Mona Lisa turns 500 (or so)

Leonardo da Vinci's (1479-1528) Mona Lisa is probably the world's most famous portrait and this year the world celebrates her quincentenary. The Mona Lisa (1503-06) is known to have been one of Leonardo's favorite paintings. The artist carried it with him on his travels and was only parted from the work upon his death.

As we celebrate the 500th year of Leonardo's beloved enigmatic beauty, we are no closer to unraveling the mystery of the work than our predecessors. The sitter's identity remains the subject of scholarly debate, her facial expression and smile remain ambiguous, and the mountainous uninhabited landscape a mystery. It is perhaps this mystery that has brought the portrait universal fame. In the half millennium since her creation the Mona Lisa has been the muse of writers; survived a 1911 theft; turned into an aesthetic and advertising symbol; entered into the parodies of Dada and Surrealist art; and most recently appeared in Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" as Leonardo's disguised self-portrait.

Click here to view a lightbox featuring the Mona Lisa. »

Alexander the Great

Once again, Hollywood looks back at history for inspiration. This November the story of Alexander the Great is brought to the big screen with an all star cast featuring Anthony Hopkins and Colin Farrell.

Alexander was only 19 years old when his father died, leaving him King of Macedon. Within two years he had embarked on the military campaign that would take him to the edge of the known world, a campaign in which his highly-trained army would defeat much larger forces time and again. By the end of his short life he had established an empire that stretched from Greece to India, encompassing Anatolia, Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Persia. Although his empire quickly fractured in the decades following his death, the cultural influence exerted by the Hellenes whom he led never waned. Alexander's life is both remarkably well-documented and highly controversial. Was he a brutal megalomaniac or a man of culture dedicated to spreading Greek civilization throughout the known world, or both?

More images of Alexander the Great »

US Presidential Elections

On Tuesday November 2nd, Americans will go to the polls to choose the next president of the United States.

For your convenience, Art Resource has prepared a lightbox of presidential portraits courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, represented exclusively by Art Resource.

Click here for a lightbox of U.S. Presidents »

The Heritage Image Partnership represented by Art Resource

Art Resource is pleased to announce that it has been chosen as the North American representative for the Heritage Image Partnership (HIP).

Through the Heritage Image Partnership, Art Resource can now offer official and unparalleled access to images from the United Kingdom's leading libraries, institutions and archives. The current collection comprises images from HIP's partners, including the British Museum, the British Library, the National Archives, the National Monuments Record of English Heritage, the Corporation of London Libraries and Guildhall Art Gallery, the National Motor Museum, the Museum of London, and more.

Art Resource is proud to offer images from the Heritage Image Partnership for professional licensing via its website at www.artres.com or through its highly qualified staff of art researchers.

Click here for highlights from Heritage Image Partnership »