The Romantic period poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827) made more of an impression after his death than he did during his own lifetime. Whereas he was largely unrecognized when he was alive, current critics now declare him “…the greatest

When art becomes distortion, we think of the 20th century as the time and place for this to become an art form. The British artist Francis Bacon (1909-1992) was a figurative painter who created bold images against isolated backgrounds. In

Many artists in the 19th and 20th centuries were inspired by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, whose works had been re-discovered with Felix Mendelsohn’s performance of Bach’s ‘St. Matthew’s Passion’ in Berlin in 1829. For composers such as Richard

The London of William Hogarth’s time was one of raucous politicizing, upwardly aspiring young women, and young men ready to be tempted by the delights of the world. Well, rather like today. In his 8-painting series, A Rake’s Progress, painted

Music is supposed to be a gift from Heaven. We have all seen beautiful paintings where the dove—representing the Holy Spirit—whispers sweet melodies into the ear of Pope Gregor. Gregor immediately started to write down these heavenly melodies and codified

The Pre-Raphaelites as a group were founded in 1848 and quickly became a 7-man brotherhood. The group was started by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti who were then joined by William Michael Rossetti, James Collinson,

At the turn of the 20th century the great symphonic composers, Beethoven and Brahms, became symbols for artists such as Max Klinger (1857-1920), an amateur pianist, painter, sculptor and engraver. Klinger saw their music as an expression of the fate

Claude Debussy’s entire musical outlook changed after he experienced the subtle and graceful arts of Japan. As a contrast to the filled and busy impressionist paintings that surrounded him, many of the Japanese woodcuts he admired were just as filled