Ruins function as political and private symbols even in the modern era
Steven Zucker
Cotton, oil, and the economics of history
Samuel Colman, Jr., Ships Unloading, New York
Don’t strike the messenger! Interrupted at his forge, a horrified Vulcan looks ready to hammer Apollo.
A-Level: Velázquez, Vulcan’s Forge
Painted and sculpted bodies move into our space. Everything feels like it’s in motion, including the light.
A-Level: How to recognize Baroque art
A florin for your thoughts, Pope. As the aging patron sits musing, he clenches his teeth and grips a handkerchief.
A-level: Raphael, Portrait of Pope Julius II
Is this a couple, or could this pair relate to a story from Dogon cosmology?
Dogon Couple (Dogon peoples)
Painted and sculpted bodies move into our space. Everything feels like it’s in motion, including the light.
How to recognize Baroque art
Thousands of ceramic bottles were produced by Moche ceramicists, and many multiples were made using molds.
Moche Portrait Head Bottle
Made of gold and inlaid stone, these earflares were probably worn for ceremonies rather than daily.
Pair of Earflares, Winged Messengers
Hidden under volcanic ash for millennia, the beautiful frescoes in the houses of Akrotiri were recently unearthed.
Akrotiri, Thera
Kalf celebrates the fruits of life but reminds us of our mortality. The light—and his technique—are otherworldly.
Willem Kalf, Still Life with a Silver ...
This ancient pot depicts not one, but two myths: Perseus slaying Medusa and Odysseus blinding the cyclops.
Eleusis Amphora
This island’s architecture attests to its long and tumultuous history of wealth, power, exchange, and conquest.
Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania
Don’t strike the messenger! Interrupted at his forge, a horrified Vulcan looks ready to hammer Apollo.
Diego Velázquez, Vulcan’s Forge
Though unfinished, this large drawing perfectly blends human intimacy and divine beauty.
Leonardo, The Virgin and Child with St. ...
A florin for your thoughts, Pope. As the aging patron sits musing, he clenches his teeth and grips a handkerchief.
Raphael, Portrait of Pope Julius II
At the crossroads of East and West, the caravan city of Palmyra was a melting pot of culture.
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