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Eyes to behold stunning artworks in world-class museums.

From 1787 To 1800

5 min read
Asian Art / The Met

    In some of the porcelain on view, the color green predominates in the painted decoration.
    In others, such as this jar, it is shades of pink that dominate.
    Porcelains painted with this palette have generally been known as famille rose (pink family) in Western writings.

Side chair (voyeuse)

ca. 1735–after 1798, master 1762 / The Met

    Gambling was ubiquitous during the ancien régime, as evidenced in paintings and engravings of the period, and gaming was central to the social rituals of the court and the nobility.
    This painted and gilded side chair is of a type made especially for use during a gaming session.
   Known as voyeuse or viewer, these chairs were produced in a variety of different models depending on the gender of the occupant
    With its high saddle-shaped seat, this chair was designed for a male spectator.
   Straddling it backward, he could rest his arms on the padded top rail of the chair back and watch the game unfold as well as allowing him to view the hand of a player

Julie Le Brun (1780–1819) Looking in a Mirror

French, Paris 1755–1842 Paris / The Met

    Vigée Le Brun represents her only child, Julie, both in profile and full-face through the inclusion of a mirror and impossible perspective.
    The resulting double image, which draws on earlier artists' allegorical figures of Sight, plays on reality versus illusion in painting.
    Vigée Le Brun submitted three paintings of her daughter, including this work, to the Salon of 1787; approximately two years earlier, she had depicted Julie in a nearly identical composition.

From 14th Century To 15th Century

From 14th Century To 15th Century

During the 14th and 15th centuries, artists in Europe began to break away from the traditional Gothic style. They began to experiment with new techniques and styles, resulting in a period of great creativity and innovation in the arts. Some of the most famous artworks from this period include the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, and the sculptures of Donatello. Box with Romance Scenes     This coffret illustrated with scenes from Arthurian and other courtly literature of the M
-5 min read
From 1819 To 1826

From 1819 To 1826

The 19th century was a time of great change in the world of art. Artists began to experiment with new styles and media, and the art world was forever changed as a result. Some of the most famous artists of the time include Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso. The Falls of Niagara     The painting is of Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.     The painting is based on a vignette of the falls from a map of North America published by Henry S. Tanner in 1822. Heroic Landscape w
-4 min read
From 1870 To 1875

From 1870 To 1875

In the 19th century, art history became a field of study in its own right for the first time. Art historians began to look at the history of art as a reflection of the history of society, and to study the relationship between art and politics, religion, and other aspects of culture. The Dance Class     This work and its variant in the Musee d'Orsay, Paris, represent the most ambitious paintings Degas devoted to the theme of the dance.     Some twenty-four women, ballerinas and their mothers,
-5 min read