Napoleon masterfully manipulated his image, and this painting meant for Parisian audiences is pure propaganda.
Location: Louvre
Delacroix's orientalist fantasy exhibited to great acclaim in the Paris Salon.
Delacroix, Women of Algiers in Their Apartment
On the island of Samothrace, the wind whipped the clothing of this stone goddess of victory.
Nike (Winged Victory) of Samothrace
Géricault’s massive canvas takes its format from history painting, but its subject is ripped from the headlines.
Théodore Géricault, Raft of the Medusa
This ivory triptych was an object of prayer and a vision of paradise for Byzantine viewers following iconoclasm
A Byzantine vision of Paradise — The ...
The painting is an overwhelming and learned piece of artistic propaganda.
Peter Paul Rubens, The Apotheosis of Henry ...
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
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
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.
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