Giovanni Duprè (1817–1882) was an Italian sculptor, born in Siena and active in Florence. He began as a wood carver, taught himself to draw, and rose…
Pinned Post
All stories
Louis Spohr (1784–1859) was a German violinist, composer, and conductor. He played in ducal and court orchestras, toured Europe as a soloist, and wro…
Josef Hofmann (1876–1957) was a Polish-born pianist who became one of the leading virtuosos of his generation. He began as a child prodigy, played ac…
Kakuzo Okakura (1862–1913) was a Japanese scholar and critic who worked to preserve and explain Japanese art. He helped to found the Tokyo School of …
Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) was a French sculptor, widely seen as the founder of modern sculpture. He made The Thinker , The Kiss , and The Burghers of…
Charles Gounod (1818–1893) was a French composer best known for his opera Faust and for his Ave Maria , which he built on a prelude by Bach. He won …
Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842) was a French painter and one of the most successful portraitists of the eighteenth century. She became the favour…
Benvenuto Cellini (1500–1571) was a Florentine goldsmith, sculptor, and writer. He trained as a goldsmith, worked in Rome and Florence, and served th…
George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) was an Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist who became one of the leading dramatists in English. He wrote plays s…
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish writer, playwright, and wit who became the best-known voice of the Aesthetic Movement in Britain. He wrote plays…