Muscles, morals, and mongrels help to illustrate the stratification of social class in Victorian England. Ford Madox Brown, Work by Dr. Rebecca Jeffrey Easby
What’s that dog yapping about? This mischievous woman throws caution—and her slipper—to the wind. Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing by Dr. Ashley Bruckbauer
Singer Sargent’s evocative canvas turns a sweet, ordinary scene into a symphony of shapes and colors. John Singer Sargent, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by Dr. Rebecca Jeffrey Easby
Take part in the celebration of an athlete’s victory—this life-size bronze is a hinge between the Archaic and Classical. Charioteer of Delphi by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Join the birds and soar through this frozen landscape. On the pond below, playful scenes warm the air. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Hunters in the ... by Dr. David Boffa
Coiled with athletic energy, balance, and the promise of movement, see the potential of an idealized human body. Myron, Discobolus (Discus Thrower) 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
Representing women who entered the workforce during WWII, Rosie is strong, determined, and eating a ham sandwich. Norman Rockwell, Rosie the Riveter by Dr. Margaret C. Conrads and Dr. Beth Harris
Look closely to see bloody wounds and a lifetime of scars on this defeated athlete. Apollonius, Boxer at Rest (or The Seated ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Seurat sought to bring science to the methods of Impressionism with new, methodical approaches to color. Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
The subject looks through opera glasses, but she herself is the object of another man’s gaze—not to mention ours. Mary Cassatt, In the Loge by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Toulouse-Lautrec invites us into the nocturnal world of the nightclub, where classes mix under the electric lights. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Degas is off to the races, where class issues are in the foreground. Edgar Degas, At the Races in the Countryside by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Though often thought of as a simple image of American values, this painting resists easy interpretation. Grant Wood, American Gothic by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Mary Cassatt, an artist and close friend Degas, is the subject of this painting about the act of seeing. Edgar Degas, Visit to a Museum by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Homer’s fisherman just wants to bring his halibut safely to his ship—but as usual, nature is ruining everything. Winslow Homer, The Fog Warning (or Halibut ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
This sentimental scene of a quiet moment of prayer in the fields reflects a nostalgia for religion in modern France. Jean-François Millet, L’Angélus by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Sander documented German people from all walks of life, but the goals of his project remain unclear. August Sander, Portraits by Dr. Juliana Kreinik, Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Rosa Bonheur defies the patriarchy, one masterfully painted ox at a time. Rosa Bonheur, Plowing in the Nivernais (or ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
The wild dancing nymphs on the exterior of the Opéra had little in common with the ballerinas performing there. Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Dance by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker