8 Heavenly Austrian Ceiling Frescoes influenced by the Sistine Chapel
How could we begin without first mentioning the granddaddy of all ceiling frescoes that influenced so many others that …
Georgian-Era
Norfolk Island: "Hell in Paradise"
Does a tiny Australian island in the South Pacific with evergreen pines, jagged cliffs, pure blue waters, and sandy …
A Snuffbox From Russia with Love
The stories from history are all around us. Take this image of a snuffbox from Russia for example. It is part of the …
Darcy vs Darcy - Who's Your Favorite Mr Darcy?
Mr Darcy is the quintessential British romantic hero and one of two central characters in Jane Austen's late-regency …
Portrait of a Lady - a Brief History of the term "Lady"
Today, the term "lady" is often used as a civil term of respect for a woman, as is "gentleman" for a man. But there was …
10 Amazing Facts About the Cursed Hope Diamond
In 1839, a blue diamond weighing over forty-five carats appeared in the collection catalogue of London banker and …
Napoleon Surrenders - marking the End of an Era
Napoleon Bonaparte on Board the 'Bellerophon' in Plymouth Sound by Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, RA, 1815 It was early …
Madame Lebrun - Marie Antoinette's portraitist
A story of joy and tragedy in an age of revolution. Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755 – 1842), also known as Madame …
The USS Constitution - "Old Ironsides"
In 1785, pirates off the Barbary Coast (what is now Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya), were seizing American …