From the elements of art to the great goddess Durga — Smarthistory is adding new content every week.
Prehistoric to contemporary
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George Morrison, Traversal
Though absolutely abstract, Traversal evokes of the skyline and frenetic movement of New York City.
Antoine Oleyant, Guedeh
Entirely made of beads and sequins, this textile depicts the Guedeh, or the spirits of death in Haitian Vodou.
Andrea Mantegna, Camera Picta (Camera degli Sposi)
From floor to ceiling, Mantegna's murals create the illusion that you are surrounded by the duke, his court, and countless historical and mythical figures.
Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye
Le Corbusier saw the house as a machine, and the Villa Savoye realizes that belief beautifully.
Nora Naranjo Morse, The Black, White, and Brown of It
Slip and acrylic splatter and drip on these tall clay forms.
Gustave Eiffel, The Eiffel Tower
An icon of Paris, the Eiffel Tower exhibits the achievements of engineering and science in late 19th-century France.
R.C. Gorman, Untitled
An explosion of experimentation, this painting celebrates Indigenous abstraction and the labor of Diné weavers.
Donatello, David
His nudity references classical antiquity, but David embodies the ideals and concerns of 15th-century Florence.
Nicolas Poussin, The Holy Family on the Steps
Teeming with references both religious and art historical, The Holy Family on the Steps is a dense painting.
Merovingian Looped Fibulae
Found in a cemetery in Jouy-le-Comte, France, these important fibulae tell a story of the fragility of historical knowledge.
Gentile Bellini, Procession in Piazza San Marco
The Procession in Piazza San Marco argues that Venice is a site of miracles.
The Neonian Baptistry, Ravenna
Thousands of medieval Christians were baptized in this building, all under a glittering mosaic of Christ's own baptism.
