Art

This silver denarius places Hadrian’s right-facing portrait on the obverse and a modius filled with grain on the reverse. Minted in Rome late in his reign, it joins an imperial likeness to an image of measured provision.

Look closely at A1: Massachusetts Living Room and Kitchen, 1675–1700. Miniature of a cozy living room and kitchen in rich maple-colored wood tones, hardwood floors and wood paneling on the walls, a large brick fireplace and stove on the right.

Look closely at Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as The Great Wave, from the series "Thirty-Six Views of . A crashing wave looms over two small ships, Mount Fuji in the background.

Look closely at Bowl with Textured Surface Decoration. Conical-shaped bowl with sides angled outward, a smooth black interior, and a bumpy exterior that is black along the rim and graduates to a reddish-brown color.

Look closely at Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer). Painting composed of short, dense brushstrokes depicts two domed stacks of wheat that cast long shadows on a field.

Look closely at Chasuble with Orphrey Bands. Sleeveless vest, photographed in black and white, featuring a leaf motif and a decorated panel down the front.

Look closely at Landscape with Figures. Nocturnal landscape painting with lush trees and a large patch of sky with visible brushstrokes.

Look closely at The Family Concert. Painting of several light-skinned people gathered around a table in front of a gilded mirror, playing instruments.

William Michael Harnett hung a plucked chicken against a battered wooden door and painted both with the precision of trompe-l'œil. The ordinary meal-in-waiting becomes a demonstration of how easily paint can imitate feathers, iron, and worn wood.

In rural Japan, worn garments and household cloths were patched with saved fabric and reinforced by running stitches. The resulting layers preserve a material record of use, scarcity, and care.

Look closely at Landscape with Two Poplars. Vibrant yellow, red, blue, and green painting of landscape with trees and mountains.

Look closely at Madame Cezanne in a Yellow Chair. Painting of a placid-looking, light-skinned woman in a maroon dress, seated in a chair with yellow upholstery, hands folded.

Look closely at Portrait Bust of a Woman with a Large Collar, from Perfect School to Learn How to Draw the Entire Human Body (English tr. Engraving of a woman with a wide collar and an intricately braided hairstyle, curls framing her face.

Look closely at The Bull. Etching of a large bull in profile, looking toward the viewer, with two additional cows and a milkmaid in the background.

Joseph Blackburn painted twenty-year-old Abigail Chesebrough in Newport in 1754. Her silk, linen, lace, and jewelry turn the portrait into a record of fashionable self-presentation within a prosperous colonial merchant family.

Look closely at Statue of the Aphrodite of Knidos. White and beige stone statue of a female nude standing in contrapposto position, with weight on the right leg.

Look closely at Self-Portrait. Portrait in fine black ink of a light-skinned young man with a prominent nose, soft features, and wavy shoulder-length hair.