videos + essays
Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights
Dreamlike, imaginative, and inexplicable, Bosch's landscape confounds our expectations of Christian art of the Renaissance.
John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark
A former orphan, Watson became a wealthy and influential man—after surviving a near-fatal shark attack.
Standard of Ur and other objects from the Royal Graves
Intentionally buried as part of an elaborate ritual, this ornate object tells us so much, but also too little.
Bushel with ibex motifs
This beautiful pot was created over 5,000 years ago, and its decoration echoes its shape.
Elephant Mask (Bamileke Peoples)
Members of the Kuosi society express the authority, affluence, and strength of the ruler through masquerade.
Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and Polydoros of Rhodes, Laocoön and his Sons
The writhing agony of the Trojan Laocoon made this Hellenistic masterpiece famous throughout history.
The Great Relief at Mamallapuram
This extraordinary carving is one of the largest relief sculptures in the world. Scholars still debate its meaning.
A-Level: Tipu’s Tiger
Made for a sultan, this unusual automaton emblematizes the fierce hostility between British and Indian rulers.
Illustration from the Akbarnama
Under Akbar the Great, the Mughal style of painting blended Indian, Persian, and Western artistic traditions.
Double-headed serpent
Snakes shedding their skin was a powerful metaphor for the Aztecs and is reflected in their pantheon of gods.
Bahram Gur Fights the Karg (Horned Wolf)
In this hunting scene from the Persian Book of Kings, the ruler Bahram lives up to his nickname “Gur,” or swift.
Ceremonial Palm Wine Vessel (Cameroon Grasslands peoples)
Lavishly decorated with expensive materials for the chief’s exclusive use, this isn’t your average wine bottle.
