Anatomy of a Painting

In the late 18th century, the artist Gautier-Dagoty painted a portrait of the Countess of Barry, favourite of King Louis XV, with a dark-skinned boy at her side. Why does he appear in a portrait of the most powerful woman in France?

224 figures surround the King and Queen of Spain in a painting by Francesco Battaglioli. The artist specifies the identity of just one of them: Farinelli, an opera-singer and superstar of the 18th century. But what price did the musician pay for his fame and glory?

In this painting by the American Robert Thom, who is the man every figure is turning to? His name is James Marion Sims, an American gynaecologist acclaimed by his 19th century peers who used slave women for his medical experiments.

In this scene, Molière is surrounded by scholars, artists and writers: Corneille, Racine, Jean de la Fontaine, Boileau... At the centre of the assembly of men is a single woman. But who was she? Our research traces out the life of Ninon de Lenclos, a courtesan who became highly influential in 17th century French high society.

In the masterpiece "Las Meninas", painted by Diego Velazquez, who is this person of short stature standing next to the Spanish royal family? We have tracked down her identity and, by analysing internet archives, investigated the royal interest in dwarves in the 16th and 17th centuries.

A painting by the German artist Christian Schad. Only one figure has not been identified by the artist. Investigating their identity reveals the place of transvestites and other queer people in the Berlin of the Roaring Twenties.