Explore Artworks

The instrument maker’s workshop

Hermann Kern (Austrian, 1838–1912)

Wood shavings curl beneath the workbench. A half-carved violin rests on the table, its curves catching the dim light. Tools lie scattered—chisels, clamps, a worn mallet. The air smells of pine resin and patience. Something beautiful is taking shape here, one careful cut at a time.
Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog (ca 1665)

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669)

A woman in rich fabrics cradles a small dog, its fur ruffled under her fingers. Shadows pool in the folds of her sleeve, light catching the gold thread along her collar. The dog’s dark eyes meet yours, alive and watchful, while her gaze rests somewhere just beyond the frame.
Young Woman Sewing (1876)

Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)

A woman bends over her needlework, fingers moving with quiet precision. Sunlight slants across her lap, catching the folds of fabric. The room holds its breath around her—no sound but the steady pull of thread through cloth. Every stitch anchors her in this solitary, absorbed moment.
Ornithologia methodice digesta Pl.065 (1767-1776)

Saverio Manetti (Italian, 1723–1784)

A meticulous engraving of a bird, its feathers rendered with precise lines. The creature perches mid-motion, caught between stillness and flight. Scientific detail meets artistry in this study of avian form.
On The Beach

Charles Atamian (French, 1872–1947)

Waves lick the shore, dissolving into foam. Sunlight dances on wet sand, blurring the line between sea and land. A breeze carries salt and warmth. The scene hums with lazy energy—a summer afternoon suspended in brushstrokes.
The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil (1874)

Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883)

Sunlight dapples through the trees as a family gathers in their lush garden. The woman’s white dress glows against the greenery while a child plays nearby. Loose brushstrokes blur the line between domestic tranquility and nature’s wildness—a fleeting afternoon where cultivated order meets untamed growth.
Morning Walk (1888)

John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925)

A woman strides through dappled sunlight, her skirt brushing dew-laden grass. The air hums with dawn’s quiet energy—crushed petals, damp earth, the whisper of fabric against motion. She moves with purpose, yet the path ahead remains soft, undefined, swallowed by golden haze.
The Writing Master (1882)

Thomas Eakins (American, 1844–1916)

An elderly man leans over his desk, quill poised above paper. His face is lined with concentration, the light catching his spectacles and the careful folds of his sleeve. The quiet intensity of the moment—the poised hand, the furrowed brow—makes you wonder what words he’s about to commit to the page.
Madonna with child and John the Baptist (1875)

William Bouguereau (French, 1825–1905)

The Madonna cradles her child as young John the Baptist looks on, their figures bathed in soft light. The tender moment blends divine grace with earthly warmth, the folds of fabric and gentle expressions creating an intimate scene of devotion. A quiet reverence lingers in the composition.
Le Canal Du Loing À Saint-Mammès (1885)

Alfred Sisley (French, 1839–1899)

Sunlight dances on the canal’s ripples, softening the edges of moored boats. Trees lean lazily over the water, their reflections blurring into the current. A quiet stretch of France, alive with shifting colors—no grand drama, just the river’s gentle rhythm and the play of light on an ordinary afternoon.
Lady Grace Dance (1917)

James Jebusa Shannon (American, 1862–1923)

A woman mid-dance, her gown swirling with motion. The tilt of her head, the curve of her arm—every line suggests rhythm, grace suspended in stillness. Not posing, but caught in the act, as if the next step might carry her right off the canvas.
Lady At The Virginal With A Gentleman, ‘the Music Lesson’

Johannes Vermeer (Dutch, 1632–1675)

A woman sits at the virginal, fingers poised above the keys. A man stands close, watching. The room holds its breath—silent, waiting for the first note. Light spills across the floor, catching the gleam of polished wood. Music lingers in the air before it’s even played.
Le bon Dieu chez les enfants Pl.05 (1920)

Francis Jammes (French, unknown)

Children gather in hushed wonder, their faces lit by an unseen presence. The divine lingers among them, soft as a whisper, woven into their innocence. Shadows and light dance across the scene, hinting at something sacred just beyond sight. A quiet moment, heavy with reverence.
Reverie

Vincenzo Irolli (Italian, 1860–1949)

A woman’s face, half-lost in shadow, drifts between sleep and waking. Her lips part slightly, as if whispering to someone unseen. The brushstrokes blur the line between dream and reality, leaving only the quiet intensity of her gaze—both distant and piercing. What lingers in that silence?
De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen, Asia, Africa en America pl59 (1779-1782)

Pieter Cramer (Dutch, 1721–1776)

Delicate wings unfurl across the page—tropical butterflies from three continents, each etched with precision. Stripes, spots, and intricate patterns reveal nature’s artistry, frozen in ink. A silent flutter of Asia, Africa, and America preserved on paper.