Queen mother of the west: Did you mean...?

An 1860 oil on canvas, Portrait of Renoir's Mother, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) the French impressionist painter. An unfinished work showing the artist's mother Marguerite when she was 53 years old. It is an unusually honest portrait...

The Empress Mother Cixi (1835 - 1908) photographed in 1903 with the wives of the diplomatic corps having a tea in the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace. After the death of her husband, the Chinese emperor Xianfeng (1831-1861), Cixi...

A detail of an illustration from a 14th Century CE manuscript of Roman de Brut, a legendary history of Britain by the Norman poet Wace (c. 1110 - c. 1170 CE). The young Merlin is depicted, alongside his mother, approaching King Vortigern...

An 1890 oil on canvas, Young Mother Sewing, by Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), the American impressionist painter. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Pepper has long been the king of spices and for almost 2,000 years dominated world trade. Originating in India, it was known in Greece by the 4th century BCE and was an integral part of the Roman diet by 30 BCE. It remained a force in Europe...

Bergen is a lively, historic city located on the west coast of Norway. Known for its history as a Hanseatic trading town of fish from the north, Bergen has much to offer those who visit. The most famous site is the colorful "Bryggen" or German...

Selja monastery has been considered one of the most sacred sites in Norway for more than 1000 years. The monastery is connected to the legend of St. Sunniva (10th century CE), who is the only female Norwegian saint, and was for a long time...

Elizabeth I reigned as queen of England from 1558 to 1603. Her 44-year reign was so long and packed with momentous events that the second half of the 16th century is now known as the Elizabethan era and still regarded as a 'Golden Age' for...

Neolithic clay altar figurine of a mother goddess from Tumba Madzari, North Macedonia, the second half of the 6th millennium BCE. Archaeological Museum of the Republic of Macedonia, Skopje. Tumba Madzari (lit. hill of the tomb) is a Neolithic...

The cobras on Tasherenese's headdress and forehead signal a royal status, and her fly-whisk was typical of queens. She was, however, not a queen. An inscription on the back-pillar identifies her as the mother of King Amasis, who started out...