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22,000 BCE
Venus of Willendorf
Statue of a nude woman who was known for power of creation and survival. -
2250 BCE
Cylinder seal and modern impression
Cylinder seal and modern impression: bull-man combatting lion; nude hero combatting water buffalo. Contests between heroes and animals first appeared in cylinder seals in the late fourth millennium B.C., and by the middle of the third millennium B.C., the combatants, which might include mythological opponents, had assumed heroic status. The contest was a favorite subject during the Akkadian period, where it possibly represents the contrast and ever-present struggle between the forces of nature. -
2000 BCE
Cave art
This is a picture of hand paintings in a cave in Argentina. -
1754 BCE
Code of Hammurabi
One of the earliest and most complete written legal codes and was proclaimed by the Babylonian king Hammurabi. -
1352 BCE
Marshes in Ancient Egyptian Art
Marshes were significant in Egyptian mythology because Isis helped to prepared her husband Osiris’s body for resurrection by hiding his coffin in a marsh. -
1000 BCE
Discobolus
This statue is a man who is in shape holding a ball in an odd position- He seems confident and ready to conquer. -
440 BCE
Red-figure bell-krater
A girl musician plays the flute and two young males dance in a vivid manner. A third male with a stick follows the female musician, apparently unable to walk properly. -
300
The Pelican
It was believed that Pelicans loved their young so much, they would wound themselves and let the young drink the blood to keep them alive and well fed; Christ is pouring out his blood and flesh as a sign of sins forgiven- the bird is recognized as a symbol of Christ's love and passion. -
300
Symbolism of Anchor
In this picture, the Cross represents Christ, and the little fish represent the Christians who are following Christ. -
312
Constantine the Great
Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. -
1503
Mona Lisa
Portrait of Mona Lisa created by Leonardo De Vinci -
1505
Madonna in the Meadow
Madonna is supporting Jesus with both hands, while she looks at John the Baptist. -
1510
Hans Baldung, called 'Grien', Witches' Sabbath, a woodcut
The signed and dated print shows four naked women surrounded by the paraphernalia of their black art. To the shrieking incantation of an old woman, her young companion lifts the lid off a pot from which fumes and unspeakable ingredients sweep high into the night air. A fifth woman rides backwards through the sky on a goat. -
1512
Virgin and child with a pear
this painting differs in its motivic structure and the painterly rendition of the head of Mary and the infant Jesus. The gently smiling face of the Madonna derives from the Netherlandish tradition, but the posture of the child, his body twisted on its axis, can be found in the early Italian Renaissance. -
1562
The Fall of the Rebel Angels
The first confrontation between good and evil -
The Virgin and Child with St. Elizabeth and John The Baptist
The painting’s message of human and divine love conveyed through a continuous movement of gestures and glances between the Virgin, St Elizabeth and their respective sons. St John’s lamb, a symbol of Christ’s future sacrifice, looks out at us and encourages our thought and contemplation of the image and its message. -
The Feast of Herod
This is a picture from Christian Art where the daughter of Herodias danced for her father on his birthday. -
Fountain scene in front of a palace
Half naked figures are seen interacting in a fountain in front of a palace. The erotic expression of the figures in a combination with the visual attributes like pearls clearly corresponds with earlier depictions of the myth of Venus. -
An officer of the 4th Regiment of Foot
The young man has either recently been engaged in active warfare or is about to go to war. -
The Sorrow of Telemachus
Telemachus and his companion, Mentor, who have been washed ashore, are welcomed by Calypso and her nymphs. In the other, Calypso motions her nymphs to be silent when their songs about Telemachus's father Ulysses make him sorrowful. -
The Raft of Medusa
A shipwreck under a stormy sky; At the front of the raft, a black man waves a shirt trying to flag down a ship barely visible on the horizon, while behind him others struggle forward raising their arms in hope of rescue. In the foreground, a disconsolate older man holds onto the nude corpse of his dead son, the body of a man hangs off the raft trailing in the water, and to the far left lies a partial corpse, severed at the waist. -
Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog
A man steps on a rock to survey the land before him while clouds of fog fill the horizon -
A Group of Danish Artists in Rome
A group of danish artists in Rome are gathered in a room to discuss art; inspired by contemporary reality. -
The Sun of Venice Going to Sea
A fishing boat steering through glassy waters in a haze of color. -
Isabella
This was Millais’ first painting in the new, sharply detailed Pre-Raphaelite style. The bright color, the flattening of the picture space and the deliberate stiffness and angularity of the figures were all features taken from early Italian painting. The story is told through clear gestures and facial expressions, but Millais has also included symbolic details such as the hawk tearing at a feather, the blood orange given to Isabella and the passion flower above her head. -
The Flight of Henri Rochefort
This painting depicts the escape of Henri Rochefort from captivity to which he had been sentenced for his role in the Paris Commune. -
L'Ambitieuse (Political Woman)
This young woman aims to improve her own position by making herself a stylish and vital guest in the ballrooms and salons frequented by the French upper class. -
The Harvest
This French country landscape painted by Vincent van Gogh includes yellow-gold colors and adds depth with color patches. -
Still life
In this picture, Cezanne is using color and form to create contrast between the objects in the photo. -
Charing Cross Bridge
Only a few barges move slowly under Charing Cross Bridge, with the hazy silhouette of the Houses of Parliament barely visible in the background. This painting is one of a series of views of the Thames produced by Monet between 1899 and 1901 from the Savoy Hotel, overlooking the gardens of the Victoria Embankment. -
The Steerage
Taken on an ocean liner bound for Europe, the photograph is evenly divided between the upper and lower decks of the ship’s bow, separated by the sharp diagonal of the suspended walkway. Both levels are crowded with steerage-class passengers, who were intermittently allowed access above deck for fresh air. -
Mexico: A Revolution in Art
The Mexican Revolution was brutal and fragmented which brought about an artistic Renaissance. -
Suzanne Lenglen
A middle-aged woman dressed in all white is competing in a tennis match in front of a crowd. -
Homeward Bound
Members of the British Expeditionary Force smiling happily at a halt in their journey as they arrive in England after escape from Dunkirk. -
Still Life with Parrot and Flag
This is a picture of various fruits cut open to reveal a more intimate side of the painter, Frida Kahlo.
