Art history: artists, movements and museums

Engraved portrait of Baruch Spinoza, contemporary of Johannes Vermeer
Vermeer and Spinoza: Light, Reason and the 17th-Century Netherlands
Vermeer and Spinoza were born in 1632, but did they influence one another? A sourced comparison of light, immanence and perception, without inventing a meeting. Read more...
The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius
Vermeer and Carel Fabritius: Delft, light and innovation
Did Fabritius and Vermeer share the same revolution in light and perspective in Delft? A precise comparison of their works, from optics to Goldfinch, distinguishing documented facts, formal affinities and... Read more...
A Lady Writing a Letter by Vermeer, in a quiet interior
Silence in Vermeer: how painting creates a feeling of suspended time
Restrained gestures, airy spaces, soft light and only imagined sounds: discover how Vermeer constructs the impression of suspended time without completely immobilizing the action. Read more...
Woman with a Pearl Necklace by Vermeer, in front of a mirror
Pearls at Vermeer: wealth, vanity, light and illusion
From the earring painted with two brushstrokes to the necklaces placed near a scale, Vermeer pearls are adornments, luminous accents and objects of interpretation. The article distinguishes wealth, vanity and... Read more...
Young Woman with a Water Pitcher by Vermeer, opening a window in a bright interior
Windows at Vermeer: light source, border and symbol
How Vermeer windows direct light, construct space, and suggest a boundary between intimacy and the outside world? A comparative reading that distinguishes visible facts from symbolic interpretations. Read more...
Vermeer’s luminous dots in Girl with a Pearl Earring
Vermeer's luminous dotted lines: pearls, reflections and optical effect
How does Vermeer turn a few touches of paint into beads and highlights? Technique, light and cautious hypothesis of the camera obscura. Read more...
Johannes Vermeer studying a camera obscura projection, an editorial reconstruction of a hypothesis
Was Vermeer using a camera obscura? Evidence, debates and experiences
Was Vermeer using a camera obscura? Optical effects, Jesuit trail, modern experiences and limits of a hypothesis that is very plausible today. Read more...
Woman in Blue Reading a Letter by Vermeer, in tranquil natural light
Light in Vermeer: why it seems natural and silent
Why does Vermeer's light seem so natural and silent? Windows, colored shadows, pigments, glazes and analysis of nine major works. Read more...
Vermeer's Art of Painting showing the painter at work in his studio
A day in Vermeer's workshop: materials, rhythm and working method
Enter Vermeer's workshop: natural light, pigments, subpainting, glacis and the rhythm of a day recreated from museum research. Read more...
Officer and Laughing Girl by Vermeer, circa 1657, The Frick Collection
Vermeer's Laughing Officer and Girl: Analysis of Perspective and Light
Why does the officer seem huge? Analyze the perspective, window, map, laughter and light in this Vermeer masterpiece. Read more...
Young Woman with a Water Pitcher by Johannes Vermeer, circa 1662
Young Woman with a Vermeer Ewer: Analysis of Water, Window and Blue
Analysis of Young Woman with the Ewer by Vermeer: water, window, blue light, pond, map, carpet, technique and history of the painting kept at the Metropolitan Museum. Read more...
Vermeer's Woman with a Pearl Necklace, also kept at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin
The Woman with the Pearl Necklace by Vermeer: analysis of the mirror, light and jewelry
Analysis of Vermeer's Woman with a Pearl Necklace: mirror, light, jewelry, yellow jacket, technique, vanity and history of the painting kept in Berlin. Read more...
Rembrandt, Esther, Ahasuerus and Haman, 1660
Esther, Ahasuerus and Haman by Rembrandt: banquet, tension and light
Analysis of Esther, Ahasuerus and Haman by Rembrandt: the second banquet, the revelation of Esther, the fall of Haman and the dramatic role of light. Read more...
Light and colors in Rembrandt's Night Watch
Light and colors in La Ronde de nuit
How does Rembrandt use light and colors in The Night Watch? Chiaroscuro, smalt, extinct purples, gold and scientific discoveries. Read more...
Photographic portrait illuminated according to the Rembrandt diagram
Rembrandt lighting in photography: triangle, placement and examples
How to achieve Rembrandt lighting? 45° placement, source height, light triangle, reflector, settings, errors and examples in the studio or at the window. Read more...
Photographic portrait in Rembrandt lighting with light triangle under the eye
Rembrandt's triangle: definition in photography
A small, light area under the eye, on the cheek plunged into shadow: this is the most recognizable sign of Rembrandt lighting. Read more...
Rembrandt's Night Watch, study of light
Light in Rembrandt: direction, depth and emotion
How does Rembrandt direct light? A visual analysis of chiaroscuro, depth, impasto and emotion through his major works. Read more...
Dance at the Moulin de la Galette, an example of Renoir’s brushwork, light and colour
Renoir's style: recognizing its light, its touch and its colors
How can you recognise Renoir’s style? Brushwork, light, colours, skin tones and six chronological reference points, with eight major works to compare. Read more...