The bite-sized version of the story... In 1819, aged 72, Francisco Goya moved into the Quinta del Sordo, a country house on the outskirts of Madrid. The artist had lost his hearing when he was in his mid-40s, following an illness that also left him in permanent physical discomfort, and

Christian martyrs are often remembered through grim attributes that serve as poignant reminders of the agonizing ordeal they endured due to their faith. 1. Saint Laurence Patron saint of cooks, chefs, and comedians Burned on a rack As he endured the excruciating torment of being cooked, the story goes that

¡Ay, caramba! In art restoration, good intentions don't always lead to good results. 1. Anonymous, “Religious Sculptures” (c. 15th century) A local tobacco shopkeeper took it upon herself to add some flair to the trio of 15th-century wooden sculptures using industrial enamel paint. “I’m not a professional

Dive into the real reason why there are so many ugly babies in medieval art... There’s no nice way to put it: in medieval art, babies were pretty damn ugly.  But why? It’s not because artists hadn’t worked out how to paint them properly – in fact, this