Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665-1666, is astonishing as much for the ethereal beauty of the sitter as for its departure from the Dutch norm of painting every elaborate detail of nature, no matter how inconsequential.

The broad economical style in which Vermeer painted this portrait is in stark contrast to many of his other, highly meticulous, works. Of significance is the manner in which Vermeer paints several elements in soft focus.

Thesehazy details are what many art historians have pointed to as being the characteristic mark of employing an optical manner of working and subsequently lead to their belief that Vermeer was aided by a camera obscura when creating Girl with a Pearl Earring and other works such as Girl with a Red Hat.

What came to be known as the camera obscura, a term first used the German astronomer Johannes Kepler in 1604, was already known in the 5th Century B.C.. The discovery that lightshone through a pinholeproduced an inverted image on the wall of a darkened room was first made by the Chinese philosopher Mo-Ti.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle had made similar observations in the 4th century B.C., when he noted that, “sunlight travelling through small openings between the leaves of a tree, the holes of a sieve, the openings wickerwork, and even interlaced fingers will create circular patches of light on the ground."

Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel are as recognizable as McDonalds and their Golden Arches. This Renaissance Master is positioned high above all others while most have never given a second thought to the man behind the myth. Michelangelo’s masterful contributions to the art world might be the only things most of us know about him. However, if we go beyond the bigger than life persona insight can be given into understanding the complex artistic personality and reveal complex family secrets. Throughout his lifetime these dynamics had a profound affect on Michelangelo the man.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was the second of five sons. His mother died when he was not yet ten years old, after she gave birth to his youngest brother. His position within the family was one of the caretaker. The clan demanded the artist to support the father, four brothers, aunt and uncle both financially and emotionally.

Early in his artistic career Michelangelo established himself with the reputation as being an industrious enterprising craftsman and not above forgery. He arrived dramatically upon the scene when he reportedly unearthed and subsequently sold an ancient Roman statue to Cardinal Raffael Riario. Soon it was exposed as a fake; for, it was discovered that Michelangelo himself had copied the statute and buried it in a local garden. However, the outcome proved favorable to the artist because the Cardinal was impressed with his talents and agreed to sponsor and become the patron of the young Michelangelo.

The last age of art that we waded through was The Renaissance, the Golden Era of painting that valued all things sacred and serene. Where Renaissance paintings were very ordered and pristine often evoking a feeling of calm and assurance no matter the image, Baroque paintings are the storm. Baroque paintings are rich and intense in color, they are full of movement and excitement and are often dark and moody. This style of art was meant to evoke emotion, rebelling from the coldness and calm of the Renaissance.

This was also truly the dawn of secular paintings. Rather than only portraiture and religious scenes, artists were now commonly painting landscapes, still lifes and paintings of everyday scenes, which were very popular at the time. In its day baroque painting was somewhat controversial, it was not recognized as a true art movement until it's end. The term baroque originally had a derogatory slant, meaning too much, extravagant or froufrou.

Strict rules existed regarding the appropriate behavior of the positioned social elite woman during the nineteen hundreds. For instance, it was not acceptable for a woman to be alone in a room with a man if he was not her father or brother. To fill her time she was encouraged to pursue light domestic activities that might include music, sewing, flower arranging or watercolor painting. Few women choose to extend these limiting boundaries. For, it was considered unconventional for woman of middle-class status to be desirous of obtaining a profession because they were not expected to do paid work.

To attend an Academy that taught the applied arts in the 1850’s a woman needed the approval from her male guardian. Regardless of the institutions’ geographical location the same social restrictions for women existed worldwide and were strictly enforced. And, if indeed the young woman received permission to attend an art academy there still remained obstacles in her path. Not to mention that it was considered unacceptable and therefore not permitted to sketch a fully clothed male model. Therefore, female students who participated in an Academy’s curriculum were not only excluded from attending the life-drawing classes but also prohibited from competing in the history painting category of the Salon competition. The former was important to build strong drawing skills while the latter was necessary to insure the artists’ financial survival.

Water Lilies, 1914–26

September 13, 2009, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, marked the first unveiling since 2004 of the museum’s full collection of later period paintings by Claude Monet. 'Monet’s Water Lilies' is an outstanding exhibition, featuring world-renowned works such as 'Le Pont Japonais' c.1920–1922 and 'Agapanthus', 1914–26. The museum has an exiting calendar of events running concurrent with the exhibition. 'Mornings with Monet' allows small groups of visitors to enjoy 'Water Lilies', 1914-1926 for one hour before the museum opens to the public. Guided by an art historian, learn as you look at this magnificent and significant work from the Impressionist period. There is also a series of talks by Ann Temkin, the organiser of the 'Monet’s Water Lilies' exhibition.