The Catalan Atlas reveals how one 14th-century Jewish mapmaker understood the political and ethnic realities of his world. The Catalan Atlas by Dr. Ariel Fein
Napoleon masterfully manipulated his image, and this painting meant for Parisian audiences is pure propaganda. Baron Antoine-Jean Gros, Napoleon Bonaparte Visiting the ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Delacroix's orientalist fantasy exhibited to great acclaim in the Paris Salon. Delacroix, Women of Algiers in Their Apartment by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
The title of the photograph suggests that this image of lines and dots in wavy bands represents a walking soldier. But how? Marey, Joinville Soldier Walking by Dr. Kris Belden-Adams
On the island of Samothrace, the wind whipped the clothing of this stone goddess of victory. Nike (Winged Victory) of Samothrace by Dr. Amanda Herring
Géricault’s massive canvas takes its format from history painting, but its subject is ripped from the headlines. Théodore Géricault, Raft of the Medusa by Dr. Claire Black McCoy
Hesse proves that powerful, emotionally charged art doesn't have to be pretty. The last work of Eva Hesse by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
This ivory triptych was an object of prayer and a vision of paradise for Byzantine viewers following iconoclasm A Byzantine vision of Paradise — The ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
The painting is an overwhelming and learned piece of artistic propaganda. Peter Paul Rubens, The Apotheosis of Henry ... by Matthew Wilson
The total or partial destruction of churches by fire was a fairly common occurrence in medieval Europe. Before the fire: Notre Dame, Paris by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
This mask is a rare document of the Dada movement and an embodiment of the so-called “approximate man.” Dada’s “Approximate Man”: A Portrait of Tristan ... by Dr. Eduard Andrei
The fire that engulfed the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was a terrible tragedy—though not an unusual one. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
This portrait of an unnamed woman speaks volumes about slavery, politics, and gender in revolutionary France. Marie-Guillemine Benoist, Portrait of Madeleine by Dr. Susan Waller
Delacroix's unusual choice of scenes in these murals bewildered critics for over a century. Eugène Delacroix, Murals in the Chapel of ... by Dr. Joyce C. Polistena
A century before democracy was tested by social media gone rogue, Hausmann understood the dark side of technology. Raoul Hausmann, Spirit of the Age: Mechanical ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Such a tease! This ambiguous portrait plays psychological and optical games with the viewer. Leonardo, The Mona Lisa by HENI Talks
The subject takes control over the outdoor setting, expressing her independence in spite of limitations. A summer day in Paris: Berthe Morisot’s ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Picasso was a technically skilled draftsman—so why did he choose to take his forms apart? Pablo Picasso and the new language of ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
In the suburbs, Parisians escaped the pressures of modern life. Monet painted their sun-drenched pleasures. How to recognize Monet: The Basin at ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Renoir wanted to forget everything he knew about how to paint so that he could render light as it really is. How to recognize Renoir: The Swing by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker