AP Art History: 250 Required Works you must know

Apollo 11 Stones

Charcoal on stone from Namibia, one of the earliest artworks showing abstract thinking and symbols.

Great Hall of the Bulls

Rock paintings in Lascaux, France, depicting animals in motion, possibly for rituals or teaching.

Camelid Sacrum in the Shape of a Canine

A bone carving from Central Mexico, symbolizing fertility or spiritual beliefs.

Running Horned Woman

Rock painting in Algeria depicting a deity or ritual participant with horns.

Beaker with Ibex Motifs

Painted terra cotta pottery from Susa, Iran, used in funerary practices.

Anthropomorphic Stele

A sandstone stele from the Arabian Peninsula representing human figures for memorials.

Jade Cong

Carved jade objects from Liangzhu, China, symbolizing the connection between earth and heaven.

Stonehenge

Megalithic circle in England, aligned with solstices, used for rituals or burials.

Ambum Stone

A greywacke carving from Papua New Guinea, possibly a fertility totem

Tlatilco Female Figurine

Ceramic figurines from Mexico symbolizing fertility or duality.

White Temple and its Ziggurat

Mudbrick structure in Uruk, Iraq, symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth

Palette of King Narmer

A ceremonial artifact from Egypt showing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Statues of Votive Figures

Gypsum statues from Eshnunna, Iraq, symbolizing perpetual worship.

Standard of Ur

A wooden box with inlaid scenes of war and peace from Sumer.

Great Pyramids of Giza

Limestone tombs for pharaohs, symbolizing Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife.

Code of Hammurabi

Basalt stele with the earliest written law code, from Babylon.

Temple of Amun-Re

A monumental temple complex in Karnak, Egypt, emphasizing religious devotion.

Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters

Limestone relief from Egypt showing family intimacy during the Amarna Period.

Anavysos Kouros

A marble statue of a youth, representing Greek ideals of beauty and humanism.

Parthenon

A Doric temple in Athens dedicated to Athena, symbolizing Classical Greek values.

Catacomb of Priscilla

Underground burial chambers in Rome, reflecting early Christian practices.

Santa Sabina

Early Christian basilica in Rome showcasing simple exteriors and ornate interiors.

Hagia Sophia

A Byzantine church in Istanbul, later converted into a mosque.

San Vitale

Octagonal church in Ravenna with famous mosaics of Justinian and Theodora

Bayeux Tapestry

Embroidered narrative of the Norman Conquest from England.

The Oath of the Horatii

Neoclassical painting by Jacques-Louis David emphasizing loyalty to the state.

Liberty Leading the People

Romantic painting by Delacroix symbolizing the July Revolution.

The Starry Night

Post-Impressionist painting by Van Gogh depicting a swirling night sky

Fallingwater

Modernist house by Frank Lloyd Wright integrating architecture with nature.

The Two Fridas

A surrealist self-portrait by Frida Kahlo exploring identity and duality.

Chavín de Huántar

Ceremonial center in Peru with intricate carvings and a sacred Lanzón.

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

Sandstone dwellings in Colorado reflecting Puebloan ingenuity.

Great Serpent Mound

Earthwork in Ohio symbolizing Mississippian cosmology

Templo Mayor

Twin-pyramid temple in Tenochtitlán dedicated to Mexica gods.

Machu Picchu

Inka royal estate in Peru with terraces and celestial alignments.

Great Zimbabwe

A Shona royal complex in Zimbabwe symbolizing power and trade.

Great Mosque of Djenné

Mudbrick mosque in Mali, a center for Islamic scholarship.

Nkisi n’kondi

Power figures from the Kongo people used in rituals

Pwo Mask

A Chokwe mask celebrating feminine ideals and fertility

Ikenga

Shrine figures from the Igbo symbolizing individual achievements.

Persepolis

Achaemenid capital in Iran reflecting Persian imperial power.

Dome of the Rock

Islamic shrine in Jerusalem symbolizing the Prophet Muhammad’s ascension.

Great Mosque of Isfahan

Safavid architectural masterpiece with intricate tilework

The Alhambra

Islamic palace in Granada showcasing Nasrid artistry

The Kaaba

Islamic holy site in Mecca, focal point of Muslim prayers

The Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco illustrating perspective and emotional drama.

The School of Athens

Raphael’s fresco celebrating classical philosophy and intellectual dialogue

David by Michelangelo

Marble sculpture emphasizing humanism and anatomical perfection.

The Arnolfini Portrait

Van Eyck’s painting showcasing Northern Renaissance detail and symbolism.

The Birth of Venus

Botticelli’s tempera painting celebrating mythological beauty.