videos + essays
John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark
A former orphan, Watson became a wealthy and influential man—after surviving a near-fatal shark attack.
Théodore Géricault, Raft of the Medusa
Géricault’s massive canvas takes its format from history painting, but its subject is ripped from the headlines.
Fra Angelico, The Annunciation
The life-sized figures of Mary and Gabriel occupy an open porch—a space not unlike the cloisters of San Marco.
Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing
What’s that dog yapping about? This mischievous woman throws caution—and her slipper—to the wind.
Giorgione, The Tempest
In the distance, lightning strikes. What does it mean? Poetic and evocative, this painting invites interpretation.
Thomas Cole, The Hunter’s Return
Cole feared for the American landscape as his country expanded westward.
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.
Paintings from the Tomb-chapel of Nebamun
Scenes show Nebamun’s family at work and play, giving vibrant insight into the lives of ancient Egyptian elites.
Running Horned Woman, Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria
In an ancient North African “rock city,” modern explorers wetted a wall with water—revealing this graceful image.
Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps
Was this the beginning of the end for David—or a new dawn? As far as portraits of Napoleon go, there’s none better.
The Tiepolo Family
Best known for their allegorical ceiling frescoes, this father-son team also produced cinematic prints.
Anthropomorphic stele
This stone marker depicts an abstracted human. How should we interpret one of the Arabia’s earliest artifacts?
