How real is too real? Pedro de Mena, Ecce Homo and Mater ... by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Dr. Beth Harris
The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables is the most famous painting by the most acclaimed Spanish painter of the latter half of the seventeenth century Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, The Immaculate Conception of ... by Dr. Rebecca Quinn Teresi
Seen from across the Spanish Court at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, St. John looks uncannily alive! Juan Martínez Montañés, St. John the Baptist by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Dr. Steven Zucker
An ancient Greek story on a tapestry made in China, for export back to Portugal. The Abduction of Helen Tapestry by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
In this still life, objects and customs from around the world converge around one delicious food: chocolate. A Still Life of Global Dimensions: Antonio ... by Dr. Carmen Ripollés
This multimedia architectural altarpiece took two decades to complete, and required teams of workers in many media. Jerónimo de Balbás, Altar of the Kings (Altar ... by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Dr. Steven Zucker
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
How do you paint your own slave? Painter Julie Mehretu explores Velázquez’s answer to this troubling question. Diego Velázquez, Juan de Pareja by The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ribera depicts the moment before St. Philip’s death, yet the martyr’s body distorts and collapses before our eyes. Jusepe de Ribera, The Martyrdom of Saint ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
This puzzling painting about painting is half genre scene, half family portrait. But what’s on the large canvas? Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Don’t strike the messenger! Interrupted at his forge, a horrified Vulcan looks ready to hammer Apollo. Diego Velázquez, Vulcan’s Forge by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker
Velázquez lends immediacy and gritty realism to a mythological subject. We are right there, ready to partake. Diego Velázquez, Los Borrachos (The Drunks), or ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Zurbarán’s primary patrons were monks, and this image of St. Serapion’s lifeless body inspired contemplation. Francisco de Zurbarán, The Martyrdom of Saint ... by Dr. Melisa Palermo
Disorganized and youthful, Dutch troops surrender to the seasoned Spanish army. Count the victors’ spears! Diego Velázquez, The Surrender of Breda by Dr. Jimena Berzal de Dios
Combining earthtones with dramatic lighting, Velázquez meticulously renders a waterseller’s world. Diego Velázquez, The Waterseller of Seville by Olivia Nicole Miller
Whichever way you slice it, that’s one inscrutable melon. Does it symbolize geometry, astronomy, or empire? Juan Sanchez de Cotán, Quince, Cabbage, Melon ... by Dr. Sally Hickson