Raphael, Portrait of Julius II—The Warrior Pope
The Renaissance artist Raphael depicted the powerful and controversial Pope Julius II in a portrait painted around 1511.
Frida Kahlo's Viva la Vida (Long Live Life)—Her Final Painting
Frida Kahlo’s final painting, Viva la Vida, is a powerful symbol of life’s celebration.
Teotihuacan Mastered City Planning 2,000 Years Ago with Apartments and Grid Planning
Explore the massive Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan, an ancient site known for its incredible architecture.
How to Do a Visual Analysis in Art History: A Formal Analysis of Painting
This video explains how to do a visual analysis (formal analysis) of a painting—Albrecht Dürer’s image of Saint Jerome.
The Medieval Irish Bell-Shrine of St. Mura
This video examines the Irish medieval Bell-Shrine of St. Mura, a relic and reliquary that gives us insight into early Christianity, faith, and community in the early Middle Ages in Ireland.
Lady K'abal Xook (Lady Xoc) on Lintel 25 from Yaxchilán
The ancient Maya queen Lady K’abal Xook (Lady Xoc) of Yaxchilan appears on three of the most famous examples of Maya art (and Mesoamerican art!), including Lintel 25. Find out why!
Utagawa Hiroshige, Kanbara, Night Snow from the series “Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido”
This video explores a snowy scene from a famous Japanese woodblock print series titled Fifty-Three Stations of Tokaido, published between 1832 and 1834 by print designer Andō Hiroshige.
March in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
What did March look like in the Middle Ages? A famous illuminated manuscript gives us insight!
What is a cartoon? | Leonardo da Vinci’s Burlington House Cartoon
A large drawing by Leonardo da Vinci shows an intimate grouping of figures: Saint Anne, the Virgin Mary, the infant Jesus Christ, and John the Baptist. The work is known as a “cartoon.”
Elizabeth Catlett, Sharecropper
This video examines Elizabeth Catlett's powerful linocut print, "Sharecropper," created after her move to Mexico City in 1946 to work at the Taller de Gráfica Popular.
What is a byobu? | Ogata Korin’s Landscape
A gorgeous Japanese byōbu by the 18th-century artist Ogata Kōrin helps explain what a byōbu is.
How to Do a Visual Analysis in Art History: A Formal Analysis of Sculpture
This video explains how to do a visual analysis (formal analysis) of a sculpture—the Mexica (Aztec) statue of Coatlicue.
What is Kufic?
This video looks at the beautiful calligraphic script known as Kufic that was used in early manuscripts of the Qur’an.
What is Neoclassicism?
Jacques-Louis David's The Death of Socrates is one of the best expressions of Neoclassicism paintings in Art History—find out why!
What is bird-and-flower painting in East Asia? | Emperor Huizong's Finches and Bamboo
Explore bird-and-flower genre paintings in the history of Chinese art through an analysis of an ink painting titled Finches and Bamboo by Song dynasty emperor Huizong.
February in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
What did February look like in the Middle Ages? A famous illuminated manuscript gives us insight!
Traditional Chinese Ink Painting
Explore traditional Chinese ink painting with one of the most famous examples from the Yuan dynasty!
What is Cuneiform? Mesopotamians and Ancient Writing Systems
This video explores cuneiform writing, one of the world's oldest writing systems, originating in Mesopotamia over 5,000 years ago.