France

The Dutch painter began Irises in 1889 on his first full day at a psychiatric hospital.

Vincent van Gogh's Brilliant Blue 'Irises' Were Originally Purple, New Research Reveals

An exhibition at the Getty Center shows that the painting's pigment faded over many years, creating the hue that art lovers are familiar with today

The 300-carat necklace features 500 diamonds that likely came from India's Golconda mines.

See the Dazzling Diamond Necklace With Possible Ties to Marie Antoinette That Just Sold for $4.8 Million

Some of the gems may have featured in a royal scandal known as the "affair of the diamond necklace" that damaged the French queen’s reputation in 1785

Three new bells arrived for installation at Notre-Dame on November 7. One of the bells had been used for the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Hear the Bells of Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral Ring Out for the First Time in More Than Five Years

The cathedral has been under renovation since 2019, when it was badly damaged in a fire. Crews are testing the bells before the historic structure reopens on December 8

Allied soldiers rescued the portrait and other works from Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle in 1945.

A Nazi-Looted Painting Recovered by the Monuments Men During World War II Is Going on Sale

When the war ended, Allied soldiers tracked down Nicolas de Largillierre's "Portrait de femme à mi-corps" with the help of a savvy French curator who had been working for the resistance

Green Tea, Leonora Carrington, 1942

Surrealism Is Turning 100. See the Dreamlike Paintings That Made the Movement So Revolutionary

A blockbuster exhibition in Paris is showcasing 500 artifacts and artworks in honor of the Surrealist Manifesto, which sparked a new artistic style that spread around the world

Mask, Jackson Pollock, 1941

Before He Created His Vibrant Drip Paintings, Jackson Pollock Took Inspiration From Pablo Picasso

A new exhibition in Paris demonstrates the influence that the Spanish artist had on the young American painter who would help usher in the Abstract Expressionist movement

 Portrait de Berthe Weill (Portrait of Berthe Weill), Émilie Charmy, 1910-14

This Art Dealer Paved the Way for Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani. So Why Haven't You Heard of Her?

A new exhibition in New York celebrates Berthe Weill, an often overlooked but visionary figure who jumpstarted the careers of many of modern art's giants

Thousands of treasure hunters have tried to locate the owl statue.

A Treasure Hunt for an Ornate Golden Owl Buried in France Has Ended After 31 Years

The quest drew thousands of curious participants hoping to solve a series of elaborate riddles—and win a bejeweled statue worth an estimated $165,000

Between 2019 and 2023, the number of walkers just on Spain and Portugal’s Camino de Santiago, a Christian pilgrimage leading to the purported tomb of St. James the Apostle, increased by nearly 100,000.

Six Lodge-to-Lodge Hikes That Will Have You Falling in Love With Slow Travel

From Scotland to Japan, these multiday treks offer adventure and a truly immersive experience

Virgin Mary, Infant Christ and the Young St. John the Baptist, studio of Sandro Botticelli, circa 1510

This Painting Was Thought to Be a Botticelli Copy. Now, Researchers Say It Was Made in His Studio

A new analysis suggests that the piece was created by several artists working in the Italian Renaissance painter's studio—and that Botticelli himself may have worked on important details

The 200-year-old message was found inside a glass salt bottle.

Students Stumble Upon a Message in a Bottle Written by a French Archaeologist 200 Years Ago

The mysterious missive was written by P.J. Féret, who conducted an archaeological dig at the same site in northern France in 1825

Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick so angered authorities that they shut it down after just four days.

Why the Debut Issue of America's First Newspaper Was Also the Publication's Last

On this day in 1690, "Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick" attracted colonial officials' ire by repeating a scandalous rumor and condemning a British alliance with the Mohawk

Starry Night over the Rhône, Vincent van Gogh, 1888

Van Gogh Painted Some of His Most Breathtaking Works During His Two Years in the South of France

A blockbuster exhibition in London examines the Dutch Post-Impressionist's creative output between 1888 and 1890, which was one of the most productive periods of his career

In 2022, researchers nicknamed the occupant of the lead sarcophagus "the horseman." Now, they say he's actually a 16th-century poet.

Archaeologists Say They've Solved the Mystery of a Lead Coffin Discovered Beneath Notre-Dame

New research suggests the sarcophagus' occupant, previously known only as "the horseman," is Joachim du Bellay, a French Renaissance poet who died in 1560

Napoleon in Burning Moscow, Adam Albrecht, 1841

To Strike Fear Into Napoleon's Occupying Army, These Retreating Soldiers Burned Down Their Own City

When the blaze in Moscow subsided on September 18, 1812, the French—who had traveled hundreds of miles into Russia—were left without vital resources as a brutal winter approached

Stained-glass windows inside the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 11, 2024

Plans to Modernize Notre-Dame’s Stained-Glass Windows Move Ahead Despite Heritage Experts' Rejection

The French Ministry of Culture has selected eight finalists to design replacement windows for the celebrated cathedral—and not everyone is happy

Impression, Sunrise, Claude Monet, 1872

The Painting That Inspired the Term 'Impressionism' Debuts in America

Monet's "Impression, Sunrise" anchors an exhibition commemorating the birth of the artistic movement 150 years ago

These colorful rings could become a permanent fixture of the Eiffel Tower.

Paris Mayor Wants to Keep the Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower

Critics worry that the symbol will tarnish the iconic structure's historic character

Bridge Over the Water Lily Pond, 1905. In earlier works, Monet painted the footbridge in a crisp, distinct arc. Here, its faint, shadowy curves blend into greenery of the natural surroundings.

Later in Life, Claude Monet Obsessed Over Water Lilies. His Paintings of Them Were Some of His Greatest Masterpieces

Completed more than a century ago, these artworks reveal the Impressionist's triumphs—and struggles

A section from Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus titled "Floral composition, views on the usefulness of glasses"

Leonardo da Vinci Studied the Science of Smell

The artist experimented with perfumes and created his own fragrances from flowers and fruit

Page 1 of 19