Coronation of the Virgin (1469), Fra Filippo Lippi (1406 –1469).   Perched high in the Umbrian hills, far from the bustle of Florence and Rome,

The Well-Stocked Kitchen (1566), Joachim Beuckelaer (c. 1534–1576). What would you like for dinner tonight? In this vivid scene by the Flemish painter Joachim Beuckelaer,

The Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter (1481–1482), Pietro Vannucci, called Perugino (1448–1523).   We can all see in our head the images of

Saint Joseph and the Christ Child (1666), Claudio Coello (c. 1642–1693).  To those accustomed to images of an aged Saint Joseph, bent and wizened by

Blessed the Man (Ps 1), Stuttgart Psalter   Pilate’s words, Behold, the man! (Jn 19:5) are cruel mockery as he displays the whipped and bloodied

Christ in Gethsemane (1416), Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, folio 142v.,Paul de Limbourg (c. 1386/1387–1416). A medieval prayer book lies open, and gilding

Presentation in the Temple (c. 1030–1040), Anonymous (Regensburg).   Poreč, a Croatian town across the Adriatic Sea from Venice, boasts one of the best-preserved cathedrals

The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew, Federico Barocci (1535–1612).   El Escorial, an austere building complex constructed by Philip II of Spain north of Madrid

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: