Art ancien

The artist's studio

From Louvre Museum Paris by Pierre Narcisse Guerin

Nicolas de Largillière, Portrait of a Woman (Detail), 1696

It’s said that everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. And yet, if you take a look at photos of alluring people of the past, you simply can’t ignore their radiant appearances. Standards of “good looks” have changed over time, but the unique features and pure grace of people from that period are just mesmerizing.

Ron Hicks was born in Columbus, Ohio but spent most of his childhood growing up in the modest and friendly neighborhood of Park Hill in Denver, Colorado. He shared a dream with a close childhood friend early on... "He just always knew he would go to college and become an artist", remembers Ron's friend.

As popular a pet as cats are in modern day households, it was the dog that dominated the home and hearth of the 18th and early 19th century. Cats had their admirers, of course, amongst whom were such literary luminaries as Samuel Johnson and Lord Byron, but in general, their primary value lay in their ability to keep the premises free from vermin.

English actress, Ruth Berkeley, circa 1903

Jean-Baptiste Greuze - Ariadne. 49 x 42.8 cm, Oil on mahogany panel, Wallace Collection, London

Hubert Robert : Le Bassin ( détail )