Van der Weyden, Rogier (c.1399-1464) The Magdalen Reading c.1435 Oil on mahogany, transferred from another panel, 62.2 × 54.4 cm National Gallery, London A young lady in an extravagant green dress sits on the floor, reading. Although she wears fifteenth-century clothing…
Tiepolo, Giambattista (1696-1770) Tisaferno e Vafrino (Tisaferno and Vafrino) c.1740–1746 Oil on canvas, 158.8 × 53 cm National Gallery, London Two men in turbans are seated under a tree that provides little shade. One has his back to us; the other, who…
Tiepolo, Giambattista (1696-1770) La vergogna di Rinaldo davanti allo scudo magico (Rinaldo turning in Shame from the Magic Shield) c.1740–1746 Oil on canvas, 161.3 × 53.5 cm National Gallery, London This painting shows Rinaldo, a Christian knight who has been enchanted by…
Tiepolo, Giambattista (1696-1770) Adrasto assiso ai piedi d’Armida (Adrastus seated at the feet of Armida) c.1740–1746 Oil on canvas, 160.4 × 53.5 cm National Gallery, London Within a walled garden, a man wearing a striking blue costume and ornate necklace catches the…
Tiepolo, Giambattista (1696-1770) Il mago d’Ascalona con lo scudo magico ai piedi (The Wizard of Ascalona with the Magic Shield under his Feet) c.1740–1746 Oil on canvas, 159.1 × 53.3 cm National Gallery, London Two men, wearing stunning robes and headdresses made…
Rubens, Peter Paul (1577-1640) Samson and Delilah c.1609–1610 Oil on wood, 185 × 205 cm National Gallery, London Peter Paul Rubens’s Samson and Delilah portrays a tragedy of love and betrayal. According to the Old Testament, Samson, a Jewish hero blessed…
Puvis de Chavannes, Pierre (1824-1898) L’été (Summer) before 1873 Oil on canvas, 43.2 × 62.2 cm National Gallery, London The theme of Puvis de Chavannes’s painting is an old one. Images of summer and harvesting can be found in medieval illuminated manuscripts,…
Poussin, Nicolas (1594-1665) Le Triomphe de Silène (The Triumph of Silenus) c.1636 Oil on canvas, 142.9 × 120.5 cm National Gallery, London This playful scene celebrates Silenus, companion to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and drunkenness. Silenus, a naked old…
Hals, Frans (c.1582-1666) Young Man holding a Skull (Vanitas) 1626–1628 Oil on canvas, 92.2 × 80.8 cm National Gallery, London A life-size figure stands before us, holding a skull in one hand and gesticulating with the other. Shown close up, the…
El Greco (1541-1614) Cristo expulsando a los mercaderes del templo (Christ driving the Traders from the Temple) c.1600 Oil on canvas, 106.3 × 129.7 cm National Gallery, London El Greco has used theatrical gestures and intense colours to express the chaos and…