Flourished from the third to the ninth century in a far flung collection of citystates. At palenque, tonina, bonampak and other cities, dynastic kings ruled absolutely, controlling trade and tribute. They presided over intricate hierarchies of nobles and officials at courts resplendent with works of art. Maya culture, shrouded in a mystery as dense as the forests in which it took root, revealed itself fitfully over three centuries. When the ruins in the jungle were first discovered, there was no way of understanding how the civilization was organized. So its really through the inscriptions that weve been able to identify kings, to find out their capitals, their seats of power. And through this, we recognize now that there were many kingdoms. There was no unified maya state. There wasnt even just a few states. There were many, many states. narrator the first inroads into understanding the maya were made by spanish missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries who followed in the imperial
At palenque, tonina bonampak and other cities, dynastic kings ruled absolutely, controlling trade and tribute. They presided over intricate hierarchies of nobles and officials at courts resplendent with works of art. Maya culture, shrouded in a mystery as dense as the forests in which it took root, revealed itself fitfully over three centuries. When the ruins in the jungle were first discovered, there was no way of understanding how the civilization was organized. So its really through the inscriptions that weve been able to identify kings to find out their capitals their seats of power. And through this we recognize now that there were many kingdoms. There was no unified maya state. There wasnt even just a few states. There were many, many states. narrator the first inroads into understanding the maya were made by spanish missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries who followed in the imperial wake of hernan cortes. Their discoveries included the ruins at copan. But interest in the st
Museums are magic places. They can take you back into history or forward into an artists imagination in just a few steps. This is the National Gallery of art in washington, d. C. Are many worlds to explore at the National Gallery. You can imagine yourself to be almost awhere. You have centuries to choose from. You can be in any mood. You can be any age. Theres Something Wonderful here for everyone. Im julie harris. I love to come here. Art is always an adventure for me. It makes me see people and places with new eyes. There was no such thing as a Public Art Museum 200 years ago. The only people who could explore art were the people who owned it. Sometimes in the gallery, i imagine that im walking in my own house. Well, in a way, it is mine and yours, too. All of this belongs to all of us. Ive picked some special things to show you. Each has something quite important to tell you. Art just doesnt happen, you see. It isnt created out of nowhere. Art reflects its own time, and it changes w
Controlling trade and tribute. They presided over intricate hierarchies of nobles and officials at courts resplendent with works of art. Maya culture, shrouded in a mystery as dense as the forests in which it took root, revealed itself fitfully over three centuries. When the ruins in the jungle were first discovered, there was no way of understanding how the civilization was organized. So its really through the inscriptions that weve been able to identify kings, to find out their capitals, their seats of power. And through this, we recognize now that there were many kingdoms. There was no unified maya state. There wasnt even just a few states. There were many, many states. narrator the first inroads into understanding the maya were made by spanish missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries who followed in the imperial wake of hernan cortes. Their discoveries included the ruins at copan. But interest in the lost civilizaon began to accelerate in the 18th century when father antonio de
Lot 42. The Claude Monet Nympheas of 1908. £3 million is bid for this lot. I have a bid of £3 million. 3,200,000. 3,500,000. 3,800,000. 4 million. At £4 million now. At £4 million. 4,200,000. 4,400,000. 4,500,000. 4,600,000. The paintings of this period are among the most familiar images in art. The greatness of the artists is a commonplace of western culture. Its yours. The greatness of the artists but the impressionists started out as radicals. When it was first exhibited, their art was rejected as disturbing, inept, incomprehensible, even immoral. Why were people so hostile . What was the accepted art of the period . In mid 19thcentury france, as so often in the story of the art of the west, art was a Serious Business loaded with political significance. It was used by the rulers not only to embo their ideals of beauty, but to enshrine the values which, in their eyes, underpinned a civilized and stable society. Art which didnt do that could be the object of contempt, fear, and ev