Coronis, loved by Apollo, was unfaithful to the god. Apollo's bird, the raven, revealed her infidelity to him & Apollo thereupon slew her. (Ovid, ' Metamorphoses' 2:600 ff). The lower half of this composition is of much higher quality in execution. ...

The male figures in the central group are members of the Medici family. The only one who has recognisable features is the figure in the centre who has the likeness of the aged Cosimo I. Above are Mars & Venus & the chariot of the Moon, preceded by Evening. At the left Saturn holds a scythe & devours one of his children. Apollo is riding the chariot of the Sun, accompanied by the Seasons & preceded by Aurora. This painting is one of a group of 10 modelli, or elaborated oil studies, made in preparation for the fresco projects that Giordano created for the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. This painting was for the centre of the ceiling of the Galleria. ...

In the upper part, Jupiter holds a crown accompanied by Juno; below them to the left are Venus & Cupid, & Bacchus. At the right, Minerva presents a female figure with spear & shield; this figure is perhaps a personification of Spain or some attribute ...

This painting was formerly catalogued as ' Apollo killing the Python', but the subject has not been identified for certain. This work, together with ' Two Mythological Figures', is thought to have been painted for the sides of a chest or 'cassone' as companion picture to a painting now in Amiens depicting Diana's detection of the pregnancy of her nymph Callisto. Jupiter first saw Callisto hunting (she may be the figure with a bow) & approached her in the guise of Diana (the other picture may show the moment when she realises who he is). Schiavone was especially admired by connoisseurs for his lively handling of paint. Here gold has been used for light in the clouds & foliage as well as in the drapery. ...

Impressionism was the most important art movement of the nineteenth century; it changed both the painting that followed & wider public taste. Part of the appeal of many Impressionist works is their feeling of novelty & freshness: often they appear to have been painted rapidly, in one or only a few working sessions, & frequently retain evidence of spontaneity & improvisation in the flickering application of paint. But these 'impressions' of fleeting moments were not usually improvised, despite their reliance on rapidly executed brushstrokes & gestures. Ready-made oil paint in metal tubes made painting outdoors easier, while newly synthesised brilliant pigments allowed artists to render their subjects more vividly than ever before. The principles of contrasting & complementary colour also had a profound impact on the Impressionists & are explained accessibly in this art DVD through detailed examination of original paintings. The bonus film Impressionism: Painting Quickly in France adds further exploration of works by Manet, Morisot, Monet & Renoir. This art DVD examines in detail such key Impressionist paintings, such as Manet's The Races at Longchamps, & Monet's Beach at Trouville, & how they were produced. ...

A gnarled, solitary pine stands silhouetted like a sentinel against the Haslital Valley. The Grimsel Pass is nearby & in the distance the river Aare spills to the valley floor far below. The Swiss landscape master Calame often visited this site in search of spectacular motifs. ...

This is one of the earliest of Degas's many café scenes. Two men are seated at a table, examining what appears to be a newspaper; the man on the right holds a magnifying glass & his companion wears a monocle. There are a number of related sketches in one of Degas's notebooks dating from about 1867 to 1874, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. ...

Create your own bespoke National Gallery art print of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s At the Theatre (La Première Sortie) from our collection. About this painting At the Theatre (La Première Sortie), 1876-7 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1923 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

According to a tradition, the Virgin & Child appeared to the Roman Emperor Augustus & one of the Sibyls & pointed out the site of Santa Maria d' Aracoeli, Rome. The Virgin & Child are in the sky at the upper left. It is possible that this panel orig ...

The sitter, Aurelia, was a noted model in Rome who was nicknamed ' La Cornacchia' (The Crow). On the reverse of the picture is another oil sketch of the same model in a different pose. This picture was probably sold by Mancini directly to Hugh Lane around ...