Diane Arbus’ Largest-Ever Retrospective Features Photographs of Society’s Celebrated and Marginalized Figures
With 454 images arranged with as little order as possible, viewers are encouraged to wander and make their own observations—much like Arbus did on the streets of New York
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
See 15 Photos of Striking Landscapes and Lively Scenes Deep in the Heart of Texas
These images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest remind us what makes the Lone Star State so special
Meet Marguerite, Henri Matisse’s Eldest Daughter—and One of His Most Influential Models
An exhibition at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris examines Marguerite’s indelible influence on her father’s evolving painting styles
New Exhibition Features Contemporary Portraits Honoring Forgotten Black Abolitionists
Cambridge University’s Fitzwilliam Museum is spotlighting the men and women who fought to end slavery but received little attention from artists during their lifetimes
This Amateur Art Detective Thinks Paul Gauguin’s Last Self-Portrait Is a Fake
The new allegations come from Fabrice Fourmanoir, who previously identified a fraudulent Gauguin sculpture that the Getty Museum had purchased for $5 million
Meet the Mysterious Renaissance Muse Immortalized in the Only Leonardo da Vinci Painting in the Americas
Ginevra de’ Benci was a poet famed for her beauty and intellect. But art historians know little about her beyond the writings and artworks left behind by the men who admired her
Artists Across America Are Creating Stunning Floral Arrangements Inspired by Paintings, Sculptures and Artifacts
At “Art in Bloom” exhibitions, museums commission custom floral arrangements to go on display alongside items in their collections
The Many Myths of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the 19th-Century Royal Whose Beauty and Tragic Death Transformed Her Into a Legend
The reluctant empress known as “Sisi” painstakingly crafted her image through portraits and photographs, ensuring she would be remembered in a specific way
See the Forgotten Paintings Made by Jane Austen’s Older Sister, Cassandra
A new exhibition at the Jane Austen House in England includes six artworks that are going on public display for the first time
Meet This Year’s Winners of the Portrait of a Nation Award, Including Steven Spielberg and Temple Grandin
Portraits of the honorees, who have made “transformative contributions to the United States,” will be added to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery
Edvard Munch Is Known as the Painter of ‘The Scream.’ His Many Haunting Portraits Show That He Was Much More Than His Masterpiece
Through 45 artworks made between the 1880s and the 1920s, a new exhibition spotlights the Norwegian artist’s sometimes divisive style of portraiture
This Dusty Painting Turned Out to Be Gustav Klimt’s Long-Lost Portrait of an African Prince
Experts think the renowned Austrian Symbolist painted the artwork in 1897. An art gallery in Vienna has priced it at $16 million
Why Did Vincent van Gogh Paint 26 Portraits of a Postman and His Family While Staying in the South of France?
The artist met Joseph Roulin, a 47-year-old postal worker, in the late 1880s. The series of artworks will be reunited at upcoming exhibitions in Boston and Amsterdam
Restoration Reveals the Secrets of One of Winston Churchill’s Most Beloved Paintings
Long thought to be a family heirloom, the artwork was actually gifted to the British prime minister in 1942 during the darkest days of World War II
This 18th-Century Sketch by a Renowned English Portraitist Was Hiding in a Dumpster in New York
The tiny drawing by artist George Romney depicts Henrietta, Countess of Warwick. It will be sold at an upcoming auction in London
Experts Say They’ve Found a Portrait of a Mysterious Businessman Hidden Beneath a Titian Masterpiece
When the Renaissance artist painted his famous “Ecce Homo” around 1570, he covered up a portrait of an “an unknown professional man” standing at a desk
This Historic Portrait of George Washington Is Being Restored to Its Former Glory
The 18th-century painting by Charles Willson Peale had previously been the subject of mismanaged restoration attempts. Now, experts in Versailles are bringing it back in line with the artist’s original intent
See the Miniature Portrait of Mary Magdalene That Raphael Painted When He Was Only 20
Created around 1503, the painting—which just sold at auction for $3.1 million—depicts the saint after the crucifixion of Jesus, when she entered a period of repentance
See How Talking Portraits Bring the Greatest Living Shakespearean Actors to Life
A collection of ten digital portraits of famous thespians—including Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Harriet Walter—are on view at the Red Eight Gallery in London
A Nazi-Looted Painting Recovered by the Monuments Men During World War II Is Going on Sale
When the war ended, Allied soldiers tracked down Nicolas de Largillierre’s “Portrait de femme à mi-corps” with the help of a savvy French curator who had been working for the resistance
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