symbols.

Apr 2 • Cool Stories About Art

12 famous portraits vs the real people

From the innkeeper's daughter who served Van Gogh to the girl Picasso drew forty times.

Mar 29 • Cool Stories About Art

Is Francisco Goya the Greatest Painter of All Time?

We score Goya on technique, influence, and impact. How does he compare to Van Gogh, Caravaggio, or Da Vinci? Find out in our ultimate ranking.

Mar 26 • Cool Stories About Art

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