This is the home page for the National Gallery of Art. It offers a search option to find any information about an art history period or of a work of art that you need.

This is a "tour" of portrait paintings done by 18th Century French painters, Jean Simeon Chardin, Nicolas de Largilliere, Jean-Marc Nattier, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, and Jean-Antoine Houdon. There are ten portraits, each with an extensive description and background.

Large image of Thomas Cole's painting, "A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains." Provides general information about the painting.

Photographs of the chalice include a full screen image as well as various detail images. You will find a description of the chalice, its history as well as a biography of Abbot Suger, the exhibition history of the chalice, conservation notes, provenance of the chalice, and the location where the chalice can be found in the National Gallery Museum. A large bibliography is included as well.

This resource includes a picture of the famous painting, "Allies Day," as well as a brief description of the history behind it.

Several lesson plans available for grades K-8 that take a look at math and art. Each lesson includes printable resources, glossary of terms, an artist biography, and national math and visual arts standards.

Information about portrait artist George Romney. There is a biography, and different examples of his art from 1770-1790. These are high-quality images, with details available.

An exhibition that examines the many influences that Jackson Pollock absorbed before breaking with past traditions to create a new kind of abstraction. Beginning with Thomas Hart Benton, who was Pollock's first teacher, Pollock learned from and transformed the work of those who preceded him, including the Mexican muralists, Native American sand painters, Picasso, and Miro. An excellent resource for learning to identify artistic influences but also one to savor and enjoy. Thoughtful, engaging, and wonderfully illustrated, this step-through examination of the nature of Pollock's art is not to be missed.

A complete analysis of this famous Baroque painting. The artist's technique, composition, and intentions are fully broken down for you. Really helps you to understand the painting and appreciate it more. Includes an artist biography and images of a few other paintings, as well as a downloadable file of the information.

The National Gallery of Art features an online exhibition of the life and work of color-field painter Mark Rothko. Each painting that appears in the show is accompanied by explanatory text, some in the artist's own words.

Works by Piero di Cosimo are represented in the collection of London's National Gallery of Art. Clicking on the title results in an enlarged version with an in-depth discussion of the artwork.

This site contains a biography of Anthony Van Dyck, a bibiography, links to his paintings with information about each one, and links to audio materials. A good source for reports.

Ten interactive activities that allow you to use the computer to create and manipulate works of art.

An interesting site with examples of Egyptian art from the National Gallery of Art in Washington. This article discusses pharaohs, sphinxes, symbols, mummification, and much more. [PDF]

This site analyzes Kandinsky's abstract painting "Improvisation 31." Discusses colors, shapes, line, and mood. Has a short matching exercise involving simple geometric shapes.

This is a comprehensive site that tells the story behind one of John Singleton Copley's most famous paintings, "Watson and the Shark." The site discusses the artist's life and provides compositional information about the painting. Excellent references to the works by other artists that inspired the painting, including many Renaissance masters and Copley contemporary Benjamin West.