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A Bigger Splash by David Hockney resonates across time with its familiar, fresh image. Painted in 1967, this masterpiece feels new no matter when you check it out. Sure, modern classic sounds like an oxymoron. But it’s also a fitting phrase for this piece. That’s thanks to its split second splash. It would be hard enough to capture this with a camera. The impossibility of painting such an event in person thus feels photographic. It’s of-the-moment – splash in a flash.

David Hockney catapulted the Pop Art movement in England. Then he fell in love with Los Angeles, California and its beautiful boys. In a way, this works as a portrait of one. It’s the momentary absence of a boy. He slid into the cool blue and left only a memory with a white brushstroke behind. This points to love and its absence, a reality in every relationship. One moment we’re mad for each other and in the next, we’re apart. It’s a vivid new take on humanity’s oldest story.

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Picasso painted Girl Before a Mirror as a doubled abstract portrait. It portrays his beloved Marie-Thérèse Walter. She was young and it shows in the left side of this work. Her face glows like a radiant sun. Her belly swells in pregnancy. She represents the full potential of youthful beauty. But the Marie-Thérèse on the right has passed through the looking glass. She’s aged. Her glorious blonde tresses hide behind a shawl. That pale luminosity on her cheeks has shifted into ruddy redness. There are many moon shapes built into the elder portrait in the young girl’s reflection.

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Portrait of the Artist’s Wife with Katherine and Philipp is the least famous but most poignant of Hans Holbein’s works. More historian than poet, Hans Holbein was the visual documentarian of his time. He was the ultimate portrait painter of 16th century England. Holbein’s portrayals of King Henry VIII and his court impact us to this day. In some ways his work enlightens. We know what they wore down to the tiniest jeweled bits. The hair and makeup also share compelling details about beauty ideals of the time.

But he also painted propaganda. That classic portrait of Henry with his white-stockinged legs wide apart? Hans Holbein painted it when the King no longer held himself with such majesty. The strength we see in it was Holbein’s creation. He was a working artist; trying to keep his boss happy. We see his wizardry at work in this as well as Holbein’s signature full length court portraits.

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The Cardsharps defines early work from the famous painter Caravaggio. He's so well-known that his first name (Michelangelo) isn't necessary to identify him. Due to another well known painter with that same name, it might even cause more confusion. Caravaggio created this painting when he was broke and unknown.

Then he chanced upon rich gambler Cardinal de Monte, who loved this piece. It was a lucky draw for the young painter. He'd snagged himself an influential and rich patron. Caravaggio became quite a worthy investment. The Cardsharps shows why. This masterpiece tells a fun and familiar story in an innovative way for 1594.

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https://www.ladykflo.com/the-cardsharps-by-michelangelo-caravaggio/

The painting Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef features one of Bacon’s infamous Screaming Popes. This masterpiece explores many dualities, especially Bacon’s obsession with horror. Here he plays with the two sides of terror; power and vulnerability. The Pope holds tremendous power. But he’s also trapped in the role. That makes him vulnerable.

Bacon’s sides of beef hover above this Pope in what looks a lot like a cage. A thick black arrow points to the Pope’s head, in case we missed “Head” in the title. Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef doesn’t refer to a Pope. It speaks only of a “Head”. The Pope is the Head of his people and the state, even the world in some historical periods. Still, Bacon shows us here that this powerful position doesn’t make a man happy. There’s tremendous tension built into this canvas to help us see this.

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Frederic Leighton fared as an underestimated salon painter up till 1895. Then he painted this masterpiece – Flaming June. It sings to us with radiant color and elemental symbols. Many see this painting as simple. It’s a beautiful woman in a glorious dress. They’re not wrong. But as with most masterpieces, more levels of meaning resonate here.

The initial pulse check on this painting delivers heat. It’s titled Flaming June for good reason. Orange bursts through the canvas as cascading fire. The gown’s flames ripple like an out of control blaze. This lovely woman seems to sleep inside an inferno. Surrounding details balance this piece, though. It’s not only about fire. Leighton frames June with earth, sea, and air elements to harmonize the painting.

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https://www.ladykflo.com/flaming-june-by-frederic-leighton/

An eerie mystery permeates The Colossus by Francisco de Goya. That's because even though we know a lot about this historic work, mastery lies in its subtle imagery. Clouds tickle the looming giant and disguise details. But even more important, they bring his meaning into question. Does he protect the people below?

Or is he what they fear? It could be both. He's naked, as fear itself is often described. The giant also hovers over the scene like a cloud himself. But he grounds the otherwise dynamic composition. He's solid and sure, the opposite of Spain's frantic figures below.

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Copley was a beloved American artist when he painted Paul Revere in this 1768 portrait. It was a standout portrayal, though, and quite unlike his other works. That’s because Copley wished to remain neutral about politics when that was impossible. America teetered on the edge of revolution. Paul Revere was an intense and articulate Son of Liberty. He supported the colonies 100%. But Copley, engaged to a hardcore Tory, wished to abstain from political discourse.

Lucky for us, this portrait captures that moment in time. It’s a confrontation between Revere’s principles and Copley’s austere portrayal. This shines through details in the piece.

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Rule breaker and risk taker Nellie Bly lived full blast. She trail-blazed across centuries as a pioneering journalist and world traveler. Still, there's not much writing available on Nellie Bly beyond her own. In fact, until 1994, the only books about her were either shorties for kids or those she wrote. Lucky for us Bly reveals herself in these writings. That's how Nellie Bly created the concept of Intrepid Reporter. She played a central role in her stories.

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https://www.ladykflo.com/ms-behavior-nellie-bly/

The iconic Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez gives us an intimate perspective on a secret world. This portrait of Spain’s King Philip IV reveals the inner court. We see the Infanta Margarita Theresa at center. She’s surrounded with a collection of servants. These are her Ladies in Waiting exemplified in the title. They take care of her in sanctioned hierarchies.

On one such level we spy the blurry figures of her parents, the King and Queen. Right behind Margarita’s head they stand together. This could belie a portrait within a painting. Or it may be a reflection. The royal pair might be standing in the doorway. In the former case, we see this scene from their point of view.

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https://www.ladykflo.com/las-meninas-by-diego-velazquez/