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Travel across Europe to discover where some of history's greatest artists drew their very first breaths and found their early inspirations.
Sketchbook Beginner 0–4 · Brush Enthusiast 5–8 · Old Master 9–10
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Pablo Picasso was born in the southern Spanish port city of Málaga, where you can still visit his birth home. He moved to Barcelona as a teenager to study art before eventually settling in Paris. Interestingly, his full baptismal name has 23 words, honoring various saints and relatives!
Photo: Dguendel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
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Leonardo da Vinci was left-handed and wrote almost all of his personal notebooks in mirror script, reading from right to left. While some think he did this to hide his secrets, it is highly likely he did it simply to prevent his hand from smudging the wet ink as he wrote across the page.
Photo: Attributed to Francesco Melzi, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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When Claude Monet exhibited 'Impression, Sunrise' in Paris in 1874, an art critic mockingly used the title to label the entire group of artists 'Impressionists.' Monet and his peers embraced the term, turning a sarcastic insult into one of the most celebrated art movements in history.
Photo: Nadar, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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In 1883 the huge eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia threw ash high into the sky and turned sunsets red in many parts of the world for months. Munch wrote that on a walk at sunset the sky suddenly turned 'blood red'. Other experts think he saw rare, glowing mother-of-pearl clouds instead.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
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Klimt's father, Ernst Klimt, was a skilled gold engraver, which gave Gustav early exposure to metalworking. This family background, combined with a trip to see Byzantine gold mosaics in Ravenna, Italy, inspired Klimt's legendary 'Golden Phase,' during which he created his most famous works.
Photo: Josef Anton Trčka, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Goya painted his intense 'Black Paintings' directly onto the plaster walls of his farmhouse, Quinta del Sordo, near Madrid. He never intended them for public display. Decades after his death, the murals were carefully transferred from the walls onto canvas so they could be preserved in the Prado Museum.
Photo: Manuel Asenjo († 1916), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Pieter Bruegel the Elder was nicknamed 'Peasant Bruegel' because he frequently painted detailed scenes of rural celebrations, weddings, and work. Legend has it that he would disguise himself in peasant clothing to blend in at village gatherings, gathering authentic inspiration for his lively, crowded compositions.
Photo: Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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While some historians believe Van Gogh may have sold or traded a few other works, 'The Red Vineyard' is the only painting whose sale during his lifetime is officially documented. It was bought by the Belgian artist Anna Boch in 1890 for 400 francs. Today, Vincent's masterpieces are among the most valuable artworks in the world.
Photo: Vincent van Gogh, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Artemisia Gentileschi made history when she was admitted to Florence's prestigious Academy of the Arts of Drawing. This membership granted her the rare right to travel independently, sign her own contracts, and buy painting supplies without her husband's permission, a massive step for a woman of her era.
Photo: Artemisia Gentileschi, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Despite its famous title, Rembrandt's painting actually depicts a company of civic guardsmen stepping out into the bright daylight. Over the centuries, layers of dark varnish and dirt accumulated on the canvas, giving the illusion of a night scene. When it was cleaned in the 1940s, the true daytime setting was finally revealed.
Photo: Rembrandt, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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