How to impress your courtiers: a lesson from the Kingdom of Benin A-level: Benin Plaques by Dr. Kathryn Wysocki Gunsch and Dr. Beth Harris
With its almost sculptural surface and dazzling range of textures, this painting once reduced van Gogh to tears. A-Level: Rembrandt, The Jewish Bride by Dr. Saskia Beranek
What lies beneath the surface? Research into a “crusty” buildup of paint reveals Rembrandt’s editing process. A-Level: Rembrandt, Aristotle with a Bust of ... by Jim Coddington and Dr. Beth Harris
These works explore questions of divinity, gender identity, ethnicity, and the urban environment. A-Level: Sample set of works for Identities by Smarthistory
Promoting Mao as a revolutionary leader, this portrait melds Chinese landscape convention with socialist realism. A-Level: Liu Chunhua, Chairman Mao en Route ... by Dr. Kristen Loring Brennan
Beautiful women and loving couples adorn this temple. Together, they symbolize fertility, growth, and divine union. A-Level: Sacred space and symbolic form at ... by Dr. Cristin McKnight Sethi
Tuffery’s iconic “tinned bull” addresses contemporary concerns about ecological health and food sovereignty A-Level: Michel Tuffery, Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned ... by Dr. Billie Lythberg
Caught in a moment of his dance, this many-limbed figure embodies Hindu ideals of beauty and physical perfection A-Level: Shiva as Lord of the Dance ... by Farisa Khalid
Neshat’s series examines the complexities of women’s identities in the Middle East’s changing cultural landscape. A-Level: Shirin Neshat, Rebellious Silence, Women of ... by Dr. Allison Young
Inheritor of an ancient concrete tradition, Hadid also refers to early 20th-century utopianism in her museum design. A-Level: Zaha Hadid, MAXXI National Museum of ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
This British-born Nigerian artist brings a Rococo painting into three dimensions, changing some critical details. A-Level: Yinka Shonibare, The Swing (After Fragonard) by Dr. Allison Young
Lack of an American sculptural tradition compelled Jefferson to look to France for this portrait of Washington. A-Level: Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington by Dr. Bryan Zygmont
Van Gogh’s contribution to a bromantic self-portrait exchange was radical in both its choice and use of color. A-Level: Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait Dedicated to ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
An optimistic message to his doctors, or a farewell letter to his utopian artistic dream? We’re all ears. A-Level: Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Bandaged ... by Ben Pollitt
Artificial? Moi? This genuine portrait of familial affection challenged assumptions about the aristocracy. A-Level: Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait with ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
She fled France in disguise, but Vigée Le Brun does little to conceal her face—or her sympathy to Marie Antoinette. A-Level: Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait by Dr. April Renée Lynch
Vigée Le Brun’s eye for drama and love of theatrical play bring this aristocratic portrait to life. A-Level: Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, Madame Perregaux by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker