– France, 1890
Although an aristocrat by birth, Toulouse-Lautrec’s work captures the grit and glamour of working-class nightlife in Belle Époque Paris. Local performers and personalities inhabit his canvases, underscoring the artist’s inimitable brand of post-impressionist realism. Here, “Valentine the Boneless,” a Moulin Rouge veteran, instructs a new dancer in the art of the can-can.
-Egypt, c. 1345 B.C.
This striking portrait bust of the enigmatic Egyptian queen is believed to have been executed by Thutmose—a favorite artist at the court of Akhenaten. Uncovered during the 1912 excavation headed by German archeologist Ludwig Borchardt, the painted limestone sculpture continues to be exhibited in Berlin’s Neues Museum despite repeated requests from Egyptian officials to return the celebrated work to its homeland.
-Easter Island, c.1100–1300 A.D.
Over 300 monumental stone visages hover over the South Pacific Easter Island’s coastline. Characterized by rectangular heads, large eye sockets, and broad noses, the sculptures also have lengthy torsos now buried due to centuries of sediment deposits. Although their original purpose is unknown, it has been suggested that the carvings represent deceased members of an ancient community.
