Temple of Aesculapius, Villa Borghese

This neoclassical shrine (1786–92) in Villa Borghese honors Aesculapius, god of healing. The Greek inscription To Aesculapius the Savior evokes ancient votive temples. Its central statue, found in the Mausoleum of Augustus, reinforces Rome’s enduring reverence for classical ideals and restorative power.

Great White Pelican

Perched calmly amid colorful pirogues and fishing gear, this great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) surveys the Atlantic at dusk. A familiar presence in West African coastal towns, the species thrives near human activity, drawn by abundant fish and the rhythm of life along Senegal’s bustling shores.

Dance and Drum on Gorée Island

In a burst of movement and rhythm, dancers perform to the beat of West African drums—sabar and djembe—on a street steeped in history. Once a site of trauma, Gorée now resonates with resilience. This performance reclaims public space, turning collective memory into celebration, where embodied tradition becomes both remembrance and resistance.

Hunting Scene with Ibex

This engraved boulder (8th c. BC–5th c. AD) shows a hunting scene with wild ibexes and human figures in motion across its surface. The pecked outlines follow the rock’s curves, using natural contours to animate the animals and hunters. Such imagery reflects the importance of mountain game in early nomadic subsistence and ritual, linking the surrounding landscape to group identity and shamanic practice.

Horned God Panel, Gundestrup Cauldron

This iconic inner Gundestrup Cauldron panel (150 BC - 1 AD) depicts a horned god, often identified with the Celtic Cernunnos, seated cross-legged among animals. He holds a torque (a symbol of nobility) and a serpent, merging themes of power, fertility, and the natural world. The scene evokes shamanic authority and cosmic balance.

Bochica Teaching the Muisca

Luis Alberto Acuña

This 1960-70s mural depicts Bochica, the bearded sage and civilizing hero of Muisca mythology, imparting moral and spiritual lessons. Seated before young disciples, he holds symbols of power and knowledge, including a woven banner. A revered figure, Bochica was believed to have formed the Tequendama Falls and taught the Muisca how to live harmoniously.

Roman Commander Leading the Battle

The center of the Portonaccio sarcophagus (c. 180), named after the Roman district it was found in, depicts a central mounted figure, likely the deceased general, exuding calm amid chaos. His dominance over the long-haired Germanic barbarian enemy Romans fought during the Marcomannic Wars embodies Roman ideals of virtus, leadership, and divine favor in battle. The scene endorses Rome’s imperial ambitions, immortalizes the general’s heroic status and aligns him with esteemed Roman virtues.

King Strikes from Chariot

This Assyrian relief (645–635 BC) depicts King Ashurbanipal spearing a lion from his chariot, showcasing his bravery and martial prowess. Such scenes reinforced the idea of royal authority as divinely ordained, portraying the king as capable of subduing nature and chaos. This narrative emphasized the Assyrian belief in the king’s role as protector and conqueror.

Senegalese Woven Baskets

These vibrant, lidded baskets—known locally as canari or nguedj—are handwoven from local grasses and colorful recycled plastic. Common across Senegal, they serve both functional and decorative purposes, used for storing grains, carrying goods, or as striking home decor reflecting Wolof artisanal heritage.

Venus and the Doves

Raphael

In this fresco (1518), Raphael presents Venus, goddess of love, gracefully accompanied by doves, her sacred birds. The flowing ribbon emphasizes her divine beauty and motion, while the doves allude to purity and erotic desire. The image echoes Venus’ central role in the myth of Cupid and Psyche, where love governs both divine and mortal fates.

Venus and Capricorn

Baldassarre Peruzzi

The painting (c.1511) in the Loggia of Galatea depicts Venus, the goddess of love, on a shell surrounded by doves, symbols of love. Beside her, Capricorn, a hybrid creature, represents astrological wisdom. This artwork merges mythological beauty with cosmic symbolism, reflecting the Renaissance fascination with harmony between earthly and celestial realms. The inclusion of Capricorn underscores the era's belief in astrology's influence on human affairs.

Man, Controller of the Universe

Diego Rivera

This mural (1934), a replica of Rivera’s censored Rockefeller Center fresco, places a worker at the symbolic axis of modernity. He guides cosmic, scientific, and political forces—flanked by socialism on the left and capitalism on the right. Lenin’s presence affirms Rivera’s Marxist ideals, asserting art’s power to envision revolutionary futures.

Caracalla (as an Adult)

This white marble bust (209–11) shows Caracalla with short curls, a trimmed beard, and a heavy cloak pinned at the shoulder. The tense jaw, drilled pupils, and furrowed brow align with official portraits that promoted him as a hardened soldier-emperor. The sculpture shows how Severan portraiture used harsh realism to assert an image of uncompromising imperial authority.

Hanging Flower Basket

A metal bracket holds a green hanging basket spilling yellow, purple, and white blooms into the narrow street. In towns like Chalon-sur-Saône, public planters often mix hardy annuals suited to Burgundy’s temperate climate. Their height frames the pedestrian view and softens the contrast between medieval stone and later plastered facades.

The Earth

Einar Jónsson

Jónsson’s bronze sculpture, The Earth (1904–1908), features a seated figure cradling a smaller form, reflecting his shift to Symbolism after 1903. It explores themes of life, death, and the cyclical nature of existence. Jónsson, a pioneering Icelandic sculptor, studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, significantly influencing the evolution of Icelandic art.