An Angel by Raphael, c.1515–16
Bathed in divine light, the angel in this red chalk drawing by Renaissance artist Raphael commands worship of God with his pointing left arm, guiding our attention upwards. He expresses tenderness towards humanity below with his more open right hand which has been animated with whirling, circular marks.
Donkey painted by Huang Zhou (1925–1997)
This detail is from a tall ink painting of 8 donkeys by the Chinese artist Huang Zhou (1925–1997). Born in 1925 in Hebei province, China, he began painting at an early age. After the People's Republic of China was established in 1949 he spent a number of years in the People’s Liberation Army recording the life and work of people living in the northwest border region.
The Angel of the Annunciation
This tiny tempera painting, just 6.5cm across, from the studio of Andrea Orcagna (c. 1315–1368) probably came from the altar of a church. It shows the Angel of the Annunciation, from the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. The painting is one of a pair, the other showing the Virgin of the Annunciation.
Singing Pierides by Henry Stacy Marks (1827–81)
These singers were painted by Henry Stacy Marks (1827–81) on the elaborate and highly decorated Great Bookcase designed by eminent Victorian architect and designer William Burges. Henry Stacy Marks was one of a number of artists asked by Burges to help paint it between 1859 and 1862. In Greek mythology the Pierides were the nine daughters of King Pieros of Emathia who lived in Macedonia, north of Greece. The Pierides challenged the Muses to a contest of song, judged by the nym
Snow on Benten Hill by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861)
Snow on Benten Hill at Kinryūzan Temple in Asakusa. Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861) was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock printing. He is probably best known for his prints of warriors and battles of legendary heroes, but also created designs of ghosts, cats, beautiful women, actor prints and landscapes. Variations of this print exist, with some not showing any snow on the surface of the water. It shows show at the Kinryūzan Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo and is fr
Bronze Roman Stag Brooch
This enamelled bronze brooch in the shape of a stag, once decorated with bright multi-coloured enamel, would have been used to fasten a shawl or cloak. It was made around AD 100–200 and was found in Amiens, northern France. Enamelled jewellery was very popular in Britain and France during the Roman period.
Winged Nike
On the reverse of this gold coin of Alexander the Great, struck around 330–320 BC, stands Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. In her outstretched right hand she holds a wreath, and in her left hand she holds a ship's mast, likely symbolising a trophy of war. The coinage of Alexander the Great became one of the first truly international currencies, with vast quantities of coins issued from many different mints.
Decorated Elizabethan Trenchers
These painted wooden cutting-boards, made around AD 1600, would have been placed face down on a table and have held sugared fruits, marzipan or other sugary delicacies. After the food was eaten the trenchers would have been turned over to reveal the decoration and verses which would have been read aloud as entertainment. Originally a trencher was a flat piece of stale bread which would have been used as a plate and then either eaten at the end of the meal or giv
Snow at Montfoucault by Camille Pissarro (1830–1903)
Montfoucault was one of the farms in northern France where Pissarro spent long periods between 1874 and 1876. Camille Pissarro (1830–1903) was one of the most prominent members of the Impressionists and the only artist to exhibit at all eight Impressionist exhibitions between 1874 and 1886.
Winter Landscape by Alekseyevich Korovin (1861–1939)
This small oil painting is by Russian artist Konstantin Alekseyevich Korovin (1861–1939). It is one of a set of four winter landscapes, all representing Russian scenes. Korovin was a member of the influential World of Art movement (Mir iskusstva) founded in 1898 in St Petersburg. He worked in an Impressionist style, devoting himself mainly to landscape, but he also became one of Russia's greatest stage and set designers.
Snow, by William Bell Scott (1811–1890)
This chilly picture is a gouache painting by the Scottish artist and poet William Bell Scott (1811–1890). After growing up in Edinburgh, Scott moved to London in where he met members of the Pre-Raphaelite circle of artists and became close friends with Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Six Geese painted by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965)
This is a copy by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965) of a painting in the tomb of Itet, the wife of the Egyptian prince Nefermaat and daughter-in-law of King Sneferu. The tomb was painted c. 2575–2551 BC. Nina de Garis Davies trained at the Slade School of Fine Art and the Royal College of Art in London, and later began a career copying Egyptian tomb paintings, particularly in the region of Thebes.
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