The fire that engulfed the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was a terrible tragedy—though not an unusual one.
Location Country: France
This portrait of an unnamed woman speaks volumes about slavery, politics, and gender in revolutionary France.
Marie-Guillemine Benoist, Portrait of Madeleine
Delacroix's unusual choice of scenes in these murals bewildered critics for over a century.
Eugène Delacroix, Murals in the Chapel of ...
Such a tease! This ambiguous portrait plays psychological and optical games with the viewer.
Leonardo, The Mona Lisa
The subject takes control over the outdoor setting, expressing her independence in spite of limitations.
A summer day in Paris: Berthe Morisot’s ...
In the suburbs, Parisians escaped the pressures of modern life. Monet painted their sun-drenched pleasures.
How to recognize Monet: The Basin at ...
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
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
They wanted an epic Biblical image, or one from a Greek myth. He gave them a painting of a modern-day funeral.
Gustave Courbet, A Burial at Ornans
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
Above the entrance to Amiens, animated figures and flowing drapery attest to the increasing naturalism of Gothic sculpture in the 13th century.
Amiens Cathedral
Lacking access to the cafes and bars male Impressionists painted, Morisot mastered intimate domestic interiors.
Berthe Morisot, The Cradle
Weightless walls of glass and lifelike sculpture—in its freedom and invention, the great cathedral at Reims typifies High Gothic style.
Reims Cathedral
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
This remarkable object takes its subject from European prints, but was made by an indigenous artist.
Featherworks: The Mass of St. Gregory
This well-preserved building in modern-day France is a textbook example of a Vitruvian temple.