Adoration of the Shepherds (1485), Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449–1494). Domenico Ghirlandaio’s exquisite Adoration of the Shepherds evokes Botticelli’s elegant style in its portrayal of the
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple (c. 1398–1399), Paolo di Giovanni Fei (c. 1335/1345–1411). Many great works of literature begin in medias res:
Saint Luke (c. 1625), Valentin de Boulogne (1591–1632). “The most Italian of the French imitators of Caravaggio” At the heart of the royal apartment and
Study for the Colonna Pietà (c. 1538), Michelangelo (1475–1564). This study of the Pietà, drawn by Michelangelo in 1538, is small in size but monumental
Transfiguration, Theophanes the Greek (c. 1370–c. 1405), Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Light from Light Lord, my God… you are clothed with majesty and splendor, robed in
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (1601–1602), Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610). Caravaggio’s Incredulity of Saint Thomas was meant to make us uncomfortable. We are interrupting
The Last Supper (c.1620), Luis Tristán (c. 1586–1624). Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain. The table is a riot of opulence. Pieces of sweet melon edge their
Saint Joseph the Worker (1964), Pietro Annigoni (1910–1988). This striking painting by Pietro Annigoni illustrates the dignity of the worker and the reasons for Saint
Flevit super illam, Enrique Simonet (1866–1927). A waxing moon sets as the morning star rises, heralding the dawn of Palm Sunday. The faint glow of
The Temptation of Christ (c. 1525–1530), Simon Bening (c. 1483–1561). After the introduction of the printing press to Europe in the mid-15th century, the
