Learn about the features and iconography (symbols) that commonly identify a bodhisattva, a figure in Buddhism, in art
arthistorybasics
Jewish ceremonial art reflects the artistic styles of the cultures among which Jewish communities have lived.
Jewish ceremonial art
This essay explores the vibrant artistic tradition that developed around the Torah and its decoration.
The Torah and its adornment
How to identify the Christian figures of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John by their iconography, or symbols, in art
How to recognize the Four Evangelists
Who was the Buddha and how have artists depicted him as a visually recognizable figure in sculpture?
How to recognize the Buddha
Mudras are a set of hand gestures and finger positions that serve as symbols in Buddhist art.
Mudras in Buddhist art
Learn what a genre scene is and why this type of subject grew in popularity
What is genre painting?
What's the difference between classic art, classical art, and classicism?
Classic, classical, and classicism explained
The art market is one of the many ways rich people game the system to save billions of dollars in taxes each year.
The Art Market and taxes
A brief primer on bodhisattvas
Bodhisattvas, an introduction
What does it mean to be an "old master" and to make a "masterpiece"? Kerry James Marshall talks about his practice and the ideas driving it.
What does it mean to be an ...
The word “crisis” suggests a temporary problem—but destruction and loss of cultural heritage is an ongoing issue.
Cultural heritage “in crisis”
By the sixteenth century, Western trade involved Africans being forcibly brought to the Americas as slaves.
Africa historical overview: from the 1600s to ...
Recent discoveries in southern Africa provide remarkable evidence of the earliest stirrings of human creativity.
Africa historical overview: to 1600
Bodh Gaya is the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment—over millennia it has been reconstructed and reimagined.
Bodh Gaya: The Site of the Buddha’s ...
There are many kinds of Buddhist meditations; here Dr Sarah Shaw describes the ‘middle way’ of the Buddha and explores key aspects of Buddhist meditation and chant, such as the use of Buddha-images and visualization.
Buddhist meditation and chant
The religion that originated in India took on so many different forms that it is often difficult to see how the various sects of Buddhism are related.
Introduction to Buddhism
Professor Julius Lipner explains that Hinduism cannot be considered polytheistic and discusses the way in which Hindu culture and sacred texts conceptualize the deities, as well as their role in devotional faith
Hindu deities
This video demystifies the complex kaleidoscopic geometry central to Islamic art. Grab a compass and ruler!
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