Before manga and psychedelia, Alphonse Mucha imagined a world in bloom.

On his birthday, let’s honor his vision of art. 🧵 👇 Today, July 24, marks the birthday of Alphonse Mucha, the Czech visionary who defined Art Nouveau. His flowing lines, ethereal women, and vibrant designs transformed art, posters, and even interiors.

Alexander the Great was born around July 20 or 21, 356 BC.

His story has been told and retold for centuries, but some of the most powerful tributes are in art.

Let’s take a look. 🧵 👇 One of the oldest portraits of Alexander the Great is a marble bust from Pella, his birthplace. He’s shown with a tilted head and intense gaze—a look that became his signature across centuries.

415 years ago today, the world lost Michelangelo Merisi.

Caravaggio didn’t paint perfection. He painted truth.

An icon. A rebel. A legacy carved in chiaroscuro. 🧵 Let's delve into the life and art of Caravaggio, a painter whose dramatic style and tumultuous life have left an indelible mark on the art world. Born Michelangelo Merisi in 1571, his work would come to define the Baroque movement.

Today is World Chocolate Day, a celebration of humanity’s sweetest obsession.

Chocolate is a 4,000-year-old story of culture, conquest, and creativity.

Let’s unwrap its history, shall we? 🧵 🍫 Chocolate begins in Mesoamerica, where the Olmecs (c. 1500 BC) first cultivated cacao. The Maya called it ka’kau’, a sacred drink for gods and kings. Bitter, frothy, and spiked with chili, it was no candy bar.

Claude Joseph Vernet didn’t live a wild life. He painted one.

A thread on the Enlightenment’s quiet master of chaos ⤵️

1. Tempête, 1773 2. Shipwreck, 1759

The Greatest Archaeological Discoveries in Europe 🏛️

What lies beneath our feet?

Let’s unearth 12 of the most astonishing finds from the past century 🧵👇 1. Must Farm (2015, England)

A 3,000-year-old village in Cambridgeshire’s fens burned and sank into a river, preserving everything.

Antoni Gaudí was born 173 years ago today. His buildings are living dreams carved in stone.

Let’s walk through the gems of this Catalan visionary. 🧵 👇 1. Casa Vicens (1883) was Gaudí’s first major work. A private home, its colorful tiles and floral ironwork burst with Moorish and natural motifs. It’s a bold debut that screams originality.

Born 177 years ago today, Paul Gauguin fled civilization for paradise, only to find beauty and darkness in equal measure.

His life was a canvas of controversy and moral shadow.

(a thread 🧵 ) Paul Gauguin was born in Paris on June 7, 1848, but his early years were anything but ordinary. His family fled France for Peru after Napoleon III’s coup, living in Lima’s tropical splendor until his father’s death.

This early taste of the exotic would forever haunt his art.

Artists have long celebrated summer 🌞

These 10 paintings remind us of the joy and serenity it brings. 🧵

1. Bazille - Summer Scene, 1869 2. John Singer Sargent - Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, 1886

World's Most Surreal Beaches 🧵

As summer beckons, it's the ideal moment to explore the most ethereal beaches our world has to offer.

1. Whitehaven Beach - Whitsundays, Australia 2. Cannon Beach - Oregon, USA

Saint Petersburg — the Venice of the North

Rising from the Neva estuary where it meets the Gulf of Finland, it is a masterpiece of architecture and art in the land of the tsars.

Let's explore its iconic landmarks 🧵 1. Peter and Paul Fortress — Founded in 1703, the city's birthplace, this fortress features Peter and Paul Cathedral.

May 21 marks the birthday of Albrecht Dürer, the German Renaissance master who revolutionized art.

554 years later, his genius still shapes the art world.

Let’s explore why 🧵👇 Born in Nuremberg, Albrecht Dürer trained as a goldsmith’s son before mastering painting and printmaking. His Self-Portrait (1493), at just 22, reveals an artist already defying convention with bold confidence.

Bucharest — once ‘Little Paris,’ now a city often tied to political scandals.

But beyond the headlines lies a place full of history, charm, and resilience.

Let’s dive in. 🧵 1. Scientists' House — an architectural jewel built in 1905. Designed by Ion D. Berindey, it's a hub for scientific gatherings and cultural events, reflecting the grandeur of 'Little Paris' with its elegant interiors.

What if the greatest art lies in the everyday — a child’s laugh, a sunlit table?

Fanny Brate, a Swedish painter, saw poetry in the ordinary, turning fleeting moments into timeless treasures. 🧵 Born in Stockholm in 1861, Brate trained at the Royal Swedish Academy and later studied in Paris at Académie Colarossi. While her peers chased grand epics, she found eternity in the intimate rhythms of home.

How did the Pope end up with his own country? 🧵

Vatican City is the world’s smallest nation, just 44 hectares (110 acres).

But how did this mini-state come to be? ↓ Rewind to the 1st century AD.

Christian tradition holds that St. Peter, Jesus’ apostle, was martyred in Rome and buried on Vatican Hill.

A shrine grew around his tomb, eventually becoming St. Peter’s Basilica. This sacred site set the stage for everything.

Was Salvador Dalí a genius or a fraud?

He painted melting clocks and avoided paying restaurant bills by doodling on checks, knowing they’d never be cashed.

Let’s unravel the bizarre life of Dalí. 🧵 Salvador Dalí was born on May 11th, 1904, in Figueres, Spain.

His parents named him after his older brother, who had died 9 months before he was born.

They told him he was his brother’s reincarnation — a belief that shaped his identity and fueled his eccentricity.

World's Most Scenic Roads 🧵

This thread is your passport to stunning vistas.

Let's travel ↓ 2. The Icefields Parkway, Canada

A New Pope Has Spoken — What Happens Now? 🧵

Pope Leo XIV has greeted the world from St. Peter’s balcony, but what follows the Habemus Papam moment? ↓ Within days, the Mass of Inauguration is planned. Held in St. Peter’s Square, this open-air liturgy marks the formal start of the Pope's pontificate.

🧵 We have a new pope, the 267th!

But who is he? Let’s get to know Robert Francis Prevost, Leo XIV.

133 cardinals have spoken. Black smoke turned white, and a new name echoes across St. Peter’s Square.

Viva il Papa! 🕊 ↓ Born in 1955 on Chicago’s South Side, Prevost’s journey began at St. Mary of the Assumption church, a humble parish bordering Dolton. A polyglot and Augustinian, he studied canon law and served as a missionary in Peru, later becoming a naturalized citizen there.

World's Most Magnificent Libraries 🧵

Let's discover these sanctuaries of wisdom where each library tells a story beyond its books. ↓ 2. Piccolomini Library, Siena

The library was commissioned in 1492. Between 1502 and 1507, it was decorated with frescoes by Pinturicchio and his assistants, including the young Raphael.

Carved by dynasties and standing against time, India’s temples are history, devotion, and art intertwined.

Let’s uncover their fascinating past 🧵 ↓ 2. Ramanathaswamy — Located in Tamil Nadu, it is believed to have been built during the 17th century, though a small vimana in the west corridor belongs to the 11th or 12th century. The temple has undergone renovations and expansions over the centuries.