Anna Arno

is an art historian, essayist and translator. She graduated with a degree in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and is the author of a recently published book entitled “Ten Kraj” [This Country].

The Tree of Life

World + People

Nature

The Tree of Life

From ancient history to the Middle Ages and beyond, the image of the tree of life has held great symbolism and significance for many cultures.

Anna Arno

Painted Children

Art + Stories

Experiences

Painted Children

Throughout the history of art, children are rarely depicted affectionately in paintings. Rather, they represent the politics and society of their times.

Anna Arno

The Lady of Life and Death

Art + Stories

Experiences

The Lady of Life and Death

To some, she was known as Magna Mater; to many others, she was known as Cybele. She is, of course, the Mother Goddess of the ancient world.

Anna Arno

What Do Colours Tell Us?

Art + Stories

Experiences, Fiction

What Do Colours Tell Us?

The meaning of different colours is largely subjective and changes over time and cultures – as a brief tour through art history illustrates.

Anna Arno

The Pygmalion Effect

Art + Stories

Art, Experiences

The Pygmalion Effect

According to the ancient myth, the king and sculptor Pygmalion fell in love with an ivory statue of his own creation. What do such legends tell us about the human psyche?

Anna Arno

Not Just the Mona Lisa

Soul + Body

Good Mood

Not Just the Mona Lisa

The most famous smile in art belongs to Mona Lisa. Yet upturned lips have a much longer history in portraiture, indicating a wide range of emotions – mystery, bliss and even disgust.

Anna Arno

A Prayer Without Words

Art + Stories

A Prayer Without Words

Caspar David Friedrich’s “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” is one of the most famous paintings in art history. But what exactly does this image of a lone man standing on a rock mean?

Anna Arno

Venus in Childbirth

Art + Stories

Art

Venus in Childbirth

The naked female body has long been painted, drawn and sculpted throughout history, in both secular and religious art. What role did it once play?

Anna Arno

In the Service of Clouds

Art + Stories

Art

In the Service of Clouds

Art history is full of examples of painters inspired by the heavens – from the old masters to romanticism, clouds have long captured the artistic imagination.

Anna Arno