Trajan expanded the Roman Empire to its greatest extent, celebrating his victories with this monumental column.
Essay refreshed January 2022
Nothing was more important to a Roman emperor than his image.
Augustus of Primaporta
Located in Mecca, this square shrine is the holiest site in Islam. Muslims direct their prayers toward it.
The Kaaba
Scenes show Nebamun’s family at work and play, giving vibrant insight into the lives of ancient Egyptian elites.
Paintings from the Tomb-chapel of Nebamun
Mondrian believed that abstraction provided a truer picture of reality than illusionistic depictions of objects.
Mondrian, Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow
The Pantheon has one of the most perfect interior spaces ever constructed—and it’s been copied ever since.
The Pantheon (Rome)
As demons harvest new souls and angels wake the dead, Mary crouches, powerless beside Christ.
Michelangelo, Last Judgment, Sistine Chapel
Sin Sukju’s attire and posture may be formulaic, but the face is definitely his—wrinkles and all.
Portrait of Sin Sukju
Think you procrastinate? Wright blew this project off for 9 months, then designed his most famous house in 2 hours.
Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater
This house, which emphasized leisure time and fresh air, was Le Corbusier’s own personal Parthenon.
Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye
Sullivan believed that “form must ever follow function” and designed this department store with that adage in mind.
Louis Sullivan, Carson, Pirie, Scott Building
Covering 178 acres, this gated complex was a “golden cage” for China’s emperors and courtiers. It is now a museum.
The Forbidden City
Though this photograph could be seen as a searing social commentary, its maker preferred to view it as fine art.
Alfred Stieglitz, The Steerage
Rivera includes 400 years of history here, and guarantees that the stories normally edited out are included.
Diego Rivera, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon ...
In her double self-portrait, Kahlo wears both European garb and the Indigenous clothing she grew to prefer.
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas (Las dos ...
Stepanova lent her artistic talents to the cause of promoting the ideals of the Soviet Union.
Varvara Stepanova, The Results of the First ...
God created the world in seven days, but it took Michelangelo four years to depict it on this remarkable ceiling.
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
The lavish materials used for this manuscript convey both its patron’s wealth and the sacred text’s dignity.
Folio from a Qur’an
Though mosque designs vary by region, common features include a courtyard, tower, prayer niche, and dome.
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