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Private Notes
Mr and Mrs Andrews by Thomas Gainsborough: Why didn’t the artist finish this masterpiece of 18th-century British portraiture? And why was the painting never seen outside the subjects’ family for more than 150 years?
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp by Rembrandt: The subjects of this gruesome painting—both the surgeon and the cadaver—prove just as fascinating as the Dutch master’s use of symbolism.
The Tempest by Giorgione: Decoding this tension-packed painting requires searching beyond the artist’s contemporaries and exploring little-known tales from Greek mythology.
The Birth of Venus by Botticelli: The ravishing goddess emerging from the sea turns out to be far more than the Renaissance’s most famous sex symbol.
Boy Bitten by a Lizard by Caravaggio: As the only great artist to commit murder, Caravaggio knew a little about the impetuosity of youth, and he portrays his hard-won wisdom on canvas.
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci: More than a masterpiece, the lady with the enigmatic smile turned into a pop-culture icon after a heist captured the world’s attention.
Le déjeuner sur l’herbe by Édouard Manet: Luncheon on the Grass created a scandal when Manet showed it in 1863. The story behind the painting proves even more scandalous.
The Arnolfini Marriage by Jan van Eyck: A simple wedding portrait? The artistic testimony to a disputed marriage? A religious allegory? A bold new interpretation answers this painting’s many mysteries.
