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The Virgin Adoring the Host
Jean-Auguste-Dominic Ingres. Oil on canvas. This painting was commissioned by the future Alexander II of Russian, but was exhibited in Paris before it was delivered to him. The style is deliberately remiscent of Raphael in clarity of form and purity of color. Ingres considered himself a "conservator of doctrine" more than an "innovator," yet his use of space is regarded as innovative, paving the way for modern art. -
The Gleaners
Jean Francois Millet. Oil on canvas. This painting of three peasant women gleaning in a wheat field was not well-received when it was unveiled in Paris because of its realistic depiction of poor field-laborers. The large size of the painting (33 X 44 in.) is also unusual for this type of subject. Millet combines the true with the beautiful in this painting, contrasting the large stacks of wheat in the background with the handfuls of wheat left on the ground for the gleaners. -
Ugolino and His Sons
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. Marble.
Count Ugolino is a character in Dante's Inferno, a traitor who, along with his sons and grandsons, died of starvation in prison. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this work shows Carpeaux's reverence for Michelangelo and his commitment to realistic anatomical representation. -
The Plum Garden in Kameido
Hiroshige. Woodblock print. Ink and color on paper. This print is from his series, "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo." Hiroshige took landscape printing in a new direction from the Chinese, with smaller-scale, more intimate scenes. He used special techniques, such as mixing glue with ink for a glittery effect, and adding mica to his ink. This print was later copied by van Gogh in 1887. -
Les Miserables
Victor Hugo. Set during the French Revolution, this novel is considered to be one of the greatest literary works of the 19th century. It follows the story of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption and forgiveness. -
Palace of Westminster
Charles Barry & Augustus Pugin. One of the architectural trends during the Victorian Era was a revival of the gothic style, ("Gothic Revival"). Westminster was built over a thrity-year period in that style. The large tower at the left side of the photo is Victoria Tower, the focal point of the structure. At the northern end (to the right) is Elizabeth Tower, the home of "Big Ben." From across the Thames, the palace, with all of its spires, is an impressive sight indeed. -
Impression, Sunrise
Jean Claude Monet. Oil on canvas. Monet painted this as one of a series of paintings of the harbor in his hometown, Le Havre. The series included paintings at different times of the day, and from different points of view. This one is the most famous of the series, and is credited with giving "Impressionsim" its name. -
The Dance Class
Edgar Degas. Beginning in 1870, Degas began painting many ballet scenes, often showing the dancers offstage or in rehearsal, emphasizing their "work" as dancers, as opposed to the art of the ballet itself. Considered an Impressionist by some, his works do not share in some of the major characteristics, such as open air painting, and the use of the "color fleck." -
Danse Macabre
Audio Recording Camille Saint-Saens. Symphonic poem. Also called a tone poem, this piece is a symphonic work of only one movement that uses music to tell a story, i.e., a type of program music. Tone poems are similar to opera in their fusion of music and drama, but they accomplish this without relying on a text. -
Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)
Winslow Homer. Oil on canvas. Winslow Homer was perhaps America's greatest 19th century painter. Henry James said that he suceeded "incontestably" at taking "the least pictoral" scenes and treating them as if they were pictoral. His paintings of children, such as this one, are devoid of sentimentalism, somthing that would earn him praise from Clive Bell. -
The Ring (Der Ring des Nibelungen)
"Listen to an excerpt" Richard Wagner. Opera Cycle, consisting of four operas: "The Rhine Gold," "The Valkyrie," "Siegfried," and "Twilight of the Gods." Wagner was committed to what he called "Gesamtkunswerk," i.e., "total work of art," a blending of music, drama, poetry and visual art in one work. He wrote both the librettos and the music. Photo: very first Brunnhilde. -
H.M.S Pinafore
Audio from 1911 Performance
Gilbert and Sullivan. A comic opera that opened in London in 1878 and became widely popular in both Britain and the United States. It was followed by two more highly succesful operas: The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. -
Luncheon of the Boating Party
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Oil on canvas.
When exhibited in the Seventh Impressionistic Exhibition in 1882, this painting was considered to best in show by three critics. Renoir includes a mix of classes of people, with a working class party in the foreground. Rich, warm colors are contrasted with the white of the tablecloth and men's vests, which reflect the light in the painting. This is a very accesible, pleasing painting., -
Bathers at Asnieres
Georges Seurat. Oil on canvas. Seurat here gives us a scene of beauty and peace in the foreground, with the encroaching effects of the industrial revolution in the background. His use of pointillism (which he developed, along with Paul Signac), is stunning in its subtlety. The balance of color and figures are masterful. -
The Statue of Liberty
Designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel. Dedicated in 1886, this 151 ft. tall neoclassical statue was given to the United States by the people of France. The figure is of the Roman goddess Libertas. She holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left, on which is inscribed the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. -
The Starry Night
Vincent Van Gogh. Oil on canvas.
The Starry Night is one of the most famous and beloved works of Western art. It represents the view from van Gogh's asylum room at St. Remy. Ironically, he considered the painting a failure, saying that he was "led astray into reaching for stars that are too big," (probably a reference to Gaugin's influence on his work). -
The Eiffel Tower
Made of iron and held together by rivets, this structure has become a symbol of Paris, indeed, of France, world-wide. It was built for the World Fair, and to commemoratae the 100th anniversay of the French Revolution. Initially criticized by Paris artists as being a "hateful column of bolted sheet metal," it is now a beloved icon, possibly for what it represents more than for its form alone. -
Figure of Magu with a Fawn
Su Xuejin, 1869-1919. (Qing Dynasty). Porcelain with clear glaze. (Exact date unkonwn.)
Su Xuejin, a master figure modeler, is known for his excellent imitations of Ming-era porcelain figurines.This figure represents a popular Chinese image, often given as a wedding anniversary gift. -
Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses
Paul Cezanne. Oil on canvas. This is one of his rare still life paintings that includes a potted plant. Cezanne juxtaposes the bright, luscious three-dimensional fruit with a flat pale green wall, a crisp white cloth, and the darker cool colors of the primrose leaves. -
Sleeping Beauty
View a performance featuring Rudolf Nuriev as the prince Music composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who died in 1893, before he was able to see how popular this ballet would become outside of Russia. It has become one of classical ballet's most famous works.Acts I and II contain "leitmotifs" representing good and evil. Above is a promotional photo of the original cast -
Tiger in a Tropical Storm
Henri Rousseau. Oil on canvas. This painting of a tiger stalking an unseen prey was originally titled "Surprised!" Rousseau painted the scene in layers, using many different shades of green to portray the lushness of the jungle. This is the work that brought him his first recognition. Critics did not like him very much, but painters Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, and Picasso were all admirers of his work. -
The Siesta
Paul Gaugin. Oil on canvas. (c. 1892-94). Gaugin used Tahitian women as subjects in many of his praintings, being impressed by their grace and lack of self-consciousness. Given that he was heavily influenced by Schopenhauer, one could say that the subject of this painting is not the women themselves, but the graceful ease and peace of their attitudes. This painting underwent several changes: a woman's figure was eliminated at the left, and the basket of fruit was initially a dog. -
Artichode Wallpaper
John Henry Dearle, 1897. This design was made for William Morris & Co. and is a good representation of the Arts and Crafts movement. This movement was concerned with the effects of the Industrial Revolution on the decorative arts. The movement spread from Britain to the U.S. and then to Japan in the 1930s. -
Bible Quilt
Harriet Powers. Mixed Media.
This is one of only two surviving quilts made by Harriet Powers, an African-American quilter. Her works are considered to be the finest examples of Southern quilting. -
Chiwara Masks
Late 19th/Early 20th century. Mali. These are masks resembling antelopes. They are made in male and female versions. (The female mask is at the left, and the male, on the right.) The Chiwara became an iconic figure in Europe, as a representation of "primitive art."
