This altarpiece lacks setting and symbols, but it’s hardly empty. Moving figures fill the space. Jacopo Pontormo, Entombment (or Deposition from the ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
This painting blends deep piety with scientific observation. Both its architecture and figures were radically new. Masaccio, Holy Trinity by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Holding on to pagan traditions in the early Christian era The Symmachi Panel by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Mary cries and falls into John’s arms. Rogier’s precise observations accentuate the emotional impact of this scene. Rogier van der Weyden, The Crucifixion, with ... by Dr. Christopher D.M. Atkins and Dr. Beth Harris
This exquisite example of a Goryeo Buddhist painting depicts the bodhisattva on his mountain-island abode. Water-Moon Avalokiteśvara by Dr. Yoonjung Seo
The sculptor Martínez Montañés was the “God of Wood,” but it’s the painter Pacheco who brought this work to life. Juan Martínez Montañés and Francisco Pacheco, Christ ... by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
This boyish bodhisattva reminds us that through humble bearing, we can spiritually blossom—like a lotus flower. Jizō Bosatsu by Dr. Hannah Sigur and Dr. Steven Zucker
Capable of being male or female, the Earth Lord Tlaltecuhtli is shown here as a woman who has given birth. Monolith of Tlaltecuhtli (Earth Lord) by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Dr. Steven Zucker
This Mexica water goddess was believed to have presided over the fourth, or most recent, sun. Stone kneeling figure of Chalchiuhtlicue by The British Museum
This vessel represents the goggle-eyed deity associated with rain and crops, critical for the agricultural Aztecs. Tlaloc vessel by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Cabrera fancied himself the Michelangelo of Mexico, but chose to borrow the format and iconography of Rubens. Miguel Cabrera, Virgin of the Apocalypse by Dr. Melisa Palermo
The Yup’ik peoples, in one of the world’s coldest climates, made these ceremonial masks during the long winters. North Wind Mask by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, emerges from her bath, but what did her nudity mean to the Greeks? Capitoline Venus (copy of the Aphrodite of ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Zero in on the beautiful passages of line in this print—and witness the artist at work. Rembrandt, Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves: ... by The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Faded though it is, this tapestry retains its breathtaking illusionism: veins pop, wine flows, and hair curls. Bernard van Orley and Pieter de Pannemaker, ... by The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Cupid, chubby and quietly sleeping, is a common symbol today … but what did this sculpture mean to ancient Greeks? Bronze statue of Eros sleeping by The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The size and solidity of this Virgin and Christ reaffirmed the power of images in the wake of Byzantine iconoclasm. Theotokos mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
This bronze god sank to the bottom of the sea where he sat for millennia, but who is he and what can he tell us? Artemision Zeus or Poseidon by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Here, everything is askew. Form dissolves as Tintoretto unites Florentine line with Venetian color. Jacopo Tintoretto, Last Supper by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker