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Black and white photo of a brass clock with a large face, a dome top, and a pendulum outside the clock case.

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

Explore more than 1,000 essays on a wide range of topics, including artists, materials, movements, and themes.

Essays

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A sandstone figure with detailed garments and carved wings
The Nature Deities of Early South Asia
Early South Asian art depicted nature as divine—yakshas, yakshis, and nagas embodied fertility, water, and sacred power in human and hybrid form.
Harsha Gautam
February 18
Carved feathered serpent pendant made from conch shell
The Use of Mollusk Shells in the Americas Before the Sixteenth Century
Mollusk shells were transported as precious materials throughout the Americas and used to craft objects for religious activity and personal adornment.
Adrián Velázquez Castro
February 24

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Chronologies

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Marble statue of three women standing and leaning toward each other. Sections of the statue are missing including arms and all the heads of the women.
Ancient Greece, 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
A bronze sculpture of the Buddha Maitreya surrounded by celestial musicians and a flaming halo as he descends to earth to rescue the devout.
China, 500–1000 A.D.
A tryptect of eight acolytes in vibrant, robes with colorful swirling patterns.
Eastern Africa, 1600–1800 A.D.

About

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History presents a thematic, chronological, and geographical exploration of global art history through The Met collection. Authored by The Met’s experts, the digital publication is a reference, research, and teaching tool conceived for students and scholars of art history. The Timeline currently comprises more than 1,000 essays and 300 chronologies. It is regularly updated and enriched to provide new scholarship and insights on The Met collection.

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The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History is funded by the Heilbrunn Foundation, New Tamarind Foundation, and Zodiac Fund.

Additional support is provided by Cynthia and John S. Reed.