By Marilyn Bauer
Enquirer staff writer

Two big exhibits at two major institutions open this month, each surveying monumental work made hundreds of years ago by artists renowned for their unique skills.

The Rau Collection: European Masterpieces is on view at the Dayton Art Institute through Jan. 16, highlighting nearly 500 years of work by artists ranging from El Greco to Claude Monet. Opening Tuesday at the Cincinnati Art Museum is Petra: Lost City of Stone, a historic survey of stone artifacts that runs through Jan. 30. Here's a guided tour of what you'll see.

• 'Petra' puts viewers in the city of stone