What is Romanticism?
Looking at paintings like Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog and Monk by the Sea by the artist Caspar David Friedrich, this video discusses the art movement known as Romanticism.
Smile of Silla
This video explores the iconic “Smile of Silla,” a roof-end tile dating to the 7th century and designated a National Treasure in South Korea.
Cenotes in the Ancient Maya World
How did the ancient Maya survive in the arid Yucatán Peninsula?
What is a Jataka Tale? The Mahakapi Jātaka at the Great Stupa of Sanchi
This video explains what a jātaka is in Buddhist literature and art, using the story of the Monkey king as an example.
Paleolithic art, an introduction
Prehistoric art spans a long time, but one of the most important periods is the Paleolithic era, or Old Stone Age.
Diego Rivera, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park
Diego Rivera's mural "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park" is filled with over a hundred figures from Mexico's history, spanning 400 years.
Guido Mazzoni, Lamentation Group in Ferrara
Stepping into the Church of the Gesù in Ferrara, Italy, we encounter a group of standing figures whose faces and bodies are contorted in expressions of sorrow.
Diptych, triptych, polyptych—what’s the difference?
In art history, there are terms for artworks made of multiple panels, such as diptych, triptych, and polyptych. What do they mean?
The Changxin Palace Lamp
Examine the Western Han Dynasty gilt bronze lamp (known as the Changxin Palace Lamp), an ancient artifact designed for both beauty and air purification.
Leon Battista Alberti, Façade for Santa Maria Novella in Florence
The Dominican Church of Santa Maria Novella is one of the defining monuments of the Italian Renaissance in Florence, Italy.
August Calendar Page in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
A calendar page from the famous medieval manuscript, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, focuses on falconry in August.
Pictures of Famous Places (meisho-e) and Ando Hiroshige's “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”
The video explores meisho-e, or "pictures of famous places" genre in Edo Japan.
Chavín Craftsmanship and Metalworking: A Chest Ornament with Agnathic Feline Face
A 2,000-year-old Chavin gold ornament helps us learn how ancient Andean art reflects early metallurgical skills in Peru.
Jade Burial Suits of the Han Dynasty | Princess Dou Wan and Prince Liu Sheng
Explore the jade burial suits found in imperial Western Han dynasty tombs in ancient China.
Medieval Fibulae
Fibulae (singular: fibula) are most commonly associated today with the medieval Germanic tribes migrating across Europe in the 5th to 7th centuries, but they were not unique to these groups.
Hand Scrolls vs. Hanging Scrolls in Chinese Art
What is the difference between a handscroll and a hanging scroll mounting in Chinese ink painting?
Spondylus Shell in the Kingdom of Chimor in the Ancient Andes
The Chimú kingdom of Chimor thrived along the coast of what is now Peru, growing wealthy in part because of the Spondylus shell.
Paleolithic Handaxes or Bifaces
This video explores one of the most remarkable objects in human history: the Acheulean hand axe.
The Chimaera of Arezzo
The Chimaera of Arezzo is a bronze sculpture of a fire-breathing monster from ancient Greek mythology.
July Calendar Page in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
A calendar page from the famous medieval manuscript, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, focuses on peasants harvesting wheat and shearing sheep during July and also shows the Palace of Poitiers in France.