Virtually explore the Brooklyn Museum with Smarthistory as your guide
Some background
videos + essays
Link to the Brooklyn Museum's website
Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party
Judy Chicago's landmark installation gives notable women from history a seat at the table.
Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room (Kagyu tradition iteration)
There are many traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, and this Shrine Room represents the Kagyu.
Theaster Gates, In Case of Race Riot II
Drawing on Minimalist forms, Gates provokes active reflection on the social lives of the objects he employs.
Elephant Mask (Bamileke Peoples)
Members of the Kuosi society express the authority, affluence, and strength of the ruler through masquerade.
Francisco Oller, Hacienda La Fortuna
Oller's Hacienda La Fortuna was painted as Puerto Rico experienced an intense transition at the end of the Spanish-American war.
Screen with the Siege of Belgrade and Hunting Scene (or Brooklyn Biombo)
Japanese objects came through Mexico on their way to Spain, and had a lasting impact on the arts of the Americas.
Magdalene Anyango N. Odundo, Symmetrical Reduced Black Narrow-Necked Tall Piece
Odundo's pottery draws on traditions from around the world and reveals the relationship of clay to the body
Yorùbá artist, pair of twin figures (Ère Ìbejì)
Twin figures known as Ère Ìbejì reveal how a Yorùbá mother navigates the loss of twins
Paa Joe, Coffin in the Form of a Nike Sneaker
Ghanaian coffins are famous for their creative shapes.
A Jain pilgrimage map of Shatrunjaya
Cloth paintings (patas) mapped the topography of sacred Jain pilgrimage sites (tirthas)
Hiram Powers, The Greek Slave
Though at first glance this nude seems plucked from classical antiquity, it actually alludes to modern politics.
