Unknown – Wilton Diptych
Richard II presented to the Virgin and Child by his Patron Saint John the Baptist and Saints Edward and Edmund
– all are represented as traditional icons

Unknown – Baptism of Christ
Richard II presented to the Virgin and Child by his Patron Saint John the Baptist and Saints Edward and Edmund
– all are represented as traditional icons.

Da Vinci – The Last Supper
Even in a traditional religious scene, the human drama of the moment overshadows the image’s religious significance.

Leonardo Da Vinci – Vitruvian Man
Da Vinci’s analytical portrait of man (which has been beamed to potential alien observers) reflects the scientific mentality of his age.

Leonardo Da Vinci – Womb
Da Vinci’s medical sketches reveal a irrepressible scientific curiosity in an age where such activities were seen as illegal and immoral .

Michaelangelo – Mona Lisa
Renaissance art was heavily influenced by the Humanist movement. This famous example demonstrates the growing importance of the individual.

Michaelangelo – The Pieta
Renaissance art was heavily influenced by the Humanist movement. Here, the religious theme is overshadowed by the personal drama of mother and son.

Michaelangelo – The Pieta
Renaissance art was heavily influenced by the Humanist movement. Here, the religious theme is overshadowed by the personal drama of mother and son.

Michaelangelo – The Pieta
Renaissance art was heavily influenced by the Humanist movement. Here, the religious theme is overshadowed by the personal drama of mother and son.

Michaelangelo – St. Peter’s Basilica
Renaissance art and architecture were heavily influenced by the Classical models that lay close at hand – compare this to Rome’s Pantheon.

Michaelangelo – St. Peter’s Basilica
Renaissance art and architecture were heavily influenced by the Classical models that lay close at hand – compare this to Rome’s Pantheon.

Van Dyke – Charles I
Van Dykes portrait of England’s doomed king employs a variety of contemporary artistic conventions – including the horse as a symbol of (ironically) political authority.

Rembrandt – Self Portrait
Rembrandt portrays himself employing two of the features for which he became famous: a dramatic use of light and an honesty in depicting his subjects.

Diego Velazquez – Las Meninas
Although painted in Spain in the 17 th century, this “family portrait” has attracted the attention of postmodern artists as an example of self-reflexive art.