An exceptional discovery has brought to light the only known contemporary representation of the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Constantine XI Palaiologos. This valuable work was uncovered during restoration work at the main church of the former Monastery of the Archangels, located in the region of Aigio, Greece. The finding, dating back to the […]
Portraits
Posted inArt
Johannes Gumpp, the 17th-century Painter whose only Work is a Mysterious Triple Self-portrait
Since the existence of the art of painting, artists have created self-portraits or included themselves in representations of mythological, religious, or invented themes. Until the invention of photography, the easiest, though not the only, way to create a self-portrait was to look in a mirror. Depending on the era, this could be more or less […]
Posted inArt, Prehistory
World’s oldest portrait, carved in ivory 26,000 years ago
Near the Czech town of Dolní Věstonice in Moravia is the archaeological site of the same name. A site that, before systematic excavations began in 1924, had already provided researchers with extensive prehistoric materials from the Gravettian period (which ran from 27,000 to 20,000 years ago). Some 2,300 pieces of pottery have so far been […]
