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1.	Adam and Eve;	The technical mastery of Durer's copper plate engraving is phenomenal. The delicate shading of Adam and Eve in this extremely difficult medium demonstrates the Italian ideal of beauty. However, the animals represent the sins brought to the world as a result of eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

2.	Adoration of the Lamb, Ghent Altarpiece (open);	Jan van Eyck is famous for mastering the technique of oil painting and his meticulously detailed style inspired many other artists, during his own lifetime as well as during later centuries. One of the best examples of his particular style, often described as exhibiting a “microscopic-telescopic vision,” is the Altarpiece of the Lamb or Ghent Altarpiece produced by Jan and his brother Hubert. This monumental polyptych is typical of the large-scale public altarpieces commonly found in chapels, which served as backdrops for the Mass. In addition to their ability to awaken devotion, these artworks were also didactic tools and they visually explained some of the complex theological concepts related to the Mass ritual. This work, one of the largest and most admired altarpieces produced in fifteenth-century Flanders, fulfills both of these functions and its sophisticated theological symbolism is characteristic of van Eyck’s works. This particular image reveals the central panel in the lower register of the interior, which appears when the altarpiece is open. The five panels of the lower register depict the community of saints traveling from the four corners of the earth to partake in the Adoration of the Lamb. In this image, the largest panel, the Lamb is shown on the altar bleeding into a chalice, thus symbolizing the sacrifice of the Son of God. Connections to the Eucharist were further enhanced by allusions to the Trinity and Baptism along the central axis. On the left side of the baptismal font stand Old Testament prophets, and the twelve apostles and a group of martyrs in red appear on the right. To the left and right of the altar are processions of the holy confessors and virgin martyrs respectively. Jan van Eyck’s unique style is exemplified in minute details of the vegetation and far-off buildings as well as the convincing representation of various textures.

3.	Adoration of the Magi (Durer);	As a representation of his First period, Albrecht Durer's "Adoration of the Magi" gives a sense of naturalism found before his period of woodcuts and engravings. The spatial artistry is especially emphasized in the depth of the painting.

4.	Adoration of the Magi;	Albrecht Dürer, one of the leading artists during the Germany Renaissance and Reformation, is celebrated for his innovative work in painting, drawing, the graphic arts, and theoretical writings on art. This early painting entitled Adoration of the Magi was produced for Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, who commissioned this piece the church in his castle in Wittenberg. The composition presents the main characters in a theatrical setting on a stage-like platform. The Madonna, presented in profile, is clothed in blue clothes and cape with a white veil covering her head. The infant Christ, wrapped in her white veil, sits on her lap while receiving a beautiful gift from the eldest king: a gold casket with the image of Saint George carved on it. The Magis, or kings, are all adorned with lavish costumes and bear magnificent gifts; and according to tradition, one of them is a Moor. The artist includes a series of repeated arches to create a diagonal perspective that draws the viewer’s eye into the distance. Dürer based the architecture on Roman ruins he had observed during his travels in Italy and he experimented with the arch in numerous drawings and engravings. His passionate interest in studying the natural world, evident in his many watercolors, is expressed here in his detailed depiction of plants and animals.

5.	Adoration of the Magi;	Digitized static image of Adoration of the Magi (Botticelli)

6.	Adoration of the Magi;	Botticelli was commissioned to paint at least seven versions of The Adoration of the Magi. This was a popular subject for Florentine painters because one of Florence’s leading confraternities was dedicated to the Magi. Every five years members of this confraternity would participate in a pageant where they would reenact the journey to Bethlehem of the wise men and their retinue through the streets of Florence. In this version of Botticelli’s Adoration of the Magi, the artist imbues his figures with a sense of piety and respect. The arrangement of figures appears formal and posed with the human forms and gestures reflected in the surrounding landscape. The painting both involves and distances the viewer by placing him or her within the circle surrounding the virgin and child, but excluded across the lawn. This position of the viewer evokes the idea of desio (desire or yearning), a popular concept in the Florentine Platonic Academy, wherein the soul could mystically traverse the gulf between man and God through a strong sense of yearning. Although as spectators we are across the lawn, the architecture and perspective pull in our gaze, giving us that sense of longing to cross into the scene. The stone pillars under which the virgin and child sit evoke memories of a once-imposing Roman monument, whereas the timber roof reflects early Christian basilica churches, such as Old St. Peter’s, which Botticelli would have seen when visiting Rome. The new timber upholds the decaying classical structure, reflecting Christianity’s rise from the ruins of paganism or continuity between classical and Christian philosophy.

7.	Alexander the Great Coin;	Coin issued by Alexander the Great. As time progressed the head of Herkles on the coin slowly adopted the features of Alexander.

8.	Alexander the Great Coin;	This image depicts a silver Tetradrachm issued by Alexander the Great at Alexandria around 326 or 325 BC, just a few years before his death. The silver coinage produced throughout his empire employed the same two motifs; the obverse showed a head of Herakles wearing a lionskin, and the reverse represented an enthroned Zeus. These images held great symbolic significance for the young conqueror. For generations Macedonian rulers had claimed descent from the famous hero Herakles, who had been admitted into Mt. Olympus after his death. For Alexander, whose favorite book was the Iliad and who fashioned himself as a heroic conqueror, this valiant ancestor became particularly meaningful. According to later authors, Alexander’s mother, Olympus, claimed that Zeus was her son’s father and some believe that Alexander himself went to the sanctuary of Zeus-Ammon in the desert at Siwa to have that paternity confirmed. Coinage produced by Alexander’s successors, particularly Ptolemy I, replaced Herakles’ head with Alexander’s own, wearing an elephant headdress in a reference to Heraklean iconography, to justify their own claims to power. This particular coin was produced in the last stylistic phase of Alexandrian coins and copies spread throughout Alexander’s vast empire.

9.	Alpine Landscape;	Albrecht Dürer, one of the leading artists during the Germany Renaissance and Reformation, is celebrated for his innovative work in painting, drawing, the graphic arts, and theoretical writings on art. This image is an example of his experimentation with watercolors, and he produced this landscape during his second Italian journey. Dürer employs loose brushstrokes that create a scene of naturalistic delicacy. Although the location on which this image is based is not known, the most convincing suggestion is that it depicts the Cembra Valley near Segonzano.

10.	Alpine Landscape;	Digitized static image of Durer's Alpine Landscape

11.	Altar of Zeus Frieze;	Digitized static image of "Altar of Zeus Frieze" slide.

12.	Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp;	Rembrandt's baroque effects in "Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp" include the dramatic contrast of emotion and light as Dr. Tulp calmly displays a dissected arm to entranced and shocked onlookers. In addition, the bewitching light on the corpse echoes baroque tendencies.

13.	Angel, Baptism of Christ detail;	Digitized static image of "Angel, Baptism of Christ detail" slide.

14.	Annunciate Gabriel, Ghent Altarpiece (closed);	Jan van Eyck is famous for mastering the technique of oil painting and his meticulously detailed style inspired many other artists, during his own lifetime as well as during later centuries. One of the best examples of his particular style, often described as exhibiting a “microscopic-telescopic vision,” is the Altarpiece of the Lamb or Ghent Altarpiece produced by Jan and his brother Hubert. This monumental polyptych is typical of the large-scale public altarpieces commonly found in chapels, which served as backdrops for the Mass. In addition to their ability to awaken devotion, these artworks were also didactic tools and they visually explained some of the complex theological concepts related to the Mass ritual. This work, one of the largest and most admired altarpieces produced in fifteenth-century Flanders, fulfills both of these functions and its sophisticated theological symbolism is characteristic of van Eyck’s works. The entire altarpiece offers an intricate portrayal of the whole Christian cycle, from the Fall to the Redemption. The exterior, which appears when the shutters are closed, depicts the donors in humble prayer before John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the lowest register, a typical Annunciation scene in the central register, and ancient figures believed to have prophesied of Christ in the uppermost arches. This particular image portrays the angel Gabriel announcing the sacred news to the Virgin. The rainbow-colored wings, lilies and voluminous white mantle are common motifs found in Flemish Annunciation scenes from this period. In the arch above, Zachariah looks downward as he points to a passage of scripture and the scroll behind him displays prophecies of the coming of Christ.

15.	Annunciate Virgin, Ghent Altarpiece (closed);	Jan van Eyck is famous for mastering the technique of oil painting and his meticulously detailed style inspired many other artists, during his own lifetime as well as during later centuries. One of the best examples of his particular style, often described as exhibiting a “microscopic-telescopic vision,” is the Altarpiece of the Lamb or Ghent Altarpiece produced by Jan and his brother Hubert. This monumental polyptych is typical of the large-scale public altarpieces commonly found in chapels, which served as backdrops for the Mass. In addition to their ability to awaken devotion, these artworks were also didactic tools and they visually explained some of the complex theological concepts related to the Mass ritual. This work, one of the largest and most admired altarpieces produced in fifteenth-century Flanders, fulfills both of these functions and its sophisticated theological symbolism is characteristic of van Eyck’s works. The entire altarpiece offers an intricate portrayal of the whole Christian cycle, from the Fall to the Redemption. The exterior, which appears when the shutters are closed, depicts the donors in humble prayer before John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the lowest register, a typical Annunciation scene in the central register, and ancient figures believed to have prophesied of Christ in the uppermost arches. This particular image portrays the Virgin’s humble acceptance of Gabriel’s sacred charge as she kneels below the Holy Ghost represented in the form of a dove. In the arch above, Micah observes the scene below and the scroll above him displays prophecies of the coming of Christ.

16.	Annunciation and Nativity;	Digitized static image of the Annunciation and Nativity.

17.	Annunciation and Nativity;	Nicola Pisano was one of the last medieval sculptors to include classical styles. His interest in copying Roman styles presupposed artistic ideals of the Italian Renaissance. Frederick II of Germany, who ruled Sicily while Pisano was trained there as a sculptor, saw himself as the heir to the Caesars and emphasized the incorporation of classical styles into art. Pisano took these influences with him when he moved north to Pisa and carved the Annunciation and Nativity scene for the pulpit of the baptistery of Pisa Cathedral. The dense grouping of figures on the pulpit’s panel, their Roman features, and the reclining Mary reflect carvings from Etruscan, Roman, and Early Christian sarcophagi that Pisano would have seen in both Sicily and Pisa. While the figures are classical, the focus on human feeling is typical of Gothic art. The fact that the Annunciation and Nativity carving was created for a baptistery pulpit is significant. Baptism in thirteenth century Italy was a civic and religious event, bringing children into both the church and the commune. While the Annunciation and Nativity panel depicts several stories and figures relating to the birth of Christ, such as the shepherds in the upper right and Joseph in the lower left, the lower-central apocryphal scene of two midwives testing the temperature of the Christ child’s bath evoke associations with the sacrament of baptism. Digitized static image of the Annunciation and Nativity.

18.	Annunciation detail, Ghent Altarpiece (closed);	Jan van Eyck is famous for mastering the technique of oil painting and his meticulously detailed style inspired many other artists, during his own lifetime as well as during later centuries. One of the best examples of his particular style, often described as exhibiting a “microscopic-telescopic vision,” is the Altarpiece of the Lamb or Ghent Altarpiece produced by Jan and his brother Hubert. This monumental polyptych is typical of the large-scale public altarpieces commonly found in chapels, which served as backdrops for the Mass. In addition to their ability to awaken devotion, these artworks were also didactic tools and they visually explained some of the complex theological concepts related to the Mass ritual. This work, one of the largest and most admired altarpieces produced in fifteenth-century Flanders, fulfills both of these functions and its sophisticated theological symbolism is characteristic of van Eyck’s works. The entire altarpiece offers an intricate portrayal of the whole Christian cycle, from the Fall to the Redemption. The exterior, which appears when the shutters are closed, depicts the donors in humble prayer before John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the lowest register, a typical Annunciation scene in the central register, and ancient figures believed to have prophesied of Christ in the uppermost arches. This particular image portrays one of the central panels in the middle register; an interior is displayed that houses the instruments used for the preparation of the Mass. While the basin and towel would have been used for the washing of priests’ hands, their proximity to Mary is significant as they also symbolized her role as a pure vessel to carry the Son of God. Although scholars are not exactly certain which parts Hubert completed, the convincing textures of metal and wood displayed here are typical of Jan van Eyck’s remarkable style.

19.	Annunciation detail, Ghent Altarpiece (closed);	Jan van Eyck is famous for mastering the technique of oil painting and his meticulously detailed style inspired many other artists, during his own lifetime as well as during later centuries. One of the best examples of his particular style, often described as exhibiting a “microscopic-telescopic vision,” is the Altarpiece of the Lamb or Ghent Altarpiece produced by Jan and his brother Hubert. This monumental polyptych is typical of the large-scale public altarpieces commonly found in chapels, which served as backdrops for the Mass. In addition to their ability to awaken devotion, these artworks were also didactic tools and they visually explained some of the complex theological concepts related to the Mass ritual. This work, one of the largest and most admired altarpieces produced in fifteenth-century Flanders, fulfills both of these functions and its sophisticated theological symbolism is characteristic of van Eyck’s works. The entire altarpiece offers an intricate portrayal of the whole Christian cycle, from the Fall to the Redemption. The exterior, which appears when the shutters are closed, depicts the donors in humble prayer before John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the lowest register, a typical Annunciation scene in the central register, and ancient figures believed to have prophesied of Christ in the uppermost arches. This particular image portrays one of the central panels in the middle register that depicts a low-ceilinged interior. The remarkably detailed view of a Netherlandish city in the distance suggests that the angel entered the chamber from the outside world.

20.	Aphrodite of Cyrene;	After the disillusionment and alienation brought on by the political upheaval in fourth- century Greece, Greek thought and art began to focus more on the individual and real life rather than the community and the ideal. Aphrodite of Cyrene, produced by the celebrated sculptor Praxiteles, reflects these changes. Praxiteles still favored the subject of Olympian gods and goddesses and graced them with idealized beauty; yet, his figures contrasted with the sculptures of the High Classical period in their gentle grace and sensuousness. Although the original of this work does not survive, this image depicts a Roman copy created around 100 BC that was found in the Roman baths at Cyrene, North Africa, from which it obtained its name. The porpoise on which she leans at the lower left hints at the goddess’s origins as she is believed to have risen from the ocean at birth. The figure’s complete nudity proved shocking to contemporaries because previously only courtesans and slaves were depicted in that fashion. Today there are over 50 Roman copies of Praxiteles many depictions of the goddess of love and his original statues with their sinuous poses profoundly influenced his contemporaries as well as later artists.

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