I once asked an artist I know what he did about varnishing his oil paintings. I had read about "varnishing day" at the great salon exhibits in Paris in the 19th century and wondered what it was like ...

In his 1550 volume Lives of the Artists, painter and architect Giorgio Vasari snuck in praise for the Flemish artist Jan van Eyck in his chapter on the Italian painter Antonello da Messina. Vasari ...

Lauren has six years of experience writing and editing home improvement content. She covered lifestyle, DIY, design and cleaning at The Spruce for five years and contributed home improvement pieces to ...

The Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. When the pungent, strangely smooth smell of turpentine tickles ...