Famous paintings: stories, analyzes and masterpieces

Pallas Athéna autrefois appelée Alexandre le Grand, attribuée à Rembrandt et un élève
Alexander the Great attributed to Rembrandt: armor, identity and debates
Long called Alexander the Great, this warrior is today identified as Pallas Athena and attributed to Rembrandt and a student. Investigation into armor and debates. Read more...
Junon de Rembrandt, déesse couronnée tenant un sceptre auprès d’un paon
Juno of Rembrandt: attributes of the goddess, costume and attribution
Crown, scepter, peacock, fancy costume and late touch: an analysis by Juno de Rembrandt, between established facts and hypotheses about the model. Read more...
Ganymède dans les serres de l’aigle de Rembrandt, enfant terrifié emporté par Jupiter, 1635
Ganymede in the Eagle's Greenhouses by Rembrandt: fear, humor and myth
Rembrandt transforms Ganymede into a terrified child: analysis of the myth, the cry, the cherries, the urine, the eagle and the disturbing humor of the painting. Read more...
Bellone de Rembrandt, déesse de la guerre en armure tenant un bouclier, 1633
Bellona and Minerva at Rembrandt: women in armor and allegorical figures
Bellona and Minerva embody two forms of power in Rembrandt: visible warfare, strategic wisdom, armor, feminine attributes and identities. Read more...
Rembrandt, L’Enlèvement de Proserpine, vers 1631, Gemäldegalerie de Berlin
Rembrandt's The Rapture of Proserpina: movement, violence and myth
Around 1631, Rembrandt transformed Proserpina's kidnapping into a struggle of gestures, light and opposing forces. Complete analysis of the myth, the Berlin panel and its technique. Read more...
Rembrandt, Le Festin de Balthazar, inscription lumineuse et banquet, vers 1636-1638
Rembrandt's Feast of Balthazar: analysis of inscription and light
Around 1636 -1638, Rembrandt transformed the apparition of "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin" into a theater of light. Analysis of the inscription, the king, the sacred vases and the spilled wine. Read more...
Rembrandt, Titus van Rijn probablement, absorbé par la lecture d’un livre, vers 1656-1657
Portrait of Titus reading by Rembrandt: analysis of the son absorbed by his book
Around 1656 -1657, Rembrandt painted a young reader probably identified with his son Titus. Analysis of the lowered gaze, the book, the light and this scene of silent absorption. Read more...
Rembrandt, Portrait d’une femme probablement Maria Trip, 1639
Portrait of Maria Trip by Rembrandt: costume, jewelry and identity
Painted in 1639, the portrait probably identified with Maria Trip combines lace, pearls, jewelry and Chinese fan. An analysis of his costume, his presence and the uncertainty surrounding his identity. Read more...
Les portraits en pied de Marten Soolmans et Oopjen Coppit peints par Rembrandt en 1634
The portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit: analysis of the double portrait
Painted by Rembrandt in 1634, Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit form a unique monumental counterpart. Analysis of the couple, gestures, black costumes, light and their joint acquisition by the Louvre... Read more...
Rembrandt, Jeune fille à la fenêtre, 1645, Dulwich Picture Gallery
Young girl at Rembrandt's window: analysis of the gaze and trompe l'oeil
Why does this young girl painted in 1645 seem so alive? An analysis of the direct gaze, gesture, window sill, impasto and uncertain identity of the model. Read more...
Rembrandt, Le Cavalier polonais, vers 1655, Frick Collection
Rembrandt's Polish Horseman: Identity, Attribution and Enigma
Who is the mysterious young armed horseman painted around 1655? A visual investigation into his costume, landscape, attribution history, and the assumptions surrounding this Frick Collection masterpiece. Read more...
Rembrandt, Le Retour du fils prodigue, père accueillant son fils agenouillé
The Return of Rembrandt's Prodigal Son: Analysis, Symbols and History
A father welcomes his son on his knees: complete analysis of Rembrandt's late masterpiece, its light, its symbols, its material and its history at the Hermitage. Read more...
Rembrandt richement vêtu et appuyé sur un parapet dans son Autoportrait à l’âge de 34 ans de 1640
Self-portrait of Rembrandt from 1640: ambition and reference to the masters
Analysis of Rembrandt's Self-Portrait of 1640: parapet pose, Renaissance costume and references to Titian, Raphael and Dürer in the service of the painter's ambition. Read more...
Rembrandt âgé, bouche entrouverte, dans l’autoportrait dit en Zeuxis conservé à Cologne
Self-portrait of Rembrandt as Zeuxis: laughter, old age and attribution
Does Rembrandt's famous laughing self-portrait really depict Zeuxis? Analysis of laughter, old age, matter and attributions proposed for the enigmatic Cologne painting. Read more...
Rembrandt debout au chevalet avec son appui-main, autoportrait de 1660 conservé au Louvre
Self-portrait of Rembrandt on the easel: analysis of the artist at work
In the self-portrait of the Louvre from 1660, Rembrandt depicts himself standing in front of his easel. Analysis of the gaze, tools, light, material and ambition of the painter at... Read more...
La Nuit étoilée sur le Rhône de Vincent van Gogh, Arles en bleu et or
Starry Night Over the Rhône: An Arles Night in Blue and Gold
Analysis of The Starry Night on the Rhône by Van Gogh: history, composition, colors, reflections, letters, place in Arles and difference with the painting of 1889. Read more...
La Rue Montorgueil à Paris, fête du 30 juin 1878, par Claude Monet
Rue Montorgueil: Monet paints Paris celebrating
Understanding Rue Montorgueil de Monet: celebration of June 30, 1878, flags, crowd, perspective, impressionist touch and reproduction. Read more...
La Nuit étoilée de Vincent van Gogh, peinte à Saint-Rémy en juin 1889
Van Gogh's The Starry Night: History, Details and Secrets
Discover Van Gogh's The Starry Night: context in Saint-Rémy, swirling sky, cypress, colors, symbols, MoMA, and reproduction tips. Read more...