Explore Artworks

Helicolenus percoides (NZ) _ Perch (1867)

Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

A perch glides through pale water, its scales catching the light. Fins splay like delicate fans, each spine precise. The muted greens and golds blur at the edges, as if the fish might flick its tail and vanish into deeper currents.
Les bulles de savon

Etienne Adolphe Piot (French, 1850–1910)

A young woman leans forward, lips parted as she blows a soap bubble. The fragile sphere catches the light, hovering between her delicate fingers and the soft curve of her cheek. Her gaze follows its ascent, half-amused, half-lost in thought—a fleeting moment suspended like the bubble itself.
Pseudomonacanthus peroni (1873)

Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

A slender fish with delicate fins hovers against pale parchment, its mottled brown scales precise as nature’s own brushstrokes. The careful shading suggests movement—as if it might dart off the page with the next ripple of water.
God’s Creatures (1913)

Eugen von Blaas (Italian, 1843–1931)

A young woman kneels in quiet devotion, her hands clasped in prayer. The soft glow of candlelight flickers across her face, casting shadows on the worn stone floor. Around her, the hushed reverence of the moment lingers—a silent plea woven into the folds of her simple dress.
Jeanne (1888)

William Bouguereau (French, 1825–1905)

A young woman gazes downward, her delicate features bathed in soft light. The folds of her white dress cascade gracefully, contrasting with the dark background. There’s a quiet intensity in her lowered eyes—something unspoken lingers in the stillness.
Petite gardeuse d’oies (1886)

Camille Pissarro (French, 1830–1903)

A girl stands barefoot in the grass, her small frame dwarfed by the geese she tends. Sunlight dapples the scene, softening the edges of her straw hat and the birds’ white feathers. The air hums with quiet movement—rustling wings, shifting feet, the unspoken bond between child and flock.
A synopsis of the birds of Australia, and the adjacent Islands Pl.50 (1837-1838)

Elizabeth Gould (English, 1804–1841)

Two parrots perch on a gnarled branch, their emerald and crimson feathers sharp against the muted background. One cocks its head, beak slightly open, as if caught mid-chatter. The detailed engraving freezes their wild energy—vivid, alive, yet forever still.
To leende piger (Two smiling girls) (1865)

Carl Bloch (Danish, 1834–1890)

Two girls share a quiet laugh, their faces lit with warmth. One leans in slightly, her smile playful, while the other meets her gaze with gentle amusement. The moment feels intimate, alive—a fleeting exchange of joy caught in soft light.
In Gedanken versunken

Wilhelm Amberg (German, 1822–1899)

A woman sits lost in thought, her gaze distant. The quiet intensity of her expression hints at unspoken reflections, pulling the viewer into her private world. The portrait captures that suspended moment when the mind wanders far beyond the room.
Barrier Reef Anemones II (1893)

William Saville-Kent (English, 1841–1908)

Delicate anemones sway in unseen currents, their tentacles glowing against the dark reef. Vibrant oranges and pinks pulse with life, a hidden world of movement and color beneath the waves. Each tendril reaches, alive, in this silent underwater dance.
Portrait of the Artist’s Wife Ellan Edelfelt (1896)

Albert Edelfelt (Finnish, 1854–1905)

A woman sits in soft light, her hands resting lightly in her lap. The folds of her dark dress contrast with the warm glow on her face, half-turned as if caught mid-thought. There’s quiet intensity in her gaze—not quite a smile, but something knowing, private.
Étude pour ‘La Moisson’ (1919)

Henri Martin (French, 1860–1943)

Golden fields ripple under a heavy sun as workers bend in rhythm. Scythes flash, wheat falls in thick swaths. The air hums with heat and labor, earth and sweat mingling in the dust. A moment suspended—not idyllic, not harsh, simply the harvest’s relentless pulse.
Harrison Fisher girls Pl.9 (1914)

Harrison Fisher (American, 1875–1934)

A graceful woman in a flowing gown gazes past the viewer, her delicate features framed by soft curls. The illustration radiates quiet confidence, capturing early 20th-century ideals of femininity with effortless charm.
The Khamsin (1891)

Ludwig Hans Fischer (German, unknown)

A swirling desert storm engulfs the horizon, sand whipping through the air like a furious veil. The sky darkens, heavy with dust, as the relentless khamsin wind carves its path across the barren land. Heat and chaos merge—nature’s raw power laid bare under an unforgiving sun.
Portræt af Marie Krøyer (1890)

Peder Severin Krøyer (Danish, unknown)

A woman in a white dress stands by the sea, sunlight catching the folds of her skirt. Her gaze drifts beyond the frame, as if lost in thought or waiting for something—or someone—just out of sight. The air feels still, salt-tanged, heavy with unspoken words.