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When I began to study medieval art in graduate school, I found myself often puzzling over murky, low-contrast images in black-and-white,...

In this post, a few thoughts on why medieval churches cover themselves in stories. There are three times: a present of things past, a...

For such a small patch of excavated floor, the mosaic pavement in the abbey at Bobbio (under the current basilica) has a number of...

The lovely town of Bobbio has always been small and out of the way, but in the early 600s, this was exactly what the Irish abbot St....

Many's the time I've gotten excited by the prospect of visiting a medieval church, only to find that "medieval" mostly referred to the...

In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian and Bishop Maximian wanted to take back the body (land) and soul (religion) of Ravenna, which for...

Modern representations of the snake-haired woman depict her as a dangerous beauty, but the Ancient Greek and Roman images show her as...

You could reasonably ask, "If you like photographing sculptures of people so much, why not be a portraiture photographer? Aren't living...

Jews were expelled by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492; all synagogues were shut down and repurposed. Two medieval synagogue buildings...

The stained glass in Sainte Chapelle (building completed in 1248) represents the highest achievement of the form. When you enter the...

Ancient Roman sarcophagi were for the wealthy, and were created in workshops which concentrated on particular themes: demonstrating the...

Images of barbarians were created to support a narrative of Roman superiority, and to justify military aggression as a defense of...

The ancient town, on Lake Bolsena, north of Rome, has Etruscan origins. The festival has roots as a fertility rite, where the town gave...

The lion fountain in the Alhambra may be one of my all-time favorite works of medieval art. I'll tell you why in this post. (For Part 1...

The mostly 13th century palace is a studied combination of science, statecraft, and mysticism. The Alhambra began its life on the ruins...

Few 9th century churches survive anywhere in Europe, but in Northern Spain are a few precious remaining examples. Santa Cristina de Lena...

Here, I continue to point out some features of church architecture, generally before 1100. Please see Part 1 post for more on this...

What follows here are some features of churches from roughly 350-1100 in Rome. Most of my photo studies are of Romanesque and Gothic,...

To tell the story of Mary through a medieval church's lens, one must have at least one space to tell the story of Eve. At Chartres...

The Villa Giulia houses a great collection of Etruscan art. This post provides you with a few of the highlights. Here is a close-up of...