Past Exhibitions

1222 results found

Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections

Closed March 2, 2014

Including mosaics, icons, manuscripts, jewelry, and ceramics, this exhibition explores the coexistence of paganism and Christianity, spiritual life in Byzantium, secular works of art used in the home, the intellectual life of Byzantine scholars, and the cross-influences that occurred.

Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris

Closed January 5, 2014

This exhibition, which marks the bicentennial of Charles Marville’s birth, explores the full trajectory of the artist’s photographic career and brings to light the extraordinary beauty and historical significance of his art.

The image depicts a view from the bank of a river with historic buildings across the water. A cobblestone street runs alongside trees and small structures, leading the eye towards distant buildings and bridges. The horizon is marked by the cityscape's architectural silhouette, including the prominent dome of an ornate building. A bridge spans the river, connecting to more distant buildings. The photograph is in sepia tones, creating a vintage feel. The color palette includes earthy browns and muted grays, contributing to a timeless and historical atmosphere.

Tell It with Pride: The 54th Massachusetts Regiment and Augustus Saint-Gaudens' Shaw Memorial

Closed January 20, 2014

This exhibition celebrates Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ magisterial Shaw Memorial (1883–1900), considered by many to be one of the finest examples of 19th-century American sculpture. The monument commemorates the July 18, 1863, storming of Fort Wagner, near Charleston, South Carolina.

Yes, No, Maybe: Artists Working at Crown Point Press

Closed January 5, 2014

Featuring 125 working proofs and edition prints produced between 1972 and 2010 at Crown Point Press in San Francisco, one of the most influential printmaking studios of the last half century, Yes, No, Maybe goes beyond celebrating the flash of inspiration and the role of the imagination to examine the artistic process as a sequence of decisions.

Northern Mannerist Prints from the Kainen Collection

Closed January 5, 2014

The image depicts multiple figures in various poses. In the foreground, a man stands with his back to the viewer, facing a woman on his right. He wears a lion's head pelt as a helmet and a draped garment, while the woman holds a mirrored shield and wears a flowing garment. A bare figure kneels to the left, holding ropes. To the right, a child holds a serpent and a sword. More figures are seen in the background, sitting on rocks. The landscape includes hills, trees, and riders on horses in the distance, framed by leafy trees.

From the Library: Transformation in Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Closed February 9, 2014

In the Tower: Kerry James Marshall

Closed December 8, 2013

Marshall’s work explores the experiences of African Americans and the narratives of American history that have often excluded black people. Drawing upon his prodigious knowledge of art history and the African diaspora, his paintings combine figurative and abstract styles and multiple allusions.

Four people with black skin are squeezed into a narrow boat on bright, turquoise-colored water that nearly fills this stylized, square painting. All four sides of the unstretched canvas are lined with six gromets spaced along each edge. The boat approaches a carnival-like tunnel near the upper right corner. Cartoon ghosts loom at the tunnel entrance and a translucent, veil-like ghost hovers over the left half of the painting. The horizon comes almost to the top of the canvas, where white clouds float against an azure-blue sky. A long, lemon-yellow line curls back and forth in a tight, curving zigzag pattern that widens out from a tiny sun setting on the horizon. A red cross on a white field floats near the upper left. At the top center, the word “WOW” appears in white letters within a crimson-red, bursting speech bubble with long trailing tendrils, like an exploded firework. Below the boat and against the water to our right, the word “FUN” has been overlaid with a white square so the tall, white letters are barely visible. The words “GREAT AMERICA” appear in a curling banner across the bottom half of the painting.

A World of Bonds: Frederick Sommer’s Photography and Friendships

Closed August 4, 2013

Drawn largely from the Gallery’s collection, which includes significant works gifted by the artist himself in 1995, this one-room exhibition presents twenty-seven photographs, prints, collages, and drawings.

This is a photograph of an assemblage made from found objects. The composition includes a naked doll placed upside down at the focal point, held between two abstract arms attached to a textured, aged surface. The surface appears weathered and pitted, with a rough, gritty texture and numerous small holes. Above the doll is a large, rusty blade or tool with a prominent rivet. The diverse elements create a sense of surrealism and contrast.

Edvard Munch: A 150th Anniversary Tribute

Closed August 11, 2013

The image shows the upper body and face of a woman in the center. Her shoulders appear slightly raised, and her arms are not visible. She has large eyes, a subtle nose, and a slightly open mouth. Her dark, wavy hair flows outward, surrounding her head. The woman's skin looks pale against the dark background, and she is unclothed. A reddish-brown halo-like band is around her head. In the bottom left, there is a small, ghostly figure with wide eyes and folded arms. The background has swirling dark blues and blacks, enclosed by a reddish-brown wood-grain pattern.

Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929: When Art Danced with Music

Closed October 6, 2013

Serge Diaghilev founded the Ballets Russes dance company in Paris in 1909, combining Russian and Western traditions with modernism, choreography, music, and design. This exhibition showcases over 130 original costumes, set designs, paintings, sculptures, photographs, posters, film clips, and more.