The Wall of the Palace of the Inquisition

This weathered colonial wall (18th c.) once enclosed spaces of interrogation and judgment. Faded plaster, barred openings, and irregular patches of repair record successive phases of use and restoration. The layered surface turns an instrument of control into a historical document of shifting ideas about justice, power, and remembrance.

Fresco of San Francisco Solano

This fresco (late 17th–18th c.) in Lima’s San Francisco Monastery honors San Francisco Solano, a Franciscan missionary active in Peru, Paraguay, and Tucumán. Depicted on a globe with cross and violin, he embodies faith and music as tools of conversion. The phrase “Sol y Año Feliz del Perú” proclaims a blessed age for colonial Peru, celebrating Franciscan evangelization and the integration of Indigenous peoples through devotion and art.

Ascent Toward the Sacred

Seen from below, the Pyramid of the Sun (c. 100) rises sharply into the sky, its steps filled with pilgrims and visitors. In ancient Teotihuacán, climbing its massive tiers was a ritual act—symbolic of moving from the earthly plane toward celestial order and divine communion.

Mural of Huitaca, the Rebellious Deity

Luis Alberto Acuña

This mural (1950s) portrays Huitaca, a sensual Muisca goddess of pleasure and disorder, who defied Bochica, the culture hero who taught law, farming, and morality. Condemned for her rebellion, she was transformed into an owl. Her winged form here embodies the clash between instinct and discipline, chaos and cosmic order at the heart of Muisca belief.

Hanuman Battle Scene Mural, Wat Phra Kaew

This mural depicts a battle from The Ramakien, Thailand’s version of The Ramayana. Hanuman, the monkey god, confronts a demon amid chariots and celestial beings. Created in the late 18th c., its vivid colors and gold leaf exemplify Thai artistry, while the story itself reinforces ideals of loyalty, courage, and divine justice central to Thai identity.

Domes of Zaouia

These whitewashed domes crown a zaouia (Sufi sanctuary) from the 18th c., dedicated to a revered mystic. Rising above the surrounding terraces, they frame wide views toward the Gulf of Tunis and the coastal plain. The domes, each capped with a finial, mark the site as both a place of devotion and a landmark in the spiritual landscape of northern Tunisia.

Callejón de los Colores

A cobbled alley lined with red, yellow, and blue façades follows the curve of a colonial street first laid out in the 17th c. Irregular stones form the roadway, while wooden balconies and deep eaves preserve Spanish urban traditions adapted to Andean light and rain. Once housing colonial settlers, these buildings now signal a shift as vivid paint transforms former symbols of control into markers of cultural resilience.

Ashurbanipal Strikes

This dynamic relief from Nineveh (645–635 BC) depicts King Ashurbanipal firing arrows from his chariot at a charging lion. The lion, captured mid-leap and wounded, symbolizes the struggle between order and chaos. Ashurbanipal is shown as a warrior and protector, asserting his divine right to rule by subduing nature’s fiercest creatures. The artwork reflects the Assyrian belief in the king’s role as a guardian of civilization.

Hinton St Mary Christ Mosaic

This 4th-c. AD mosaic from Hinton St Mary, Dorset, may be the earliest known depiction of Christ in mosaic form. The central roundel shows Christ flanked by pomegranates, symbols of immortality, and adorned with the Greek letters chi and rho, an early Christian emblem. It marks a pivotal transition from pagan to Christian iconography in Roman Britain, reflecting the spread of Christianity and its integration into local artistic traditions.

The Dog Men (Coprophagia)

Luis Alberto Acuña

This disturbing drawing (1988) shows three gaunt hybrid figures with human torsos and doglike heads crouched on all fours. Part of Acuña’s late series on distorted bodies, it examines the boundary between human and animal. The title refers to coprophagia (the consumption of excrement), which Acuña uses to articulate a vision of moral collapse and social dehumanization.

The Rape of Proserpina

Bernini

In this masterful marble (1621–22), Bernini captures Pluto’s violent abduction of Proserpina—an allegory for the changing seasons from Roman myth. Her twisting body and anguished face contrast Pluto’s force, while Cerberus, the underworld’s three-headed hound, reinforces the drama. At just 23, Bernini infused the stone with breathless motion and tactile realism, anchoring the Borghese legacy in Baroque brilliance.

Church and Convent of San Francisco

Built atop the ruins of an Inca palace starting in 1537, the Church and Convent of San Francisco stands as a monumental symbol of Catholic evangelization in the Andes. Its blend of Renaissance, Mudejar, and Baroque elements reflects centuries of cultural layering. The vast plaza before it hosted both religious processions and indigenous markets, embodying the dual legacy of conquest and devotion in colonial Quito.

St. Bernardino (Detail)

Pinturicchio

In this detail (1484–1486), Pinturicchio portrays St. Bernardino holding an open book inscribed PATER MANIFESTA NOMEN TUUM OMNIBUS (Father, manifest Your name to all). His raised finger points toward heaven, symbolizing his mission to glorify the Holy Name of Jesus and promote peace amid social discord.

Cupid and the Three Graces

Raphael

In this fresco (1518), Raphael portrays Cupid with the Three Graces, who embody beauty, charm, and joy. The scene reflects the harmony of love and divine favor, integral to Psyche’s myth. Framed by Giovanni da Udine’s botanical festoons, it blends mythology with Renaissance ideals of grace and abundance.

Fame and Medusa's Victims

Baldassarre Peruzzi

This fresco (1511) shows Fame soaring through the sky, announcing glory with her trumpet. Below, three men and a horse emerge from the clouds, their pallor and stiffness indicating they are victims turned to stone by Medusa's gaze. The composition reflects Renaissance interest in mythology, illustrating the power of reputation and the consequences of divine encounters.