Explore Artworks

Fish Series, No. 4 (1916)

Charles Demuth (American, 1883–1935)

A lone fish floats in pale watercolor, its scales rendered with scientific precision yet softened by the brush. The delicate wash of blues and grays makes it seem suspended mid-motion, caught between observation and imagination.
Firing Elixirs at Jade Grotto

Qiu Ying (仇英) (Chinese, 1494-1552)

This scroll, Firing Elixirs at Jade Grotto, painted by Qiu Ying from the Ming Dynasty. It shows a group of Daoist hermits crossing the sea to gather on a spring mountain island. They’re probably there to get the elixir that makes you live forever. In front of a cave among peach blossoms and green pines, […]
Hypholoma capnoides Fr. (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

Delicate gills fan out beneath the pale cap, each rib precise as lace. The mushroom stands solitary, its muted hues etched with scientific clarity—a quiet study of decay’s quiet elegance.
Spring blooms

Henry John Yeend King (English, unknown)

Sunlight spills over a country lane, warming clusters of wildflowers. A woman in a straw hat bends to gather blossoms, her skirt brushing the fresh grass. The air hums with bees among the petals, and the path curves away into dappled shade. Spring’s quiet abundance unfolds here.
Meules (1911)

Gustave Cariot (French, 1872–1950)

Golden haystacks rise from the fields, their rounded forms glowing under shifting light. The countryside breathes with quiet energy, each brushstroke alive with color. A familiar scene, yet transformed—something pulses beneath the surface, waiting to be seen.
Sybil Frances Grey, later Lady Eden (1906)

John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925)

A young aristocrat gazes past the viewer, her pale dress glowing against the dark background. The loose brushstrokes suggest movement—as if she might turn away any moment. There’s a quiet defiance in her posture, an unspoken tension between elegance and impatience.
Anthias testudineus, The Tortoise-fish. (1785-1797)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

A delicate fish with tortoise-like markings swims across the page, its scales etched in precise lines. The engraving balances scientific detail with quiet elegance, turning a marine creature into something both studied and artful.
Street in Ville-d’Array (1873)

Alfred Sisley (French, 1839–1899)

Sunlight dapples the cobbled street, softening the edges of stone buildings. A lone figure moves past shuttered windows, their shadow stretching long on the worn path. The air hums with quiet village life—nothing extraordinary, yet everything alive with shifting light and fleeting color.
The other door (1917)

William McGregor Paxton (American, 1869–1941)

A dim interior, a door slightly ajar—light spills across the floor, hinting at what lies beyond. The space feels paused, waiting. Shadows cling to the edges, deepening the mystery of that half-open threshold.
At Breakfast (1898)

Laurits Andersen Ring (Danish, unknown)

A woman sits alone at the table, sunlight pooling around her untouched coffee. The bread lies half-sliced, the knife abandoned mid-task. Something in her stillness suggests this morning is different—not routine, but a pause heavy with unspoken weight. The room holds its breath.
La Liseuse

Ulisse Caputo (Italian, 1872–1948)

A woman sits absorbed in her book, the pages catching soft light. Her posture leans slightly forward, fingers resting on the open spread. The quiet intensity of her focus makes the room around her fade—just the text, her thoughts, and the stillness of reading.
Watching the prey

Henriëtte Ronner-Knip (Dutch, 1821–1909)

A cat crouches low, eyes locked on unseen prey. Its body tenses, every muscle coiled for the pounce. The quiet before the strike hangs thick in the air. Nearby, another feline watches, indifferent yet alert. The hunt unfolds in silent, deadly focus.
Boletus luteus L. (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

A cluster of Boletus luteus mushrooms rises from the forest floor, their golden caps glowing against the dark earth. Delicate gills and sturdy stems are rendered with scientific precision, yet the image hums with quiet vitality—as if these fungi might dissolve into the soil at any moment.
Coucher de Soleil en Brière

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau (French, 1864–1930)

Golden light spills across the marsh, turning reeds to fire. The water mirrors the sky’s last blaze before dusk swallows the horizon. Shadows stretch long over the quiet wetlands, where the day’s final glow lingers like a held breath.
Reverie (1890)

Robert Reid (American, 1862–1929)

A woman leans against a sunlit window, lost in thought. The soft brushstrokes blur the line between her daydream and the warm interior around her. Light spills across her dress, dissolving into delicate patterns of color. Her absent gaze holds a quiet mystery, suspended between reflection and reverie.