Magna Graecia Red-figure Amphora
The "Red-figure" technique where figures are left in the natural color of the clay against a black-glazed background. These vessels from Southern Italy (Magna Graecia) are some of the most memorable, in my opinion. This one in particular is amazingly detailed toward the neck.
Metapontum Stater
Every coin has art on its face. I enjoy this one in particular because of the extremely high relief alongside the symbolism. The depiction of an ear of barley for Demeter is incredibly detailed for a 2400 year old piece of silver. Metapontum was a wealthy area due to agricultural success, and they made sure to pay respects to Demeter and her ear of barley.
Portrait of Charlotte du Val d'Ognes
Artist: Marie-Denise Villers (1801)
I really like the light and drapery of the robe here. Note the trompe-l'œil effect of the broken window pane - a technical exercise in rendering transparency and light.
Portrait of a Mughal Woman
Artist: Francesco Renaldi (1787)
The artist travelled to India and painted this woman. I liked this piece because it made me think about how people can live in entirely different universes from yourself. The culture, language, norms, and dress is completely different. What would I be wearing, saying, doing if I was born somewhere else?
Tóth: Beauty, Money, and Mind
Artist: László Tóth (1904)
Housed in the Hungarian National Gallery, I think this triptych contrasts pillars of early 20th-century existence in Hungary. In 1904 industrialization, rapid cultural growth, and scientific breakthroughs were all indicators of the prosperity Austria-Hungary was privy to. In 1904, the Hungarian Parliament building had just been completed.
Marble Sculpture in the National Museum of Art
Not much I have to say here. The flowy lines of the drapery look amazing.
St. Stephen’s Basilica Ceiling
The interior ceiling of St. Stephen's Basilica.
Woman Holding a Cat
I like this one because it once again reminds me of some of the constants in human behavior and emotion over the centuries.
Monet: Woman with a Parasol
My favorite painting. I probably sat on the couch across from this painting in Washington, D.C. for nearly an hour. It makes me think of being a little kid, helping my mom in her garden. The light and brushwork is also beautiful, for lack of better words (I have no technical eye).
The Parisian Salon-Style Presentation
An example of the dense "Salon" style of hanging. Unlike modern galleries with wide whitespace, this style was meant to show everything at once to emphasize interconnectedness. This page uses the same style, by design!