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

Image title: Allegory of the Catholic Faith Medium: Oil on canvas Date: ca. 1670–72 Source: The Met Collection   “ Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again. ” — Joseph Campbell Velázquez vs. Vermeer: Silence, Space, and the Spectacle of the Interior   Introduction: Two Masters of the Seventeenth Century Diego Velázquez and Johannes Vermeer stand among the most distinguished painters of the 17th century, yet their artistic visions could Read more…

Image title: “The Feast of Sada”, Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp Medium: Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper Date: ca. 1525 Source: The Met Collection   “ Just as a flower, which seems beautiful has color but no perfume, so are the fruitless words of a man who speaks them but does them not. ” — Dhammapada Psychedelic Icons of the Islamic World: Geometry, Color, and Mysticism Read more…

Image title: The Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg, Duchess of Normandy Medium: Tempera, grisaille, ink, and gold on vellum Date: before 1349 Source: The Met Collection   “ Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts. ” — Dan Gable Glory Holes & Gold Leaf: Queering Medieval Manuscript Margins   Introduction: More Than Marginalia The illuminated manuscripts of medieval Europe are often admired for Read more…

Image title: The Penitence of Saint Jerome Medium: Oil on wood Date: ca. 1515 Source: The Met Collection   “ Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten. ” — Aesop Lacquer, Ink, and Gods: The Forgotten Visual Cultures of Edo Japan   Introduction: A World in Detail In the annals of global art history, Japanese Edo-period (1603–1868) visual culture remains a trove of exquisite detail, spiritual resonance, and craftsmanship. While ukiyo-e woodblock prints have long Read more…

Image title: The Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John Medium: Oil on canvas Date: ca. 1624–25 Source: The Met Collection   “ Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground. ” — Theodore Roosevelt Mapping the Stars on Canvas: Celestial Charts as Early Data Visualization   Introduction: Painting the Heavens Before the Telescope Since humanity first looked to the night sky, we have been mapping, interpreting, and mythologizing the stars. Read more…

Image title: Cherry Blossom Viewing at Itsukushima and Yoshino Medium: Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper Date: first half 17th century Source: The Met Collection   “ I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. ” — Thomas Jefferson Ink Empire: The Visual Politics of Japanese Edo Tattoo Culture   Introduction: Beneath the Surface of the Floating Read more…