A journal of art & curiosity

Look closer.

Short, vivid pieces about the work, the movements, and the very human stories behind them.

Today's masterpiece

Artwork of the day

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Drawn live from the Art Institute of Chicago's open collection.

Essays

01 — Movements

Why art movements still matter, even outside the gallery

Impressionism, Bauhaus, Surrealism: each was a real argument about how to see — and those arguments are in your apps and adverts right now.

02 — Stories

The strange stories behind five famous paintings

Feuds, accidents and obsessions hiding inside works you've seen a hundred times.

03 — Creativity

You're more of an artist than you think

Cooking, playlists, a well-arranged room — everyday creativity runs on the same engine as fine art.