Sculpture

Review

A Dog with the Face of Elon Musk Kneeled in Front of Me, and It Wasn’t a Dream—Beeple in Berlin

Last week, I entered the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin for a press meeting with Beeple. I was too early and looked for the restroom, and suddenly...

Kate Wojtczak 18 May 2026

Dioskourides, Gemma Augustea, 9-12 CE, sardonyx and gold, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Gemma Augustea by Dioskourides

The Gemma Augustea is the second largest cameo surviving from antiquity, and one of the most artistically valuable pieces of ancient Roman art. It is...

James W Singer 17 May 2026

Baroque

Masterpiece Story: Apollo and Daphne by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Apollo and Daphne, one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s first major commissions, was completed between 1622 and 1625 for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a...

Maya M. Tola 17 May 2026

Ancient Rome

Masterpiece Story: Mithras Slaying the Bull

Mithras Slaying the Bull is a compilation of the entire religious and symbolic images of Mithraism. It reflects promised immortality and personal...

James W Singer 17 May 2026

Renaissance

Masterpiece Story: Pietà by Michelangelo

The Pietà–or Virgin of Pity–is the representation of the Blessed Virgin holding her divine son on her knees. This iconic type entered Italy...

Montaine Dumont 17 May 2026

Ancient Egypt

The Pharaoh Who Looks Like a Woman—The Mystery of Akhenaten’s Body

If you thought that ancient Egypt had always been only about a large pantheon of gods, solid and emotionless sculptures, and masculine pharaohs, have...

Magda Michalska 13 May 2026

Animals

Blue Faience Hippopotamuses: The Cutest Animals of Ancient Egypt

Blue faience hippopotamus was a popular statuette in ancient Egyptian art. It was considered to have positive traits associated with fertility and...

Zuzanna Stańska 13 May 2026

Ancient Egypt

The Bust of Nefertiti: Ancient Masterpiece or Genius Hoax?

On December 6, 1912, a team of excavators led by Ludwig Borchardt, unearthed a wonderful work of art in Egypt. They found the bust of the Egyptian...

Montaine Dumont 13 May 2026

Herstory

10 Powerful Mother Goddess Sculptures

The fearsome Great Mother is an archetype appearing in all cultures and all times. Here are our top 10 powerful mother goddess sculptures!

Candy Bedworth 11 May 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Queen Mother Idia of Benin

Africa is a beautiful continent filled with sweeping landscapes and mighty rivers. Its history is filled with great kingdoms and large empires. Its...

James W Singer 10 May 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Death of Cleopatra by Edmonia Lewis

As a Black and Indigenous woman, Edmonia Lewis overcame prejudice and defied societal expectations to become a successful sculptor. Her Death of...

Catriona Miller 8 May 2026

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Self-Portrait, c. 1635, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy. Artist Stories

Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 5 Facts and 5 Artworks

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was a multifaceted artist. He is mostly known as a sculptor and architect, but he was also a painter and a city planner. He...

Vithória Konzen Dill 7 May 2026