Explore the past, understand the present, and inspire the future.

Image title: The Return from the Hunt Medium: Tempera and oil on wood Date: ca. 1494–1500 Source: The Met Collection   “ Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. ” — Douglas Adams From Cave Walls to Code Walls: The Eternal Return of Human Mark-Making   I. Marks of Origin: The Handprints of Prehistory Long Read more…

Image title: The Birth of the Virgin Medium: Tempera and oil on wood Date: 1467 Source: The Met Collection   “ To lead people walk behind them. ” — Laozi Optical Illusions in Oil: The Science Behind Baroque Perspective Tricks   Introduction: When Art Met the Eye In the grand candlelit halls of 17th-century Europe, visitors often found themselves lured into painted worlds so real that they prompted disbelief. Baroque painters were the master illusionists Read more…

Image title: Hercules and Achelous Medium: Ivory Date: probably mid-17th century Source: The Met Collection   “ A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be. ” — Albert Einstein The Politics of Restoration: Who Decides What Art Should Look Like?   Introduction: The Fragile Curtain of Authenticity Every brushstroke of history is vulnerable—not only to the erosion of time, but to the shifting values of those who preserve Read more…

Image title: Cihuateotl Medium: Volcanic stone (porphyritic andesite), pigment Date: 15th–early 16th century Source: The Met Collection   “ The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. ” — Abraham Lincoln Mesoamerican Maps of the Soul: Reading Aztec Codices as Visual Philosophy   Introduction: Decoding the Painted Cosmos Long before the Western world conceived of philosophy as a written discipline, the civilizations of Mesoamerica were Read more…

Image title: The Crucifixion; The Last Judgment Medium: Oil on canvas, transferred from wood Date: ca. 1436–38 Source: The Met Collection   “ Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them. ” — Albert Einstein Beyond Blue and White: Rediscovering African Ceramic Traditions   1. The Earth Speaks: Origins of African Ceramics Long before porcelain and fine china were perfected in Asia or Europe, African artisans were transforming clay into both functional and spiritual Read more…

Image title: Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) and Marie Anne Lavoisier (Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, 1758–1836) Medium: Oil on canvas Date: 1788 Source: The Met Collection   “ Ask yourself the secret of your success. Listen to your answer and practice it. ” — Richard Bach Alchemy and Oil: The Secret Science of Renaissance Pigments   Chapter I: The Alchemical Origins of Art Long before artists were considered masters of technique and vision, they were experimenters Read more…