National Gallery of Art

Artists often tell stories through pictures. The artists in this chapter selected stories from religious, mythological, and historical sources, as well as tales from their imaginations.

Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi envisioned an important event from the Bible. Rogier van der Weyden and Raphael painted their interpretations of the story of Saint George. Peter Paul Rubens chose to show climactic moments from biblical and mythological stories. John Singleton Copley depicted a real-life event with great suspense, while Claude-Joseph Vernet painted imaginary adventures. Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Jacob Lawrence honored heroes of the Civil War era.

As you compare the artists in this chapter, think about what choices artists make when depicting a story and what elements of art contribute to telling it.