Ball Catcher 

Cup, Metropolitan Museum of Art: Islamic Art

Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1969 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY Medium: Glass, blue-green; blown, cut

Svelgfoss power plant, 1908, Theodor Severin Kittelsen

Satan sells indulgences in this Czech manuscript printed in the 1490s. Even before Martin Luther raised objections in 1517, the selling of indulgences – essentially the forgiveness of sins in exchange for donations to the church – was a controversial topic in Europe. The practice had become more and more openly corrupt over time, with church officials living lavishly and indulgence-sellers using high-pressure tactics to raise money. Jan Hus, a Czech reformer, had led the charge against indulgences in the early 1400s before being burnt at the stake.

Antonio Seguí (Argentinian, b. 1934)

Joggers, 1978

Skull mask.