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Rick Steves' Europe
Art Bites 123: The Fall of Rome
Rome declined for centuries after its peak and art tells the story. Emperors — some good and many bad — left monuments to both their greatness (like Marcus Aurelius on a horse) and their corruption (like Commodus dressed as Hercules and ready to go “clubbing”).
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Shimmering Impressionist canvases by Monet and Renoir, plus Van Gogh, Gauguin and more.
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Roaming Europe, we admire stately Neoclassical buildings and dramatic Romantic paintings.
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We marvel at Baroque’s over-the-top churches, palaces, bubbly fountains, and theatric art.
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Soaring Gothic cathedrals of radiant stained glass, plus art celebrating worldly pleasure.
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Early Europeans produce diverse art: from Christians to Muslims and Byzantines to Vikings.
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The grand cities of ancient Rome’s vast empire and majestic churches of its fall.
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Rome’s rise, as seen in its supersized monuments, colorful mosaics, and marble Caesars.
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Greece’s timeless art: Golden Age temples, alluring Venuses, and exuberant Winged Victory.
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In times of crisis and challenge, we ask ourselves: What is the true value of travel?