Works of Art

By Shelley Esaak, About.com Guide to Art History

In order to learn about art history, we have to look at it. Here you'll find image galleries from artists, pictures from special exhibitions, background stories on famous works, information on collecting and identifying works, and more.

1. Pictures from Special Exhibitions
2. Images by Artist
3. The Story Behind the Work

Pictures from Special Exhibitions

The bad news is that we can't always physically attend special exhibitions at art museums and galleries, no matter how much we may wish to. The good news is that venues know this and often accommodate us with lovely high-resolution pictures. For your viewing pleasure, here is a selection of annotated galleries of art images from special exhibitions.

• Americans in Paris, 1860-1900
• Cézanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde
• The Changing Face of Childhood: British Children's Portraits
• Dada at MoMA

Images by Artist

Of course, there are times that one prefers to look at a specific artists' works, exclusively. Here you'll find one artist shows and noteworthy compilations by artist.

• 13 Paintings by Leonardo
• Annie Leibovitz: American Music
• The Bloch-Bauer Klimts
• Helene Schjerfbeck
• Mentor Huebner: One Artist Show

• Raphael: The Colonna Altarpiece
• Robert Rauschenberg: Combines
• Tezuka:The Marvel of Manga
• Veronese's Allegories: Virtue, Love, and Exploration in Renaissance Venice

The Story Behind the Work

Knowing why we're seeing that which we see in a given work adds much to the viewing experience. Conversely, many popular misconceptions surround some supremely famous pieces of art, and this mythology detracts from the viewing experience. Let's explore who was influenced to create what s/he did, when s/he did, and why fiction is often not nearly as entertaining as fact.

• Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper
• Michelangelo - The Sistine Chapel Ceiling