Statuette of Asklepios Enthroned
Unearthed in a luxurious Roman villa in Corinth, a marble statuette of Asclepius enthroned reveals the quiet persistence of pagan devotion even as Christianity reshaped the ancient world.
Byzantine Engagement Ring in the Stathatos Collection
Love, faith, and dynasty — a Byzantine engagement ring from the Stathatos Collection reveals the extraordinary world of a prominent family whose story ends at the fall of Constantinople.
The Medici in Faenza
Faenza gave the world faïence — and the International Museum of Ceramics preserves its greatest treasures, including a small, exquisite Majolica plate that quietly speaks of Medici power.
The Roses of Heliogabalus by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
A Roman emperor releases a cascade of rose petals to smother his banquet guests — Alma-Tadema transforms this tale of imperial cruelty into a breathtaking vision of beauty and horror.
The enduring legacy of ancient civilizations
Hubert Robert never painted one place — he painted time itself. The Ruins of Nîmes, Orange and Saint-Rémy blends real Roman monuments into a dreamlike meditation on decay and grandeur.”
Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s bust of Duke Francesco I d’Este
Bernini sculpted Duke Francesco I d’Este without ever meeting him — the result is one of Baroque art’s most theatrically alive portraits, later reimagined by Giovanni Boldini’s expressive brush.
Saint Constantine in Arezzo
On Saint Constantine’s name day, a journey to Arezzo — where Piero della Francesca’s majestic frescoes place Constantine at the heart of one of Renaissance art’s greatest cycles.
Sosannah
Susannah, a woman of rare beauty and deeper virtue, faced a cruel choice — submit or be condemned. Her unwavering courage became a timeless testament to virtue and truth.
Ancient Greek Gold Phiale
Crafted in gold for sacred libations, the ancient Greek Mesomphalos Phiale at MFA Boston is a rare and exquisite emblem of ritual, artistry, and the spiritual world of ancient Greece.
Giambologna’s Mercury
Poised mid-flight on a breath of wind, Giambologna’s bronze Mercury at Florence’s Bargello Museum defies gravity — a Mannerist masterpiece where myth, motion, and divine elegance are frozen in bronze.