Details: The south transept window of Notre Dame in Paris is made up of a large stained glass rose window and stained glass lancet windows. Information: The window was constructed in 1260 during the building of the transepts of the cathedral. The rose window measures over forty-two feet in diameter and is placed above sixteen Read more about Notre Dame Window[…]
Details: The Raft of the Medusa is a painting produced by Jean Louis Théodore Géricault in 1818-9 and is located in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Information: This oil painting on canvas tells the story of the sinking of the Medusa and the subsequent struggle of its survivors. The Méduse (Medusa) was a French Read more about The Raft of the Medusa[…]
Details: The Thinker (Le Penseur) is a sculpture produced by Auguste Rodin in 1919, which is currently located in the Musée Rodin in Paris. Information: The Thinker was originally conceived to be Dante pondering his great poem and was supposed to be placed atop of Rodin’s work ‘The Gates of Hell’ (a representation of Dante’s Read more about The Thinker[…]
Details: Danaë (1544-6) is a work by the Venetian painter Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) and is located in the Capodimonte museum in Naples. Information: This painting is the first of at least five different versions of this scene painted by Titian and his workshop. Details in each painting differ, such as the presence of a dog, Read more about Danaë[…]
Details: This mosaic of Alexander the Great (c. 100BC) was discovered during the excavations in Pompeii in 1831 and is located in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. Information: This mosaic is believed to be either a copy of a painting by the famous Apelles of Kos or a copy of a fresco by Philoxenos Read more about Alexander the Great[…]
Details: Back in Black is a sculpture produced by Adrian Tranquilli in 2005. Information: This sculpture of Batman has been included in a few of Tranquilli’s exhibits featuring superheroes. It was included in the 2008 (July – August) exhibit entitled ‘Heroes: The Route of Exposure’. This installation consists of a sculpture of the comic book Read more about Back in Black[…]
Details: The ‘Chihuly Chandelier’ is located at the main entrance rotunda of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Information: The original name for the work was ‘Ice Blue and Spring Green Chandelier.’ However, the work is technically a hanging sculpture, rather than a chandelier, as it is not a source of light. Instead, natural Read more about Chihuly Chandelier[…]
Details: The Swing was painted by Jean-Honoré Fragonard in 1767 and is located in the Wallace Collection in London. Information: This painting is an exemplar of the Rococo movement, which incorporates light and soft brush work and often represents playful and intimate scenes. The word Rococo stems from the Rocaille movement of depicting fancy shell Read more about The Swing[…]
Details: Bacchus and Ariadne was painted by Titian in 1520-3 and is located in the National Gallery of London. Information: The subject matter of this painting is derived from the classical poems of Ovid and Catullus. Ariadne was the daughter of the King of Crete, King Minos. Ariadne had helped Theseus defeat the Minotaur by Read more about Bacchus and Ariadne[…]
Details: The bust of Antinous is located in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Information: Antinous was from the Bithynia (modern day Turkey) and was a lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. While travelling with Hadrian and the imperial entourage along the River Nile in 130 AD, Antinous fell into the river and drowned. The Egyptian God Read more about Antinous[…]