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.
Remedios Varo, The Call (La Llamada)
Remedios Varo was deeply interested in the occult, mysticism, magic, astrology, witchcraft, and more, and she explored these ideas alongside close friends like Leonora Carrington while they lived in Mexico City.
Vairocana Buddha at Fengxian Temple at Longmen Grottoes
Carved into the hard limestone cliffside in the 7th century CE, the Fengxian temple features a monumental 56-foot-high image of the Vairocana Buddha.
Tezcatlipoca: Identifying Aztec Deities
Learn how to identify the Aztec (Mexica) god Tezcatlipoca ("Smoking Mirror") in art.
The Merode Altarpiece (Annunciation Triptych), Workshop of Robert Campin
Created in the workshop of Robert Campin around 1430, the Mérode Altarpiece is an outstanding example of Northern Renaissance painting.
Xu Gu’s “Cat and Butterfly” and the xieyi style
This video explores a 19th-century Chinese ink painting titled Cat and Butterfly by Xu Gu.
Leonora Carrington, Kitchen Garden on the Eyot and Surrealism in Mexico
Modern surrealist artist Leonora Carrington often turned to alchemy, magic, mythical creatures, the occult, folklore, fairy tales, and more.
What is a mosaic? Examples from Aztec, Roman, Thai, Islamic, and Byzantine Art
This video focuses on understanding mosaics, both how they are made and the materials they are made from.