The civilization of India began more then 4,000 years ago and has evolved two of the world’s great religions: Hinduism and Buddhism, which eventually spread far beyond their homeland. The works of art emerging from these different paths assume various forms and styles, but all are linked in spirit.
The goal of Sacred India, Sacred Tibet is to increase understanding of the historical and cultural significance, as well as the great beauty and power, of Indian and Tibetan religious art.
These exquisite works, ranging from the tenth to the early twentieth centuries, are drawn from the Museum’s holdings, with loans from the Gary and Gail Damkoehler Collection of Tibetan Art, from David Patten, and from an anonymous New York collector.
Image: Sakya Lama seated in Padmasana, c. 18th century, gilt bronze. Collection of Gary and Gail Damkoehler
On view in the Bishop/Rahall gallery
Approximately 40 Greek and Roman works from the Zewadski Collection have been placed on extended loan to the Museum by trustee William Knight Zewadski filling an entire gallery with these rare and fascinating works. This wide array of antiquities celebrates the theater tradition in Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art and culture. Found here are not only large-scale vases with finely executed paintings, but also objects used in daily life such as oil lamps, loom weights, and a theater ticket. These holdings comprise one of the most comprehensive American collections of its kind and rival similar groupings in the Getty Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Image: THE APHRODITE PAINTER, Paestan, South Italy, RED-FIGURE KRATER (WINE MIXING VESSEL), c. 340–330 BC, Ceramic. From the Collection of William Knight Zewadski.
March 22 through August 26, 2008
Celebrating the opening of the new Hazel Hough Wing, the MFA presents this special exhibition featuring captivating works of art that have been rarely on view or in some cases, never before displayed at the MFA. Featuring works by such noted artists as Renoir, Leger, Pissarro, Matisse, Faberge, Chuck Close, and James Rosenquist, it also offers a glimpse of lovely works of art by very talented but lesser known artists. These seldom-seen works reveal the vast richness of the Museum’s collection.
March 22 through August 26, 2008
Mrs. Stuarts Legacy highlights the first artworks acquired by the Museum, even before it opened its doors. It includes artworks given by Museum founder Margaret Acheson Stuart, her family, and her friends. It creates a vivid picture of the vision the founders had for the nascent Museum, and reveals how the institution has greatly and purposely broadened its scope in the following years.
Please call 727-896-2667 for more information on exhibitions.
