Poussin, Nicolas (1594-1665) La Sainte Famille sur les marches (The Holy Family on the Steps) 1648 Oil on canvas, 73.3 x 105.8 cm Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Poussin placed small wax models in a box pierced with holes to study…
Murillo, Bartolomé Esteban (1617-1682) Autorretrato (Self Portrait) c.1670 Oil on canvas, 122 × 107 cm National Gallery, London Murillo probably painted this self portrait in about 1670, when he was in his early fifties – his hairline is receding and his…
Ribera, Jusepe de (1591-1652) L’Astronomo (The Astronomer) 1638 Oil on canvas, 78.4 x 97.8 cm Worcester Art Museum, Worcester
Giordano, Luca (1634-1705) Allegoria della Prudenza (Allegory of Prudence) early 1680s Oil on canvas, 99.7 x 95.2 cm National Gallery, London This modello, or detailed oil study, is one of a group of 12 that Giordano made in preparation for the ceiling frescoes…
Lotto, Lorenzo (1480-1557) Allegoria della Virtù e del Vizio (Allegory of Virtue and Vice) 1505 Oil on panel, 56.5 x 42.2 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington Set on a strip of land under a cloud-filled sky and in front of…
Rubens, Peter Paul (1577-1640) Portrait of a Man, Possibly an Architect or Geographer 1597 Oil on copper, 21.6 x 14.6 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York This sensitive portrait on copper is one of Rubens’s earliest known works. The square…
Derain, André (1880-1954) Nature morte (Still Life) c.1938–1943 Oil on canvas, 88.5 x 145.8 cm Tate Britain, London In his work of this period Derain explored the traditions of past art. The unusual size and monumental quality of this painting can…
Vermeer, Jan (1632-1675) The Geographer (De geograaf) 1669 Oil on canvas, 52 x 45 cm Städel Museum, Frankfurt The geographer has just been measuring distances on a map with his compass; now, he pauses for thought. The globe and the map…
Caravaggio (1571-1610) Amor Vincit Omnia (Love Conquers All / Cupid as Victor) 1601–1602 Oil on canvas, 156.5 x 113.3 cm Gemäldegalerie, Berlin Around 1592/93, Caravaggio came to Rome from Lombardy, bringing with him formative impressions of the works of Savoldo, Lotto, Romanino…