Guido Reni | The Head of a Woman Looking Up (Judith), 1625-26

Striking for its coloristic richness -a pictorial quality imparted by the combination of red and black chalk- this head of a young woman is a preparatory study for Reni's painting Judith and Holofernes, a celebrated and much replicated composition.

The present study was most probably derived from life, to judge from the bold immediacy of the contours and the quick zig-zagging of the parallel hatching of the shading.

Guido Reni | The Head of a Woman Looking Up (Judith), 1625-26 | Metropolitan Museum of Art

Leonardo da Vinci e Michelangelo

Il rapporto tra i due geni del Rinascimento, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) e Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), fu difficile, spesso teso, a causa della differenza generazionale (Michelangelo era di 23 anni più giovane di Leonardo), ma soprattutto, per via dei caratteri diversi e degli ideali artistici inconciliabilmente lontani: il primo fu riflessivo, poliedrico e interessato al mondo naturale; il secondo più impulsivo, notoriamente riottoso ed idealista.

Non vi sono prove dirette della loro inimicizia, ma svariati indizi e testimonianze indirette.

Michelangelo Buonarroti | Sculpture

Michelangelo's (1475-1564) earliest sculpture was made in the Medici garden near the church of San Lorenzo; his Bacchus and Sleeping Cupid both show the results of careful observation of the classical sculptures located in the garden.

His later Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs and Madonna of the Stairs reflect his growing interest in his contemporaries.

Master of the Story of Griselda (active 1490-1500)

The Master of the Story of Griselda was an Italian artist who specialized in panel paintings.

He worked in Umbria around 1490 and probably spent time in Siena.

There is no evidence of him after 1500.

He received his notname from a group of paintings depicting the story of Griselda, as recounted by Giovanni Boccaccio in his Decameron.

Master of the Story of Griselda | Joseph of Egypt or Eunustos of Tangara c.1493-4 | National Gallery of Art, Washington

Bartholomeus van der Helst | The Musician, 1662

Tuning the strings of her theorbo-lute, a beautiful musician directs an engaging glance at the viewer.

The foreground of the picture displays a viola da gamba and sheet music for tenor and soprano voices, suggesting that the lute player anticipates a duet.

Dutch painters of the seventeenth century frequently associated music-making and courtship with amateur concerts, providing opportunities for mingling and flirtation. | Source: © Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bartholomeus van der Helst | The Musician, 1662 | Metropolitan Museum of Art

Magical dreams by Tomasz Kopera, 1976

Tomasz Alen Kopera is a contemporary Polish surrealist painter known for his oil-on-canvas artworks, which are celebrated for their dark, fantastical imagery and intricate detail.

His work explores themes of human nature, the universe, and the subconscious through symbols and dreamlike scenes.

Damian Tirado, 1960 | Belle Époque

Damian Tirado believes that color is a mode of expression in its own right and not simply a descriptive tool.

His paintings are often vivid and bright.

He is inspired by Latin art and classic European painters like Matisse and Renoir.

His work ranges from figurative urban landscapes to portraits.