Did Peter sit here? Dizzying but unified, light and gold glorify this sacred place. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Cathedra Petri (Chair of ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
The writhing agony of the Trojan Laocoon made this Hellenistic masterpiece famous throughout history. Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and Polydoros of Rhodes, Laocoön ... by Dr. Amanda Herring
The assemblage of objects in the Regolini-Galassi tomb represents a broad geographic range and an aesthetic that indicates the influence of the ancient Near East. The Regolini-Galassi tomb and the Parade Fibula by Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker
Nothing was more important to a Roman emperor than his image. Augustus of Primaporta by Julia Fischer
Thirty-three feet long, the Codex Borgia records historical, ritual, mythological, and botanical information. Codex Borgia by Dr. Helen Burgos Ellis
This cloth—first woven by a wise spider—sends social messages through a system of specific patterns. Kente cloth by Dr. Courtnay Micots
Even in death, great Roman families were concerned with reinforcing and projecting their status. Tomb of the Scipios and the sarcophagus ... by Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker
Whose side are you on? Two great philosophers of antiquity, Plato and Aristotle, face off in this meeting of minds. Raphael, School of Athens by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Ancient Greek athletes cleaned themselves with oil. This sculpture shows one athlete’s bathing ritual. Lysippos, Apoxyomenos (Scraper) by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
With age comes experience, and sculptors in the Roman Republic highlighted seniority—warts and all. Veristic male portrait by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Achilles and Ajax, heroes of the Trojan War, break from battle to play a friendly game that hints at a tragic future. Exekias, Attic black figure amphora with Ajax ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
As demons harvest new souls and angels wake the dead, Mary crouches, powerless beside Christ. Michelangelo, Last Judgment, Sistine Chapel by Dr. Esperança Camara
Central to the Counter Reformation, Bernini’s double colonnades activate St. Peter’s and reach out into the city. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter’s Square by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Togas or tights? Classical dress helps set the Twelve Apostles apart from a bunch of Renaissance men. Perugino, Christ Giving the Keys of the ... by Dr. Shannon Pritchard
The greatest minds of the High Renaissance worked on this vast church. Construction took more than a century. Saint Peter’s Basilica by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
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 by Christine Zappella
Death, memory, and funerary rituals—monumental tombs lined the streets leading into ancient Roman cities. Roman funeral rituals and social status: The ... by Dr. Laurel Taylor
Lighting struck this statue dedicated to the Etruscan god of war, marking it as a particularly sacred object. Mars of Todi by Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker
Made for a member of the Roman elite, this early tomb features Old and New Testament scenes in a classical style. Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus by Dr. Allen Farber
Spotlight on Christ! Watching this dramatic scene unfold, we become a part of it, as if already inside the tomb. Caravaggio, Deposition (or Entombment) by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker