At the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Although the style implies a rapid or even slipshod painting process, Open Window, Collioure was carefully orchestrated in every aspect.

Though at first glance this nude seems plucked from classical antiquity, it actually alludes to modern politics.

Frankenthaler doesn’t paint the landscape per se, but offers an intuitive response to Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.

Sartre described Giacometti’s figures as “halfway between nothingness and being,” but “very skinny” works too.

This canvas was rolled, varnished, reworked, and revised again. A classical scene, it once hung in a study.

Can you paint a portrait of place? Constable makes a case for it with this idyllic depiction of a country estate.

As the low candles and late hour suggest, Napoleon is short on time. David captures the twilight of his reign.

Professional female artists were few in the Dutch Republic. Here, Leyster cultivates confidence in her abilities.

With honesty and directness, Rembrandt paints a “selfie.” His marked face captures aging—and the painting process.

Is it a cautionary tale of vanity? A prompt for introspection? Art historians are still weighing the evidence.

Have print, will travel. New technologies of mechanical reproduction allowed Dürer to circulate his artistic ideas.

Quiet and meditative, two kneeling shepherds set the painting’s tone—and allow the viewer to join them in worship.

videos + essays