Sometimes artists become more known among the general public for their colorful personal lives than for their artwork, no matter how great their contributions to the art world. Such is the case with Polish/American artist Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980), requested by reader Lauren. Some highlights from her storied life: 1. Tamara de Lempicka, who was born Maria Gorska, discovered her artistic passion and skill at the age of 12. Lempicka had sat for a famous painter, but hated the resulting portrait,... READ ON

In 1566, the Swiss artist Tobias Stimmer (1539-1584) was commissioned to adorn the Haus zum Ritter (Knight's House) in Schauffhausen with frescoes. Today, the Haus zum Ritter's frescoes are considered the "best preserved Renaissance frescoes north of the Alps." A bit about the frescoes and Stimmer: 1. The frescoes on Haus zum Ritter cover a wide range of themes, ranging from the virtues of Swiss knights to portraits of the owner (Hans von Waldkirch, a knight) and the artist... READ ON

October is smack in the middle of marching band season, so today's post features the 1949 lithograph "The Band." The artist behind "The Band" is Raoul Dufy (1877-1953), a French artist requested by reader cinthya. 1. Raoul Dufy began his artistic career through night classes at his local École des Beaux-Arts. During the day, he was working as a book-keeper and/or errand boy, perhaps for a coffee importing company (there isn't really a consensus among sources).... READ ON

Monday marked the 11th anniversary of the death of American artist Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997). Though Lichtenstein became synonymous with Pop Art, he also created more traditional paintings, including scenes of the American West. Some other things you may not know about him: 1. On February 9, 1943, Roy Lichtenstein entered active duty in the U.S. Army. Originally, he was going to do the Army Special Training Program (ASTP) for languages, but the Army cut the languages program. He then began the... READ ON