From the elements of art to the great goddess Durga — Smarthistory is adding new content every week.
Prehistoric to contemporary
videos + essays
Rogier van der Weyden, The Descent from the Cross
Van der Weyden captures grieving bodies with meticulousness and compositional rhythm.
An illuminated Qur’an manuscript from Aceh
Aceh, in present-day Indonesia, was the site of one of the earliest Islamic kingdoms in Southeast Asia.
Winslow Homer, The Shell Heap
A fisherman himself, Homer paints a peaceful fishing scene in the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Gazellah Bruder, Goddess I Am and Feeding the Gods of Melanesia
Bruder portrays strong, resilient women that counter Euro-American stereotypical depictions of the people of Melanesia.
Richard Serra, Artaud
Serra builds a textured surface with layers of oil stick, blurring the distinction between drawing and sculpture.
Jacopo Tintoretto, The Removal of the Body of Saint Mark
Tintoretto's bold painting of Saint Mark establishes the saint's presence in Venice as predestined.
Portrait of Young Woman and Couple (Terentius neo and Wife) from Pompeii
This Pompeian couple favored having their portraitist capture a true likeness rather than airbrushing away any unflattering features.
Conrad Marca-Relli, Cristobal
White, red, and aqua panels create an entire universe of space, absence, and form.
Pablo Picasso, Guernica
Paintings of this size had historically exalted war, but this one suggests that war is anything but heroic.
Ahilapalapa Rands, Lift Off
In an imaginative 3-minute film, Rands envisions the sacred Hawaiian summit Maunakea free of telescopes.
Pōhaku kuʻi ʻai, otherwise known as the poi pounder
The pōhaku kuʻi ʻai has become an important symbol of Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) life and culture.
Ola Ka Wai, Ola Ka Honua: sovereign flows on and off the wall
In its call to collective engagement, the mural opens space for the viewing public to be transformed in profound and lasting ways.
