Ancient Art

Buddha Dated 338, gilt bronze, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Buddha Dated 338

Buddha dated 338 is a masterpiece of Buddhist art and Chinese art with deep historical significance. It exemplifies the early blending of Indian...

James W Singer 14 December 2025

Thomas Cole, The Course of Empire, Destruction, 1836, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Ancient Rome

Painting the Fall of the Roman Empire

After many centuries, we are still wondering why the Roman Empire disappeared. Many theories try to explain it: wars, ideological problems, a chaotic...

Celia Leiva Otto 11 December 2025

Ancient Rome

The Ancient Queen and the Modern Sculptress: Zenobia by Harriet Hosmer

Harriet Hosmer, the 19th-century American sculptor from Watertown, Massachusetts was the exceptional talent behind the towering sculpture of Zenobia.

Maya M. Tola 8 December 2025

Ancient Rome

Roman Floor Mosaics: Stories in Stone and Glass

Floor mosaics are one of the most well-preserved and widespread objects of Roman art. They were found throughout the Roman Empire from Britain to...

Anuradha Sroha 1 December 2025

Art of Australia & Oceania

Indigenous Australian Art: Traditions from a Fascinating Ancient Past

Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) culture is nowadays considered one of the most ancient in the world. Some historians...

Camilla de Laurentis 25 November 2025

Ancient Rome

The Evolution of Art During the Fall of Rome

The Fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE was a pivotal moment in history, signifying the end of a dominant civilization that had reigned...

Maya M. Tola 10 November 2025

Art History 101

The Sphinx Through the Ages: All You Need to Know About This Mythological Creature

As one of the most enduring symbols in world mythology, the sphinx embodies a fascination with mystery, power, and transformation. From its origins...

Martha Teverson 10 November 2025

Asian Art

Gods of the Hindu Trinity: Representation in Art

The Hindu trinity comprises Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva (or Mahesh), the destroyer. These three Gods represent the cyclical...

Maya M. Tola 20 October 2025

Ancient Egypt

The Temple of Dendur: Roman Egypt Preserved in Manhattan

Built around 15 BCE, the Temple of Dendur honored both Roman authority in Egypt and local Nubian traditions, blending imperial politics with regional...

Maya M. Tola 2 October 2025

Design

Turquoise: Art, Culture, and Myth of a Gemstone

The bright blue-green Turquoise has been valued and revered for centuries by all the cultures around the world that had access to it. Several...

Nadine Waldmann 16 September 2025

Europa Art: Valentin Serov, The Rape of Europa, 1910, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moskva, Russia. Literature

How Europe Got Its Name—The Myth of Europa in Art

Have you ever wondered where the name of the continent Europe comes from? Meet Europa, a Phoenician woman who became the inspiration for the name of...

Magda Michalska 8 September 2025

Asian Art

Lakshmi in Art: The Goddess of Wealth

Lakshmi is a prominent Hindu deity who is also revered by Buddhists and Jains. Her eminent position in the Hindu pantheon emanates not only from her...

Maya M. Tola 8 September 2025