Visual Arts

Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt (c. 1353–1336 BCE), Akhenaten revolutionized religion by imposing the monotheistic worship of Aten, the solar disk. He relocated the capital to Akhetaten (Amarna) and profoundly transformed Egyptian art.

Pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty (c. 1391–1353 BC), he ruled Egypt at the height of its diplomatic and artistic power. His reign was marked by relative peace, intensive building activity, and exceptional cultural refinement.

Aten is the solar deity of ancient Egypt, represented as the sun disk whose rays end in human hands. Elevated to the status of sole god by Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BCE, Aten stood at the heart of an unprecedented religious revolution.

A secondary wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, Kiya held a singular place at the court of Amarna in the 14th century BCE. Her identity and origins remain partly mysterious, though her name and likeness appear on several monuments from the Amarna period.

Eldest daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, Meritaten lived during the Amarna religious revolution in the 14th century BCE. She became Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Smenkhkare and was abundantly depicted in the art of the Amarna period.

God of love in Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of Venus and Mars (or Mercury, depending on the version). Armed with a bow and golden arrows, he strikes humans with romantic passion. His Greek equivalent is Eros.

Venus is the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, equivalent to the Greek Aphrodite. Daughter of Jupiter according to some traditions, she plays a central role in Roman mythology and has inspired countless works of art throughout the centuries.

Florentine poet of the 13th–14th century, author of *The Divine Comedy*, a masterpiece of medieval literature. Exiled from Florence for political reasons, he laid the foundations of the Italian literary language.

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, known as Donatello, was a Florentine sculptor of the 15th century, considered one of the founding fathers of Renaissance sculpture. He revolutionized the art of sculpture by rediscovering ancient naturalism and mastering perspective in low relief.

German Renaissance painter, printmaker, and theorist (1471–1528), Dürer is considered the greatest Germanic artist of his time. He introduced Italian Renaissance ideals to Northern Europe and revolutionized the art of woodcut and copper engraving.

An Italian painter at the turn of the 17th century, Caravaggio revolutionized Western art through his radical use of chiaroscuro and his realistic portrayal of religious subjects. A violent and tormented figure, he fled Rome after committing a murder in 1606 and died at the age of 38.

Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) was the greatest Spanish painter of the Golden Age. As official painter to King Philip IV, he revolutionized painting through his mastery of light and realism. His masterpiece, Las Meninas, remains one of the most analyzed works in the history of art.

Painter, sculptor, and architect born in Crete in 1541, El Greco settled in Toledo, Spain, where he developed a unique style blending Byzantine, Venetian, and Mannerist influences. His works, characterized by elongated figures and intense colors, make him one of the forerunners of Expressionism.

King of Aragon and, through his marriage to Isabella of Castile, co-ruler of a unified Spain. He completed the Reconquista in 1492 and funded Christopher Columbus's voyages, laying the foundations of the Spanish colonial empire.

Julius III (Giovanni Maria Ciocchi Del Monte, 1487–1555) was the 221st pope of the Catholic Church from 1550 to 1555. He convened the resumption of the Council of Trent and was a patron of the arts, protector of Michelangelo and Palestrina.

Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614) was a Bolognese painter considered the first professional female artist in the history of Western art. The daughter of painter Prospero Fontana, she excelled in portraiture and mythological scenes, working for the papal court in Rome.

Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer (1452–1519), Leonardo da Vinci embodies the ideal of the universal man. Creator of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, he revolutionized art through perspective and scientific observation, while pursuing research in anatomy, botany, and engineering.

Queen consort of Navarre and later of France, nicknamed 'Queen Margot', she was a central figure in the Wars of Religion. A learned woman of letters, she left behind her Memoirs and was the first wife of Henry IV.

Venetian painter of the late Renaissance (1554–1590), daughter and pupil of Tintoretto. Known as "la Tintoretta," she was celebrated for her portraits of remarkable psychological depth. Highly sought after at court, she turned down invitations from Philip II of Spain and Emperor Maximilian II in order to remain in Venice.

Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, poet, and architect (1475–1564). Michelangelo is considered one of the greatest artists of all time, author of world-famous masterpieces such as the David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco.

A Flemish painter of the 17th century, Rubens is one of the masters of the European Baroque. As much a diplomat as an artist, he worked for the greatest courts of Europe. His monumental body of work, rich in color and movement, had a lasting influence on Western painting.

A Bolognese sculptor of the Renaissance (c. 1490–1530), Properzia de' Rossi is considered the first professional female sculptor in Europe. She is celebrated for her marble bas-reliefs and miniature sculptures carved on apricot pits.

Italian painter and architect of the Renaissance (1483–1520), Raphael is one of the great masters of the Italian Renaissance. He is celebrated for his harmonious compositions, his Madonnas, and his monumental frescoes, most notably The School of Athens in the Vatican.

A major Florentine painter of the Italian Renaissance (1445–1510), Botticelli is celebrated for his mythological and religious compositions marked by graceful forms and a poetic visual world. His works, such as The Birth of Venus and Primavera, embody the humanist ideals of the Florentine Renaissance.

Sinan (c. 1490–1588) was the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire. Chief of the imperial architects under Suleiman the Magnificent, he designed more than 300 buildings, including the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul and the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, considered the absolute masterpiece of Ottoman architecture.

An Italian Renaissance painter (1532–1625), she was one of the first women artists to achieve international renown. Official portraitist at the court of King Philip II of Spain, she influenced many artists, including Caravaggio and Van Dyck.

Italian painter

King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718, Charles XII was one of the greatest military commanders of his era. He led the Great Northern War against a European coalition, winning the Battle of Narva (1700) before suffering a crushing defeat at Poltava (1709). He died during the siege of Fredriksten, marking the end of Swedish dominance in Europe.

Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) est l'une des plus grandes portraitistes du XVIIIe siècle. Peintre officielle de Marie-Antoinette, elle réalise plus de 660 portraits avant de fuir la Révolution française. Première femme admise à l'Académie royale de peinture, elle incarne l'excellence féminine dans un monde artistique dominé par les hommes.

Spanish painter and printmaker (1746–1828), considered a forerunner of modern art. He served as official painter to the Spanish royal court while developing a dark and visionary personal body of work, particularly after losing his hearing in 1792.

Gabrielle Charpentier (c. 1764–1793) was the wife of Georges-Jacques Danton, a leading orator of the French Revolution. The daughter of a Parisian café owner, she died at 28 in February 1793 while her husband was on a mission in Belgium, just months before the Reign of Terror.

Pope from 1691 to 1700, Innocent XII reformed the Church by combating nepotism through the bull Romanum decet Pontificem (1692). He played a role in the Quietist controversy and contributed to European diplomacy.

A German naturalist and artist of the 17th century, Maria Sibylla Merian was a pioneer in the study of insects and their metamorphosis. She led an expedition to Suriname (1699–1701) to observe and illustrate tropical flora and fauna, at a time when women rarely had access to the sciences.

Mughal empress (1577–1645), wife of Emperor Jahangir, she was the only woman to wield real political power under the Mughal dynasty. An administrator, poet, and patron of the arts, she had coins struck in her own name and effectively governed the empire for several years.

Rembrandt van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher of the 17th century, considered one of the greatest masters of Western painting. A virtuoso of chiaroscuro, he excelled in portraits, biblical scenes, and self-portraits. His work, marked by profound humanity, has had a lasting influence on the history of art.

An American statesman, Thomas Jefferson was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). A philosopher of the Enlightenment, he also served as the third President of the United States (1801–1809).

British poet, painter, and engraver (1757-1827), William Blake is one of the towering figures of English Romanticism. A visionary and mystic, he created a strikingly original body of poetic and artistic work, combining text and image in hand-engraved illuminated books.

Catalan architect

French sculptor (1840–1917) considered the father of modern sculpture. He revolutionized sculptural art by abandoning academicism to explore expressiveness, emotion, and movement. His masterwork, The Thinker, has become one of the most iconic sculptures in Western art.

Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) est l'une des figures majeures de l'impressionnisme français. Première femme à exposer avec le groupe impressionniste dès 1874, elle développe un style lumineux centré sur la vie intime, la maternité et les jardins. Belle-sœur d'Édouard Manet, elle s'impose comme une artiste à part entière dans un milieu dominé par les hommes.

French sculptor and painter (1864–1943), she is one of the great artists of the late 19th century. A student and collaborator of Auguste Rodin, she developed her own artistic language before being gradually forgotten and committed to an asylum in 1913.

British actor, director and composer (1889-1977), pioneer of silent cinema. Creator of the iconic Tramp character, he shaped film history through his comedic genius and social commentary, most notably in The Great Dictator (1940).

French painter (1840–1926), founder of the Impressionist movement. Monet revolutionized art by capturing the effects of light and atmosphere, most notably through his series of water lilies and his famous painting "Impression, Sunrise."

Revolutionary French fashion designer (1883–1971), Coco Chanel transformed women's fashion by offering simple, comfortable, and elegant clothing. Founder of the eponymous fashion house, she established modern style and freedom of movement as the new standards of elegance.

French painter and printmaker (1832–1883), Manet is a pivotal figure between Realism and Impressionism. His provocative works such as Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and Olympia overturned academic conventions.

French painter of the 19th century and leading figure of the Romantic movement. Delacroix revolutionized painting through his bold use of color, movement, and political and Orientalist subjects. His masterpiece "Liberty Leading the People" became an icon of republican freedom.

19th-century French painter and founder of the Realist movement. Courbet revolutionized painting by depicting everyday reality and landscapes in an innovative style, rejecting the academic conventions of his time.

The Kiss, Vienna Secession, Art Nouveau

Swedish painter, theosophist, and pioneer of abstract art (1862–1944)

Japanese painter, draftsman and printmaker (1760-1849)

British painter and engraver (1775-1851), Turner is considered the master of Romantic landscape. A forerunner of Impressionism, he revolutionized the depiction of light, water, and atmosphere.

Pope from 1878 to 1903, Leo XIII modernized the social doctrine of the Church with the encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891). He sought to reconcile Catholicism with the modern world and liberal democracies.

King of the French from 1830 to 1848, Louis-Philippe I came to power following the July Revolution. His July Monarchy embodied the triumph of the liberal bourgeoisie before being overthrown by the Revolution of 1848.

Nephew of Napoleon I, he was elected President of the Republic in 1848, then seized power through a coup d'état on December 2, 1851, before proclaiming the Second Empire. His reign profoundly transformed France: the modernization of Paris under Haussmann, industrial and railway expansion — until the defeat at Sedan in 1870.

Spanish painter, sculptor and printmaker (1881-1973), Pablo Picasso was the co-founder of Cubism and one of the most influential figures in modern art. His work revolutionized artistic representation in the 20th century through radical formal innovations and political engagement, particularly against war.

A Dutch painter of the 19th century, Vincent van Gogh is one of the towering figures of Post-Impressionism. Known for his expressive canvases with intense colors and distinctive brushwork, he revolutionized modern art despite receiving little recognition during his lifetime.

Adam Devreux is a Belgian comic book author. He is part of the rich Franco-Belgian comics tradition, a visual narrative art form recognized as the 9th art.

French poet and writer (1896–1966), co-founder and theorist of Surrealism. He authored the Manifestoes of Surrealism and gathered around him a generation of revolutionary artists and writers.

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was the leading figure of the American Pop Art movement. He transformed images from mass culture into works of art, blurring the boundary between art and commerce.

British artist born in 1974, Banksy is a graffiti artist and political activist known for his satirical and subversive street art. Operating under the cover of anonymity, he uses urban art to criticize society, war, and social injustices.

François Truffaut (1932–1984) was one of the pioneers of the French New Wave. A critic at *Cahiers du Cinéma*, he became an iconic filmmaker with movies such as *The 400 Blows* and *Jules and Jim*.

Archduke and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, his assassination in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, by Gavrilo Princip triggered the First World War. A central figure in the nationalism and European tensions of the early twentieth century.

Mexican painter (1907–1954), renowned for her expressionist self-portraits and works exploring physical pain and identity. An iconic figure of surrealism and feminism, she transformed her personal suffering into major artistic creation.

Georgia O'Keeffe est une peintre américaine pionnière de l'art moderne, célèbre pour ses représentations abstraites de fleurs en gros plan et ses paysages du Nouveau-Mexique. Considérée comme la « mère du modernisme américain », elle a affirmé un style singulier, entre figuration et abstraction, tout au long d'une carrière de plus de sept décennies.

Gérard Depardieu is one of the most famous and prolific French actors, with over 200 films to his name. Born in 1948 in Châteauroux, he established himself from the 1970s as a major figure in both French and international cinema.

Jean Gabin (1904–1976) is one of the greatest French actors of the 20th century. He rose to fame in the 1930s with films such as La Bête humaine and La Grande Illusion, embodying the myth of the working-class man — tough yet sensitive.

Franco-Swiss filmmaker (1930–2022) and a major figure of the French New Wave. He revolutionized the language of cinema with films such as Breathless (1960), challenging the conventions of traditional storytelling.

Franco-Swiss architect, urban planner, decorator, painter, sculptor, and writer

Franco-American sculptor

French artist, painter, and sculptor

American director, actor, and screenwriter (1915–1985), Orson Welles revolutionized cinema with Citizen Kane (1941), widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. A towering figure in filmmaking, he also left a lasting mark on radio and theater.

Rita Hayworth (1918-1987) was an American actress and dancer, considered one of the greatest Hollywood stars of the 1940s. A glamour icon, she is best known for her role in Gilda (1946).

Russian impresario and patron of the arts, Diaghilev founded the Ballets Russes in 1909, revolutionizing choreographic art by bringing together the greatest artists of his era. He collaborated with Stravinsky, Picasso, Matisse, and Nijinsky to create total spectacles blending dance, music, and the visual arts.

Polish-born painter (1898-1980)

British fashion designer (1941–2022)

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese visual artist born in 1929 in Matsumoto. A pioneer of psychedelic art and pop art, she is known for her obsessive polka-dot patterns and immersive mirror installations. Since 1977, she has voluntarily lived in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo while continuing to create.

Yoko Ono is a Japanese artist born in 1933 in Tokyo, a major figure in conceptual art and the Fluxus movement. A peace activist, she is also known for her artistic and political commitment alongside John Lennon. Her work explores audience participation, peace, and memory.