Hagia Sophia Istambul, Interior

• Hagia Sophia the main church of the Byzantine Empire. It is one of the most important early Byzantine buildings in Istanbul.
• Formerly the Church of the Saints Sergius.
• Later converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire.
• Daylight is flooding the church through 91 windows, illuminating the incredible beauty of the interior, which is adorned with marble tiles, elaborate, colourful mosaics and pictures, created from ceramics, precious and semiprecious stones, gold... The structure of the interior and the play of light convey the impression of weightlessness, which certainly contributed to the churches legendary fame.

Hagia Sophia Istambul, Interior.

Capital,Hagia Sophia Istambul.

• Motifs of scrolls and foliage, derived from classical architecture, but effect is radically different- no longer look as if they cushion the impact of the weight of the column- now is delicate and pattern defies the weight of the stone.

Hagia Sophia,Istambul,Dome's Interior.

• The grand dome of the Hagia Sophia, an impressive technical feat for its time, is often thought to symbolize the infinity of the cosmos signified by the Holy Soul to which the church was dedicated.
• Massive dome of Hagia Sophia measures 31 meters wide and 56 meters high

Panal Of "Gate Of Paradise"

• LORENZO GHIBERTI, Isaac and His Sons , east doors, baptistery, Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy, 1425-1452. Gilded bronze relief, approx. 2' 7 1/2" x 2' 7
• In the foreground are the women attending the birth of Jacob and Esau, with Rebecca in labor in the middle ground. Also in the foreground are Isaac sending Esau on the hunt and on the right Jacob receiving Isaac's blessing, with a beautiful classical Rebecca, the conspirator, standing nearby. In the background Esau is seen in low relief hunting and on the roof Rebecca is hearing God's warning about the eventual conflict between her two unborn sons.

The "Gates of Paradise" Baptistery, Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy

• Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise" are comprised of ten gilded bronze relief panels depicting scenes from the Old Testament. In Isaac and His Sons, Ghiberti creates the illusion of space using perspective and sculptural means. Ghiberti also persists in using the medieval narrative method of presenting several episodes within a single frame.

Chartres Center Portal: The Apocalypse: Judgment Day

• Tympanum: Christ enthroned as judge and ruler of the universe w/ four evangelists Lintel: 12 standing apostles and two extra figures, probably Elijah and Enoch Voussiors: 24 seated elders holding musical instruments: Old Testament prophets Capitals: Life of Christ

Laon Cathedral Interior

•  The nave interior of Laon Cathedral shows the usual features of an Early Gothic cathedral: a four-part elevation (nave arcade resting on the floor, a tribune gallery on the second level, a blind arcade called a triforium on the third level, and clerestory windows at the top), ribbed groin vaulting in the nave, sexpartite vaulting (6 sections to each vaulting module), and pointed arches. At the east end, you can see the rose window which was to grace all succeeding Gothic churches. The columns of the nave arcade, you will note, are rather heavy and undifferentiated...a striking contrast to High Gothic lean composite columns.

Muhammad Ibn al-zayn Basin

• The Baptistère of St. Louis is one of the great masterpieces of Islamic art. Its perfection - and the mysteries surrounding it - are a source of fascination. It was made by the master craftsman Mohammed ibn al-Zain, who signed his work six times. A second inlaid metal bowl of his making is also in the museum's collections. The basin is decorated with scenes of human activity, inlaid with precious metals.

Painted Chest from the Tomb of Tutankhamen

• "Its outer face was completely covered with gesso; upon this prepared surface there were a series of brilliantly coloured and exquisitely painted designs—hunting scenes upon the curved panels of the lid, battle scenes upon the sides, and upon the ends representations of the king in lion form, trampling his enemies under his feet. The illustrations (Burton's photos)… give but a faint idea of the delicacy of the painting, which far surpasses anything of the kind that Egypt has yet produced. No photograph could do it justice, for even in the original a magnifying glass is essential to a due appreciation of the smaller details, such as the stippling of the lions' coats, or the decoration of the horses' trappings."

THUTMOSE , Nefertiti , Painted Lime Stone, from Tell el-Amarna , Egypt,ca 1353-1335

• The extremely famous and elegant bust portrait of Nefertiti,Egyptian royal sculptor Thutmose carved piece of limestone ,plastered then richly painted.Flesh tones on the face give the bust life.Her full lips are enhanced by a bold red.Although the crystal inlay eyeball is missing from her left eye ,both eyelid and brows are outlined in black.The neck is extended in contrast to the tall hat, chin narrowing and cheeks flaring.,it is also crown contrast the yellow brown of her smooth skin.Masklike face,and enormous shadow eyes,present modern Nefertiti like modles in Fashion Magazines.

                                      

The throne, from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (c.1370-1352 BC) New Kingdom (gilded wood inlaid with semi-precious stones)

• Without a doubt, this is a seat fit for a King. Built from fastened pieces of wood and then covered in gold sheeting or painted gilding, the detail was then carved and completed with semi-precious stones and coloured glass. The throne is almost completely intact, with the only missing piece being the vertical struts between the seat and the leg braces. Dating from the start of Tutankhamun's reign, the throne bears the name of King Tutankhamun and his wife Ankhsenamen

Death Mask of Tutankhamun

• The death mask of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun is made of gold inlaid with colored glass and semiprecious stone. The mask comes from the innermost mummy case in the pharaoh’s tomb, and stands 54 cm (21 in) high. The emblems on the forehead (vulture and cobra) and on the shoulders (falcon heads) were symbols of the Two Lands of Upper and Lower Egypt and of divine authority. The vulture Nekhbet and the cobra Wadjet protected the pharaoh.

The Lamentation over the Body of Christ By Giovanni Bellini

•  Christ's body is held upright by the Virgin Mary on the right and St John on the left. The legs are foreshortened and the depth of field accentuated by the inert arm on the edge of the sarcophagus and the small bottle of ointment. Mary Magdalene kneels on the right, hands joined and almost in profile in relation to the other three figures. Her pose stresses the image's diagonal thrust, which is further emphasized by the angle of Christ's head and torso, the Virgin's arm holding his body, and the distancing of St John's shoulders. With its focal point set in the left-hand part of the sheet, the composition is imbued with the emotional dialogue taking place: the body of Christ is surrounded by a cadence of curves that seems to magnify the suffering and tender grief of the other figures.

Man with a Turban By Giovanni Bellini