World classics. Altar, palace, exhibition
Familiar paintings and the people for whom they were made.
Baroque paintings
Explore Baroque paintings through light, composition and subject matter. Open each work to examine its details and discover its history.
Paintings in this selection
65 artworks. Open a painting to read its story and explore its details.
Johannes VermeerGirl with a Pearl Earring
c. 1665
Judith LeysterSelf-Portrait
c. 1630
Rembrandt van RijnThe Night Watch
1642
Diego VelázquezLas Meninas
1656
Juan Sánchez CotánStill Life with Game Fowl
c. 1600–3
Bartolomeo ManfrediCupid Chastised
1613
Meindert HobbemaThe Watermill with the Great Red Roof
c. 1665
Rembrandt van RijnOld Man with a Gold Chain
1631
Diego VelázquezKitchen Scene
1618–20
Bartolomé Estebán MurilloVirgin and Child
1670s
Diego VelázquezJuan de Pareja (ca. 1608–1670)
1650
CanalettoPiazza San Marco
late 1720s
CaravaggioThe Musicians
1597
Hendrick ter BrugghenThe Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John
ca. 1624–25
Annibale CarracciThe Coronation of the Virgin
after 1595
Anthony van DyckLucas van Uffel (died 1637)
ca. 1622
GuercinoSamson Captured by the Philistines
1619
Nicolas PoussinLandscape with Saint John on Patmos
1640
Frans HalsMerrymakers at Shrovetide
ca. 1616–17
Giovanni Battista TiepoloAllegory of the Planets and Continents
1752
Rembrandt van RijnAristotle with a Bust of Homer
1653
Rembrandt van RijnSelf-Portrait
1660
CaravaggioThe Crucifixion of Saint Andrew
1606–7
Peter Paul RubensRubens, Helena Fourment (1614–1673), and Their Son Frans (1633–1678)
ca. 1635Compare the direction of the light and the arrangement of figures. These choices help explain where a viewer’s attention begins. Works from different painters and countries can vary greatly; each story explores the circumstances in which the painting was made.
Artists
- Bartolomeo Manfredi
- Meindert Hobbema
- Nicolas Poussin
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- Juan Sánchez Cotán
- Diego Velázquez
- Hendrick ter Brugghen
- Canaletto
- Caravaggio
- Annibale Carracci
- Claude Lorrain
- Anthony van Dyck
- Guercino
- Frans Hals
- Georges de La Tour
- Bartolomé Estebán Murillo
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Jacob van Ruisdael
- Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
- Johannes Vermeer
- Clara Peeters
- Judith Leyster
- Willem Claesz Heda
- Jan Steen
- Francisco de Zurbarán
- Pieter de Hooch
- Gerard ter Borch the Younger
- Orazio Gentileschi
Related art tours
Domestic life. Leisure and care
Sixteen paintings about reading, music, children and the work that makes domestic comfort possible.
Portraits. How people presented themselves
Rulers, merchants, artists and private patrons before a viewer.
Still life. The value and structure of things
Food, flowers, vessels, books and instruments in an owner’s life and a painter’s work.
How to explore the paintings
On an artwork page, choose “Explore the painting”. Zoom in, move around the image and hide the text to see the details. Turn on the audio guide to hear the story, or use autoplay to move between passages.
Zoom quality depends on the available reproduction. Each artwork page lists its collection, story sources and image rights. Access is free and no account is required.