The fire that engulfed the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was a terrible tragedy—though not an unusual one.
Location City: Paris
This portrait of an unnamed woman speaks volumes about slavery, politics, and gender in revolutionary France.
Marie-Guillemine Benoist, Portrait of Madeleine
Such a tease! This ambiguous portrait plays psychological and optical games with the viewer.
Leonardo, The Mona Lisa
Shown with an architectural plan in his lap, this prince constructed temples to the gods and likenesses of himself.
Seated Gudea holding temple plan
Mary’s swaying hip, elongated neck, and tender touch of the Christ Child all imbue this golden sculpture with grace. A pomegranate signals death.
Humanizing Mary: the Virgin of Jeanne d’Evreux
Glass fills a staggering three quarters of this chapel’s walls. The entire building serves as a reliquary for the crown of thorns.
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris
Artificial? Moi? This genuine portrait of familial affection challenged assumptions about the aristocracy.
Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait with her Daughter
This energetic image of military victory captures a moment of transition between classical and Byzantine art.
The Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory)
Animal sacrifice played an important role in ancient Roman religion, but what was involved in the preparation?
Preparations for a Sacrifice
Perrault’s unified design updated the columns of ancient temples to suit modern French taste.
Claude Perrault, East façade of the Louvre
Uniting ancient Greek purity with Gothic daring, this church marked a new direction for French architecture.
Soufflot, The Panthéon (Church of Ste-Geneviève), Paris
This Neoclassical monument to Napoleon’s army was modeled on an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, just much bigger.
Vignon, Church of La Madeleine
Complete with barnyard guests, this rural wedding party embodies the Enlightenment idea of “natural” man.
Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Village Bride
In style and story, this rigorously organized canvas looked back to antiquity; it soon became an icon of Revolution.
Jacques-Louis David, Oath of the Horatii
Winged, human-headed bulls served as guardians of the city and its palace—walking by, they almost seem to move.
Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II
Bits of the Parthenon have been spirited all over the world—in Paris, a fragment shows religious life in Athens.
Plaque of the Ergastines
Vessels like this one were typically decorated with calligraphy, but a procession of figures is featured here.
Mohammed ibn al-Zain, Basin (Baptistère de Saint ...
The gods Apollo and Artemis exact revenge for their mother, in an early attempt at showing depth in ancient Greek art.
Niobid Krater
The Lady of Auxerre stands at the beginning of the history of Greek sculpture, offering a promise of what is to come.
Lady of Auxerre
This beautiful pot was created over 5,000 years ago, and its decoration echoes its shape.