Verity Babbs

Jan 9, 2025 | anglican.ink | Verity Babbs

A portrait of the final Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palailogos, has been discovered by archaeologists in Greece. The portrait was found on a mid-15th century fresco uncovered at a monastery in Aigialeia in the Achaea region of Western Greece. Constantine XI Palaiologos ruled the Byzantine Empire for a short period between January 6, 1449 and May 29, 1453, dying in battle during the fall of Constantinople, when the capital was captured by the Ottomans.

Jan 2, 2025 | news.artnet.com | Verity Babbs

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous artists of all time, a household name even for total art novices and with more than 10 million people flocking to see his masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, in the Louvre each year. We know about his rivalry with contemporary artist Michelangelo, we’ve heard about his complex inventions, and we’re aware of his proclivity for writing backwards. But who was he? An upcoming book by art historian Stephen J.

Dec 31, 2024 | news.artnet.com | Verity Babbs

The art world is a messy, varied, and brilliant beast. For every dainty watercolorist there’s an explosive abstract expressionist. For every Tchaikovsky ballet there’s an experimental opera involving human fluids and live piercing. It’s a mixed bag, and it’s not possible to categorize it neatly. However, in some years certain themes do seem to dominate.

Dec 30, 2024 | news.artnet.com | Verity Babbs

In order to stave off dreaded creative block, artists work hard to cultivate the ideal creative vibe in their studio, and one size does not fit all when it comes to getting the tone just right. Unsurprisingly, music is the go-to mood setter for many artists. Other artists have gone for less traditional ways to up the ante.

Dec 28, 2024 | news.artnet.com | Verity Babbs

Almost every artist in the world will have experienced the dreaded creative block. Even when the time is right, you want to work, and everything is set up for you to do so, sometimes it just won’t happen. Artists throughout history have had to dance the dance with this problem, and have found their own methods for dealing with it. Picasso turned to poetry in the mid-1930s when he couldn’t stand to look at his own paintings.