Explore History on Colossal

A cut and folded paper flower found in a cave in China, dating to the Tang dynasty

These 1,000-Year-Old Paper Flowers, Sealed in a Cave, Are a Marvel of Preservation

January 28, 2026

An oil and acrylic painting by Gretchen Scherer of a Georgian-era bedroom with fancy furnishings, portraits, wallpaper, and everyday items like books strewn around the room.

In ‘Reading the Rooms,’ Gretchen Scherer ‘Opens Up’ Historic, Art-Filled Spaces

January 26, 2026

A comical black-and-white photograph by Adolp E. Weidhaas of a cat named "Brünnhilde" that wears a paper crown and cape

‘Cat’ Is a Purr-fect Celebration of Felines in Art Throughout the Centuries

January 22, 2026

An early, vertical composition by Michelangelo of Saint Anthony surrounded by demons above a landscape

Michelangelo Made His First Masterpiece When He Was 12 Years Old

January 15, 2026

A composite image of three historic, scientific specimens with colorful labels

‘Making the Invisible Visible’ Highlights an Ambitious Digitization Project at Harvard

January 13, 2026

An oil painting after Velazquez by Derrick Guild of the Infanta Margarita in a huge gown, with the composition in a grid of paper tags

Derrick Guild Summons Historical Portraits in Fragmented Trompe-l’œil Paintings

January 9, 2026

a lithograph of four botanical illustrations in a grid on one page from a German book about flowers

‘Gold from Newton’s Apple Tree’ Traces Natural Pigment Recipes from the Ancient World to Today

January 6, 2026

A mixed-media textile artwork by Stephen Towns of Black women enjoying a leisurely time at the lakeshore

Stephen Towns’ Quilted Works Emphasize Black Joy as Resistance in ‘Safer Waters’

January 6, 2026

A gif from a short animated film depicting a young girl reading a letter at a desk

Hope and Love Prevail During a Terrible Historic Era in the Short Film ‘Father’s Letters’

January 6, 2026

A gif from a short film produced by the V&A showing two miniature 17th-century table replicas being stacked on the original

Terry Facey Painstakingly Replicates a 17th-Century Marquetry Table at 1:8 Scale

January 2, 2026

a gif of black gloved hands flipping over a locket with a portrait on one side and a lock of hair on the other

A Deep Dive into the Strange and Touching Victorian-Era Mourning Traditions

December 6, 2025

a bronze sculpture by Kara Walker made from reconfigured pieces of a former Confederate monument

Kara Walker’s ‘Unmanned Drone’ Reimagines a Confederate Statue of Stonewall Jackson

November 10, 2025

a photograph by Navneet Jayakumar of an elaborate ceremonial outfit worn by a performer for Theyyam, in Kerala, India

In India, Navneet Jayakumar Documents the Ancient, Elaborate Custom of Theyyam

November 5, 2025

a gif featuring a grid of numerous different spreads of a book about letterform as each page is turned

Pop-Up Letters Set the ‘Alphabet in Motion’ in Kelli Anderson’s Playful Book

October 29, 2025

a detail of a sculptural mask inspired by African ceremonial masks, made from a colonial-era writing desk

Antique Writing Desks Converge with African Masks in Sonia E. Barrett’s Sculptures

October 20, 2025