Fall 2019
Director’s letter
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have always loved the diversity of programs offered by the Carlos Museum. From scholarly exhibitions and student projects to conservation investigations and exciting educational programs, the museum offers a tremendous range of opportunities to engage with art. While most of our work is visible to the public, there is much that is not. Thank goodness we can share such behind-the-scenes projects through our website and this newsletter! We open the fall semester with two very special exhibitions: one highlighting the scholarship of beloved Emory professor Dr. Walter S. Melion; the other a selection of photographs from the collection of long-time Board member Lindsay Marshall. In the print exhibition Through a Glass, Darkly, Dr. Melion and co-curator Dr. James Clifton explore the complex role of allegory in scriptural interpretation and the religious debates that consumed the Low Countries during the 16th and 17th centuries. And, in the John Howett Works on Paper Gallery, a small but compelling group of photographs by Minor White and his contemporaries will be on display, accompanied by a selection of White’s writings on his art and life.
Now to a few not-so-visible projects and programs. Within the pages of this newsletter you’ll read about a fascinating investigation that’s underway regarding ancient perfume, the involvement of Emory students in the development of SmARTy Packs, and the dedication and commitment it takes to be a museum docent. You will also learn more about the gift of the Senusret Collection and the years of research that are ahead as we begin planning an exhibition of this incredible collection for fall 2022. And in staff news, we are very pleased to welcome Dr. Ruth Allen to the museum this fall as our Curator of Greek and Roman Art. Hailing from England and with impressive credentials, Dr. Allen is already considering an exhibition of ancient gemstones in the not-toodistant future! As always, I look forward to seeing you in the galleries.
Bonnie Speed Director
l e ft Decor for
Veneralia100 by event designer and Board member Robert Long encompassed artwork from the Senusret collection, luscious floral arrangements, and a water feature. Photo by Ben Rose /
www.benrosephotography.co
cov e r Hieronymus Wierix (Flemish, 1549–ca. 1620). Virgin of the Immaculate Conception with Symbols from the Lauretan Litany. Before 1619. Engraving, Lent by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951.
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The work and reward of Through a Glass, Darkly
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llegories . . . are certainly not for everyone, but they clearly demonstrate the potential for a profound working relationship between object and reader-viewer,”
writes James Clifton, director of the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation and curator of Renaissance and Baroque painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and co-curator of Through a Glass, Darkly: Allegory and Faith in Netherlandish Prints from Lucas van Leyden to Rembrandt. “Sometimes, this relationship requires . . . a great deal of effort, but it can produce results that are pleasing, fulfilling, and even transformative.” According to Clifton’s co-curator, Walter S. Melion, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Art History and director of the Bill and Carol Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Emory University, “[Allegorical] prints were first acquired for the 4
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purposes of personal education, devotion, and improvement. They were for the most part designed to be highly affective, requiring that their reader-viewers, both clerical and lay, substantially commit their minds and hearts to the task of reading and viewing them.” For their original audience, the laity and clerics of the Low Countries from 1500-1700, allegorical images offered a way to know and understand God, whose truth was often obscure. To know God’s will and to follow it was important: the reward was immense, and the stakes were high. Purchasing, reading, interpreting, and committing to follow the precepts revealed in the prints required
an investment not only of capital but also time, bodies, minds, and spirits. The creation of the prints themselves also required a substantial commitment, including the mastery of not only allegorical language but also the skill required to create lines of delicate shading as well more visceral gestures. The images on view in Through a Glass, Darkly were made through etching and engraving, two different types of intaglio printing techniques, the latter of which calls for considerable physical strength. Etchings are created by carving designs onto a metal plate covered with a waxy resin known as the ground. The ground is hard but yields easily to carving. Carved
plates are submerged in an acid bath that etches the designs into the metal of the plate. After etching, the ground is removed, ink is applied, and the plate is run through a press. Engraving requires a deeper commitment—literally and figuratively. Whereas acid does much of the work in etching, engraving requires the effort of a person who must carve directly into a metal plate. During the period addressed by Through a Glass, Darkly, three different artisans may have been involved in the creation of an engraving: the artist, who executed the design; the engraver, who carved the design; and the printer, who used a heavy press to force paper into the inked grooves of the metal plate. Through a Glass, Darkly, on view August 31 through December 1, asks visitors to engage with allegorical images as 16th- and 17th- century viewers did, noting the familiar aspects of an image and puzzling out the meaning by considering its various facets as a whole—though with much lower stakes. In addition to lectures, a gallery talk, and a scholarly symposium, visitors can access Through a Glass, Darkly’s layers of meaning in the fully illustrated exhibition catalogue, available for purchase in the museum bookshop. Visitors may also take on the role of printmaker at one of several opportunities to create art using the same techniques as Lucas van Leyden and Rembrandt. Families are invited to drop in for free dry-
point printmaking at Sunday FUNday on November 24. Artist Andrew Raftery of the RISD Museum will teach a two-day workshop on engraving, instructing participants on tool sharpening, image development, techniques for transferring designs to copper, burin use, and special printing requirements. Finally, visitors may register for a tasting of genever, the national spirit of the Netherlands, with Emory alumnus Steef Schelke. Flavored with juniper berries, genever is a distilled malt spirit perfect for toasting the work and rewards of allegorical reading and printmaking. Z
op p os i te Jan Sadeler (Flemish, 1550–1600) after Dirk Barendsz. Hell (detail), from The Four Last Things, late 16th century. Engraving. Gift of Walter S. Melion and John M. Clum. a b ov e Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert (Dutch, 1522– 1590) after Maarten van Heemskerck. The Power of Faith to Shield Man from the Devil (detail), from the series Faith Protects and Purifies, ca. 1570. Engraving. Gift of Walter S. Melion and John M. Clum.
Through a Glass, Darkly is made possible through generous support from the Michael C. Carlos Museum Visiting Board, the Massey Charitable Trust, the Art Dealers Association of America Foundation, and the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York.
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Minor White and the search for meaning
r i g h t Minor White (American, 1908–1976). Sculptured Birds, Cape Meares Oregon, 1964. Gelatin silver print. Lent by Lindsay W. Marshall.
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or a time it looked like Minor White would become a botanist or even a writer. He had graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in botany in 1934, and even took a few graduate courses on the subject. White eventually decided against a life dedicated to science, settling on photography as a path that would allow him to focus on the natural world, albeit in a different way. In 1937, White purchased a camera and hopped on a bus to Seattle. White turned to photography, according to Paul Martineau, a curator of a 2014 exhibition on White at the J. Paul Getty Museum, because he understood that it would pull him out of himself and into the world, thus balancing his tendency toward introspection with engagement. So balanced, White could pursue self-discovery through the viewfinder. White never made it to Seattle, stopping in Portland instead. He studied photography and began a camera club at the local YMCA. In 1940, White took a job teaching photography at La Grande Art Center, but this was interrupted by World War II. At the conflict’s end White thought that his experience of war may have deadened his creative impulse. After helping Ansel Adams establish the first fine art photography program in the US at the California School of Fine Arts, which brought him into contact with the great photographers of his generation, however, he felt revived. White produced images of people and the natural world, each subject area providing the breadth for him to explore human nature in all its facets.
Minor White, Unburdened: Photography from the Collection of Lindsay W. Marshall, on view October 12 through December 15, features White’s photography of the natural world alongside that of his contemporaries and friends such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Rose Mandel in addition to a selection of his writings. The exhibition pulls from the personal collection of Lindsay Marshall, a member of the museum’s Advisory Board and docent emerita, who became involved with the Carlos Museum after moving to Atlanta in 2000. Marshall came to White’s work by way of a childhood and adolescence steeped in art. “My father was an architect who painted watercolors,” she explains. “My sister and I took many types of art classes including sculpture, painting, and printmaking. When given the opportunity in high school and college, I chose art classes for my electives.” From college, Marshall pursued a career in physical therapy, which led her to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she met her late husband Dr. Fray Marshall. She found in her husband a man whose interest in art matched her own: he was the owner of an Ansel Adams and an Edward Weston by Cole Weston. “When we went to a photography exhibition in 1972 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, I was officially hooked on photography,” Marshall recalls. Several years later while on a break from her career to care for her two small children, Marshall sought a meaningful volunteer experience: “Being in the right place at the right time in the late 1970s, I was given the opportunity to help
catalogue the photographs at the Baltimore Museum of Art.” From there, Marshall notes, “I realized that I had a deep passion for photography and became a collector,” purchasing at least two to three photographs a year, with a focus on modern minimalism and nature abstraction, a genre influenced by Alfred Steiglitz’s concept of equivalence, that is, the notion that an image may be interpreted literally or in terms of the emotional response it evokes. “I liked abstraction, and Minor White was the epitome of the genre,” Marshall says. Intellectual and spiritual, White used photography to grapple with his inner life, including his homosexuality. “White pushed abstraction to its limits while maintaining a sense of reality in his photography,” she explains. For example, an image of the surf beating against the shore speaks not only to the cyclic drama of the tides but also the vastness of the universe and man’s relative insignificance. “[White] created a message that transcends but defines his art,” Marshall notes. Despite White’s pivotal role in mid-century abstract modernism and the generations of students he influenced, he is under-recognized. Marshall has never wavered in her commitment to White’s work, however: “To me, an individual should like what art they embrace regardless of its presumed value.” Z Learn more about Minor White and his ouevre from Andi McKenzie, curator of Works on Paper; Catherine Barth, a graduate student in Emory’s Art History Department; and Lindsay Marshall herself at the Collecting Conversation planned for October 23.
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New opportunities for family fun
fa r l e ft Snakes from Zoo Atlanta visited the museum for Sunday FUNday in January. l e ft Sunday FUNday
offers free art activities for families.
c e n te r A family searched for snakes on the side of a coffin. r i ght Match the Mocs, a memory card game created by intern Klamath Henry, debuted in late July. Photos by Emory Photo/Video
How do you connect with the Carlos?
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o you slip in in the middle of the day for a bit of respite? Do you enjoy the intimate discussions of Carlos Reads? Is the buzz of seeing old friends and making new ones at a member opening your idea of fun? Whatever factors motivate your visit, one thing is universal: the Carlos Museum offers the oppor-tunity to connect—to art, to ideas, and to others. With two new centennial initiatives, Sunday FUNdays and SmARTy Packs, there are more ways than ever for families to engage with the museum and each other. Research demonstrates that many museum visitors want an interactive experience that includes opportunities for discussion and hand-on activities that they can
share with others. Thanks to generous support from the David R. Clare and Margaret C. Clare Foundation, Sunday FUNdays and SmARTy Packs offer Carlos visitors these opportunities free of charge. Held once a month throughout the academic year, Sunday FUNdays allow families to participate in drop-in studio art workshops that are tied to the museum’s permanent collection or one of its special exhibitions. This spring more than 1,000 people participated in Sunday FUNdays, with attendance increasing each month. If you can’t make it to a Sunday FUNdays, SmARTy Packs offer families the opportunity to learn together, and they’re available to check out from the information desk at any time. Introduced in late March, SmARTy Packs are
tote bags that focus families’ time in the galleries through themed activities. Written guides lead families to works of art, direct conversation, and provide instructions for activities related to the artwork. Consumable materials are provided, and families can leave with a fun reminder of what they learned at the museum. Each tote contains three activities, and families have the option to complete them all at once or over several visits as their schedule allows. Current activities include Slither through the Galleries, a scavenger hunt that sends families in search of images of snakes on coffins and relief sculptures; Puzzling Pigments, which explores the idea that many works of art in the Greek and Roman galleries would have looked
very different when they were first created by having families complete a puzzle that reveals a colorized version of the museum’s acanthus relief; and Check Out Those Kicks, which asks families to look closely at the moccasins in the Native North America gallery and compare historical and contemporary beaded footwear by playing a matching card game. As more activities are created, older ones will rotate out for a time. Over the summer interns and museum educators began work on new activities expected to launch this fall. Fans of Rick Riordan books will enjoy a new activity that will launch in celebration of Riordan’s September 24 visit to promote The Tyrant’s Tomb, the most recent book in his Trials of Apollo series; families will find
Apollo and the other gods and goddesses in Riordan’s books and then create a Greek “vase painting” of a favorite scene from the books. Families can also expect an activity focused on body adornment as practiced in ancient America in the coming months. Parents and children have responded enthusiastically to SmARTy Packs, with more than 200 families checking them out since their debut in late March. April Benton, mother of Bryce, eight, and Sadie, five, shared that she was grateful for a way to get her kids excited about history in a hands-on way. Parent Diane Nathanson enjoyed the opportunity for meaningful connections offered by SmARTy Packs: “[They] reflect the way adults as well as kids want to explore a museum.” Z
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Emory students spend the summer at the Carlos
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mory classes ended on April 29, with commencement following on May 13. The close of another academic cycle, however, didn’t slow the pace of students’ work at the museum. Over the summer undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students continued to contribute to the museum’s mission as they gained new skills and worked toward their own goals. New alumnae Klamath Henry and Hannah Middlebrook capped their Emory experience with Mellon internships in the Office of Educational Programming. Middlebrook, a former work-study student at the museum, coordinated this fall’s live reading of the Iliad, a three-day event during which translator Stanley Lombardo and others will read Homer’s epic poem in its entirety. Reflecting on her work, Middlebrook noted, “This project is a culmination of the work I’ve done at the Carlos. It’s a really meaningful way to end my time at the museum.” Henry, a member of the Shasta Tribe of California and the Tuscarora Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy in western New York, focused on the visibility of Native American art and culture, conducting research on the collection, sharing indigenous foodways with summer campers, and creating a SmARTy Pack activity focusing on the varieties of historical and contemporary beaded Native American footwear. Taylor McGhee, a rising junior and the 2018–2019 student engagement intern, returned as a camp counselor. “Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time at the museum. 10
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Before I worked here, I didn’t know how many layers museums had,” she commented. “I’ve been able to talk about art with kids and adults, and I’ve learned how to adjust what I say based on my audience.” Laura Cortina, a rising senior majoring in art history and philosophy, joined McGhee as a camp counselor. The museum has been a resource for class assignments as well as a refuge between classes for Cortina, but now it’s something more: “Working at the Carlos has given me a sense of direction in terms of my career plans.” She’ll return this fall to work in the Office of Educational Programs. Art has always been a part of intern Aron Sohn’s life. The rising sophomore, whose parents are teachers and artists, studies art history and business. After visiting the Carlos on his own and with classes, Sohn decided he wanted to spend his summer giving back to the museum. Focusing on k–12 education and outreach, Sohn helped prepare teacher resources that will be shared on the museum website. Studying the museum’s Hellenistic mule’s head fulcra and Visigothic buckles, respectively, Ellen Archie and Kelin Michael, art history graduate students and Mellon Graduate Fellows in ObjectCentered Curatorial Research, continued their research in museums in the US and Europe. Michael visited the Musée Cluny and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archie met Dr. Ruth Allen, incoming curator of Greek and Roman art, in Italy to visit collections in Rome and Naples. Both fellows visited the Walters Art Museum
where they consulted object files and examined related objects in the galleries, storage, and conservation lab. Duncan Guy, Tyler Williams, and Veronica Paltaratskaya, all of whom work in the bookshop during the academic year, continued their roles as sales associates, welcoming and assisting customers. Paltaratskaya, who studies neuroscience and behavioral biology as well as art history, also spent time volunteering in the conservation lab, where she continued projects she had begun during her spring internship. In addition to helping to prepare a hunter’s shirt for loan, she rehoused stored artwork and undertook routine maintenance on the museum’s plaster casts. In the fall, she’ll take Stein’s Issues in Conservation course and continue to volunteer in the lab. Working at the Carlos Museum allows students to acquire new skills through hands-on learning in a professional environment. They also practice collaborating with others, making information accessible, and solving problems—something that particularly struck Paltaratskaya: “A lot of what a conservator does is solve very specific problems,” she noted. “Each day I gain a little more understanding of the specifics, [but] in general, the process of thinking through something is often more valuable in terms of learning than actually doing the work.” Whether or not Paltaratskaya or any of the students who work at the Carlos pursue a museum career, they take with them an experience that has value well beyond the boundaries of gallery walls and disciplinary fields. Z
top Aron Sohn and Hannah
Middlebrook assisted at Birdfest. Photo by Emory Photo/Video
a b ov e l e ft Summer campers, teaching artists, Emory students, and museum development staff — these are just a few of the museum stakeholders Taylor McGhee has worked with at the Carlos. Photo by
a b ov e r i ght A pair of 20th-century Swinomish moccasins inspired Klamath Henry to create Match the Mocs, a memory card game that’s a new SmARTy Pack activity. Photo by Emory Photo /Video
Holly Sasnett Photography
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The Senusret Collection completes its journey
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n april, the Carlos Museum announced it had acquired the Senusret Collection, a centennial gift of approximately 1,500 objects donated by the Georges Ricard Foundation. Assembled in the 1970s by Georges Ricard, a French businessman, the Senusret Collection is one of the most extensive collections of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern art to be given to a US museum. Among the Senusret Collection’s most notable works of art, according to Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art Melinda Hartwig, are Late Period coffins with mummies, gilded funerary masks, and an exquisite New Kingdom relief stele. As compelling as the collection itself is its journey. For decades, the Senusret Collection has been in a state of transition. Finally, it’s home. Georges Ricard was passionate
about Egyptian art and felt strongly that the Senusret Collection should be shared with the public. To this end, he opened the Museum of Egypt and the Ancient World in Monaco in June 1975. The public responded positively to the museum, but only a few years later, the museum closed due to conservation concerns. The collection left Monaco when the Ricard family moved to California in the 1980s. Plans to exhibit the collection at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s art museum were scuttled by state budgetary cutbacks, and the Ricards stored the collection in their home. Driven to share the collection with the public, Georges and his son Yann began sharing the collection online in 1997 as the Virtual Egyptian Museum so people could continue to learn from it while a home in a public institution was sought.
In 2018, the board of the Georges Ricard Foundation began working with consulting Egyptologists Willeke Wendrich of UCLA and Salima Ikram of the American University in Cairo to find a permanent home for the collection at a museum with a broad-based commitment to education and conservation. At Ikram’s recommendation that the foundation consider the Carlos Museum as a potential home, Hartwig traveled to California to view the collection and meet the Ricards. “When I saw the Senusret Collection, I was amazed at the quality and range of the objects— not only from ancient Egypt but the Near East as well,” Hartwig notes. At Hartwig’s invitation, Yann Ricard and his wife Elizabeth visited the Carlos Museum in May 2018, where they spoke with museum staff about how the collection would be
cared for and utilized as an educational resource. After a thorough selection process, the Georges Ricard Foundation chose the Carlos Museum as the collection’s final destination. “We never intended or imagined the Senusret Collection would leave California,” Yann notes of the decision-making process, “but once we met the Carlos Museum staff, the unthinkable turned into the compelling. Although we didn’t want to part with the collection, we soon became convinced that entrusting it to the Carlos was a golden opportunity to realize all the hopes and dreams Georges had for it since its arrival in the United States more than 30 years ago.” “Nowhere else,” Yann continues, “could we find such a cohesive, dedicated, and creative team of consummate professionals on a mission not only to lovingly preserve our world’s cultural heritage but also to use the collection to ignite imaginations, convey meaning, elicit emotion, and inspire reflection.” After being stabilized and carefully packed by a team of Carlos Museum conservators and registrars, the collection arrived at the museum last fall, journey complete. Select objects from the collection made their Carlos debut at Veneralia100, which honored the Georges Ricard Foundation. Highlights from the Senusret Collection are expected to go on view as a special exhibition after the art is further researched and conserved, a process likely to take several years. Z
a b ov e George Ricard (center) with visitors to the Museum of Egypt and the Ancient World in Monaco. op p os i te fa r l e ft Head of Amun-Re. Egyptian. Third Intermediate Period, 1076–723 BC. Schist, stone, gold. Gift of the Georges Ricard Foundation. op p os i te c e n te r Figure
of a Baboon Playing a Lute. Egyptian. Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 22–Late Period, Dynasty 26, 943–525 BC. Faience. Gift of the Georges Ricard Foundation.
op p os i te r i ght Mummy Mask. Egyptian. Late Ptolemaic Period, 197– 30 BC. Linen, gesso, pigment, gold. Gift of the Georges Ricard Foundation. l e ft Statuette of
Sekhmet. Egyptian. Third Intermediate Period, 1076– 723 BC. Bronze. Gift of the Georges Ricard Foundation.
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Recent highlights
top In June, Egyptian
art lovers visited Queens of Egypt at the National Geographic Museum with Director Bonnie Speed and Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art Melinda E Hartwig.
b e lo w l e ft As part of Student Studio, Emory students gathered on the quad to indigo-dye bandanas with teaching artist Kathy Kolt. Photo by Taylor McGhee
c e nt e r r i g h t On April 14, Birdfest attendees toured the galleries, listened to bird-themed music, and enjoyed making a variety of feathered friends. Photo by Emory Photo/Video
b otto m r i g ht Paper conservator Liz Schulte examined the Jain Cosmic Man in preparation for its treatment on public view in the John Howett Works on Paper Gallery.
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top l e ft Grow It, Cook
It, Eat It! campers learned about foodways indigenous to the Americas.
top r i ght At the Summer
Teacher Institute: The Science of Printmaking, educators learned about a variety of printmaking techniques that they practiced on paper they made themselves.
c e n te r r i ght Artful Stories participants created colorful chickens in the studio after reading Chicken in the Kitchen and learning about Nigerian culture in the gallery. Photo by Taylor McGhee
b ottom In February
printmaker Tom Hück spent a dynamic week meeting with Emory students, K-12 teachers, and the general public as the Schwartz Center Artist-in-Residence. Photo by Hillary Joy Photography
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Ancient perfume residue prompts student research project
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t wasn’t the glass vessels’ symmetry or clarity that caught the eye of Renée Stein, chief conservator, as she completed condition reviews on Roman glass from the Near East, a gift made in 2016 by Laurie Harris in memory of her husband. Rather, it was the residue lurking at the bottom of some of the vessels that Stein noted. Having found the residue in unguintaria, small containers used to hold unguents, Stein had good reason to suspect the vessels had once contained perfumed oils, ointments, or cosmetics. Her suspicion could only be verified through scientific analysis— a perfect research project for an Emory student with the right interests and the chemistry background necessary to test the residue. Max Faass, a double major in Chemistry and Ancient Mediterranean Studies who graduated in May, was the right student. It was an Ancient Mediterranean Studies professor who recommended that Faass consider studying with Stein, whose work at the Carlos Museum regularly placed her at the intersection of Faass’s interests. Faass and Stein connected through Stein’s Issues in Conservation course in 2017. Over the semester, Stein recognized Faass’s aptitude and enthusiasm and proposed that Faass take on the residue project as part of a semesterlong internship in the Parsons Conservation Laboratory. “Max was the perfect student for this project” says Stein. “She had the academic background in both ancient Near Eastern archaeology and chemistry as well as the necessary lab skills to conduct 16
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ab ove Faass encourages other students to become involved with the Carlos: “Everyone has something they can offer.… It’s unbelievably fulfilling to watch a project come to fruition and the museum is a phenomenal platform to make it happen.” le ft Perfumes and the
vessels that held them speak to the importance of trade in the Roman empire — bases, scents, and vessels may have each come from a different region to create a product sold in yet another locale.
the analyses on very limited samples.” Faass conducted the first round of analyses using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy in the Chemistry Department at Emory to characterize the bases, such as oil or wax. She then traveled to Eastern Michigan University, where she worked with chemistry professor Dr. Ruth Ann Armitage to use Direct Analysis in Real Time time of flight mass spectroscopy, a very sensitive technique that could detect the aroma compounds. Hypothesizing that the residue was that of ancient perfume, Faass compared the chemical analysis to ancient perfume recipes. The results revealed that of the eight vessels from which Faass analyzed samples,
six contained perfumes and two likely contained cosmetics. The study of ancient perfumes is not a new one. In 1989 Monique Seefried, then curator of ancient Near Eastern art at what was known as the Emory Museum of Art and Archaeology, curated The Fragrant Past: Perfumes of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. The research for that exhibition was limited by the technology available at the time. Even if unguin-taria contained residue, the highly sensitive techniques available to Faass weren’t an option for the team researching The Fragrant Past. Ancient texts such as Pliny the Elder’s Historia Naturalis, however, were a valuable resource for both Faass and The Fragrant
Past researchers. The study of perfume reveals not only the scents of the past but also the ways those scents were used. According to the catalogue accompanying The Fragrant Past, “The origins of perfumery are lost in the mists of antiquity but there is no doubt that the history of perfume parallels the history of mankind. Sweet smells and essences of flowers were part of all primitive rites of worship.” Additionally, the study of perfume also yields new understandings of issues such as the status of those who would have worn scents versus the status of those who would have only applied perfumes to another. The remnants of ancient perfumes and the vessels in which they were stored can also shed light on trade routes and practices. By identifying the aromas and bases found in residue of a particular perfume vessel, one can map the movement of luxury goods across the Roman empire. For her senior thesis, Faass mapped the journey of the residues she analyzed. In the fall, Faass will study biotechnology and engineering as a graduate student at Northwestern University, where she’ll continue to refine the analytical skills she practiced as part of her perfume project and rely upon a similar network of scholars and experts. “The museum has prepared me to work in collaborative environments and with people from diverse backgrounds,” Faass notes. “That same principle [will apply] in my graduate work.” Faass also hopes to continue her collaboration with Stein and Armitage. Z
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Meet Ruth Allen, curator of Greek and Roman art
le ft “Part of our
responsibility as curators is to preserve and protect our shared material heritage, and I was lucky to work with a team of volunteers last year to clean a series of 10th-century frescoes adorning the walls of a Byzantine cave church in northern Puglia, Italy.” r i g h t “Teaching Classics at high school and university has been as much about sharing in my students' learning as anything else, and I look forward to continuing that process at the Carlos.” far r ig h t “I enjoy exploring alternative avenues for displaying Greek and Roman art. Here I am giving a tour of my exhibition, Classicicity: Ancient Art, Contemporary Objects, at Breese Little, London.”
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n september the Carlos Museum will welcome Dr. Ruth Allen as the new curator of Greek and Roman art. Born and educated in the UK, Allen brings to the Carlos exceptional academic credentials, strong curatorial experience, and a knack for engaging with the public. Allen received her BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge, her MA in Art History from the Courtauld Institute, and her PhD from the University of Cambridge. She has held curatorial positions in the Antiquities Department at the J. Paul Getty Museum, where she contributed to the development of three international loan exhibitions, and at the British Museum, research18
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ing and cataloguing their collection of Roman glass gems. Allen co-curated The Classical Now at King’s College London, Recasting: Classical Casts and Contemporary Art at the Cambridge Museum of Classical Archaeology, and Classicicity: Ancient Art, Contemporary Objects at Breese Little, London. Most recently a Visiting Academic at the Institute of Classical Studies, London, Allen has also worked as an undergraduate supervisor for the Faculty of Classics at the University of Cambridge as well as a Department Administrator for the Department of Antiquities at Christie’s, London. In advance of her arrival, Allen
spoke about her interest in the classical world, what she enjoys most about being a curator, her first impressions of the Carlos Museum, and what she’s looking forward to. From the Ruins of Knossos to the halls of Cambridge “My interest in the classical world was first piqued on a family holiday to Crete when I was 11 years old. Visiting the ruins of Knossos and the extraordinary collections of the Heraklion Archaeological Museum opened my eyes to the material wonders of the ancient Mediterranean, but it wasn’t until I began to learn Latin at secondary school that I discovered the joys of truly immersing oneself in the study of the
classical world. I’m also very lucky to have been taught and supported by a series of remarkable female classicists who have nurtured my curiosity and shown me how the subject can be as much about shining a light onto our own society and culture as onto that of 2,000 years ago. This is certainly what set me on the path to studying Classics at Cambridge, to pursuing my doctorate, and ultimately to a curatorial career.” From discovery to delivery “My favorite aspect of being a curator is undoubtedly the opportunity the job brings to combine research with storytelling: to study an object in minute detail—whether
in terms of its physical makeup, its original use, or its many potential afterlives—and to share those stories with others. I am always learning, from colleagues, from students, and from the public, and that is also a great pleasure.” From the UK to Atlanta “I was incredibly excited by the passion and enthusiasm of everyone I met during my first visit to the Carlos, and by the museum’s commitment to finding novel, even challenging, ways of inspiring interest in the collection and in different peoples and civilizations more broadly. I’m thrilled to be joining such a creative, outwardlooking community where students,
faculty, and the public are so warmly invited to indulge their curiosity.” And beyond . . . “The Carlos’s collection of Greek and Roman art is important and widely celebrated, and I am of course looking forward to getting to know it better and to promoting it further. To that end, we already have some exciting exhibition projects and public events planned. Beyond the Carlos, I’m eager to explore Atlanta and can’t wait to make the city my home (especially because I’ve heard that the pie is very good).” Z
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Carlos Museum docents teach, learn, give, and love
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tudents on the Ars Longa, Vita Brevis Latin tour learn about Roman art, society, and mythology, and sometimes they practice translating the inscriptions that can be found in the galleries. Even the students just beginning their Latin studies understand enough to know that the people who lead the tours are called docents because in Latin, docent means “they teach.” Docents do more than teach, however. They also learn (discunt), and at the Carlos Museum, that learning process is more intensive than at most other museums, though they needn’t have any art history background to be selected as a docent. After an application process, docents, whose backgrounds range from elementary education to marketing, go through a ninemonth training period that begins
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in August. During this time, they attend Emory’s Art History 101 course and weekly sessions with museum staff devoted to in-gallery pedagogy in addition to other sessions with curators and faculty, which they attend with active docents. In the spring, docents-in-training begin touring with a mentor whom they shadow and who is on hand when they begin giving their own tours for the first time. After they complete the training process, docents choose a day when they will be available to give tours to groups ranging from preschoolers to senior citizens on subjects as diverse as the aforementioned Latin tour to AP Art History to archaeology. Members of the Docent Guild often find themselves doing more than touring. Docents can be found
on hand at special events in the evening and on weekends, stationed in the galleries to answer questions or helping to promote the museum at the Decatur Book Festival. The close relationships they build with fellow docents can take them farther afield. Some Carlos docents travel abroad together to experience the cultures represented at the museum, sometimes just as tourists and other times as volunteers. Beyond their teaching and learning, Carlos docents also give (donant). They freely give their time, energy, and enthusiasm, and they often give their financial resources, too. When Julie Green, senior manager of educational programs, retired after 25 years of service, the docents commemorated her efforts with the purchase of a corn blossom marriage vessel by Native American artist Maria Tafoya.
It’s a tradition within the Carlos Docent Guild to honor the passing of friends and loved ones with a donation to the museum. When Wayne Bailey, a beloved longtime member of the Docent Guild, died in 2017, his friends at the museum made donations in his memory. His widow, Ellen, a member of Emory University’s Board of Trustees, made a gift, too. Together, these funds became the Wayne Bailey Docent Education Fund, which make it possible to bring distinguished museum educators and scholars of pedagogy to the museum specifically for docent development and education. In fall 2018, the Docent Guild welcomed Andrew Palamara of the Cincinnati Art Museum with support from the fund. Palamara spoke to the docents about their ability to empower visitors by creating an active learning experience that strengthens connections between objects and people. Before returning to Cincinnati, Palamara commented on his special experience at the Carlos Museum. It was rare, he said, not only to recognize the work of docents but also to have a fund devoted to helping them learn and grow as educators. In addition to teaching, learning, and giving, Carlos docents also love (amant): their work, the museum, and each other. “Wayne was passionate about seeing young people learn,” recalls Ingram Senior Director of Education Elizabeth Hornor. “He would have loved knowing that there was a fund in his name devoted to helping his fellow docents learn more about creating memorable experiences for students.” Z
op p os i te Docents come from a variety of backgrounds. Cathy Amos, seen here, was an art teacher. Other docents are former doctors. Photo by Taylor McGhee.
top George and Marta
Boulineau were old friends when each became a docent at the Carlos Museum. After renewing their friendship at the Carlos, they fell in love and got married. Photo by Holly Sasnett Photography.
c e n te r Docents support the museum at a variety of events throughout the year. Barbara Willis and Ruth Smith were on hand at Mummies and Mixers 2018, during which they answered questions for gallery-goers. Hillary Joy Photography.
b ottom Wayne Bailey was a committed docent for many years. His widow Ellen continues to support the museum in his memory.
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New at the Carlos
Graphic designer Robert Evans reflects on the Carlos Acquisition
New staff: Kaitlyn Wright kaitlyn wright will join the museum as its fifth Andrew W. Mellon Advanced Fellow in Objects Conservation in mid-September. Wright recently completed her Master of Arts in Art Conservation degree at SUNY Buffalo State College in New York and holds an undergraduate degree in Art History from George Washington University in Washington DC. Specializing in objects conservation, Wright has completed graduate internships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where she treated musical instruments for a gallery reinstallation; the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, where she maintained outdoor sculptures; and in Greece, where she treated recently excavated objects at the Institute for Aegean Prehistory in Crete and supported the American School of Classical Studies’s agora excavation during the 2018 season. At the Carlos, Wright will be fully embedded in the work of the lab—treating objects, working with students, and assisting in the analysis and examination of artwork. Z 22
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thanks to a gift from Jayantilal K. and Geeta J. Patel and family, an Indian painting depicting Krishna in his cosmic form joined the museum’s collection of Vishnu avatars in May. Created in the 18th century, at 20 x 13 inches, the Indian painting is slightly larger in size to others in the collection. Centering the universe, Krishna dominates the image as he dances in his cosmic cycle of ecstasy. At his feet stand two opposing armies, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, whose peace he attempts to broker before they ultimately go to war as depicted in the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. The other members of the trimurti, that is, the Hindu trinity,
Brahma and Shiva also appear in the painting; Brahma sits within Krishna’s crown, and Shiva in his home of Mount Kailasa, shown in the upper right quadrant. Faculty in the Department of Religion and Graduate Division of Religion will be able to utilize the painting in conjunction with two other works of art they regularly reference in courses: Paired with the Jain Cosmic Man, the painting speaks to how different Indian cultures envision the cosmos; paired with the sandstone Vishnu Sleeping on the Cosmic Ocean, it invites a comparison of the same concept applied across different media. Z r ig h t An Illustration of Krishna in His Cosmic Form, Nathdwara, Rajasthan, India. 18th century. Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper. Gift of Jayantilal K. and Geeta J. Patel and family to further the study of Hinduism.
his name might not be recognizable, but if you’ve visited the Carlos Museum, you’ve seen his work both inside and outside the building. Since before the Carlos Museum was known as such, graphic designer Robert Evans has created everything from campus banners to gallery didactics. Evans, founder of Times 3 with wife Judith Martens, retired in May. During this, the museum’s centennial year, he reflected on his work and relationship with the museum. Q: How did you come to work with the Carlos Museum? A: I was an art history major at Emory, where John Howett was a beloved professor of mine. I started working for the museum in the mid ‘80s. At the time, Judith, then senior designer at Emory Publications, was working with museum director Clark Poling. I stole her away to marry her and start our own graphic design firm, Times 3. Since then I have worked with three more museum directors and five directors of communications and marketing.
a b ov e l e ft Of the many exhibition catalogues Evans designed, Images of Rome is his favorite. l e ft Robert created the
a b ov e Robert Evans and wife and business partner Judith Martens pose with an Egyptian model at Veneralia 100.
original iconic MCCM logo for the Carlos that can still be seen etched on the museum's entry doors.
Q: How did you develop your design aesthetic? A: I come from a leftist, Catholic, academic family, my father a Dante scholar and my mother an art historian. I grew up steeped in symbols, saints, and iconography. We had no TV. From my earliest years, sabbaticals were spent in Europe—the longest, 13 months traveling from Glasgow to Istanbul with my family living out of backpacks. Q: What does designing for a museum encompass? A: I’ve designed museum handbooks, exhibition catalogues, banners, labels, signage, ads, newsletters, calendars, and collateral
materials for membership, development, education, and Veneralia. I had to balance the often scholarly interests of curators with the need to appeal to wider audience. I tried to achieve a consistency of classical design sensibility with a current look that avoided the trendy, with particular attention to typography and color. Q: You’ve worked with the museum for more than thirty years. What does the Carlos Museum mean to you? A: The Carlos was always my favorite client, as I was engaged with wonderful, dedicated people and worked with stunning objects presented in exquisite exhibitions. Z
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Veneralia100
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ast the waterfalls flanking the gallery entrance, a model solar boat created using wood and stucco during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom made its Carlos Museum debut at Veneralia100 on May 18. Part of the Senusret Collection, a centennial gift from the Georges Ricard Foundation, the humble boat represents Ra’s funeral bark and the voyage to the afterlife. Other Senusret Collection objects on view at Veneralia100 may have been more finely crafted, but none were as emblematic as the boat on an evening celebrating the museum’s centennial journey. Before a room full of guests, event co-chairs and board members Lauren Giles and J. Kirk Edwards conveyed their gratitude for their fellow Veneralia100 patrons and acknowledged the important role the museum’s supporters had played in its journey of 100 years. Together, museum staff and supporters have established the Carlos as an institution worthy of notice and recognition—a fact validated, Edwards noted, by the gift of the Senusret Collection. On an evening filled with warm remembrances of the past, guests raised their glasses to toast the museum’s next 100 years. Z
ho no ra ry cha ir
patro ns
go ld spo nso rs
The Georges Ricard Foundation
Jean Astrop Dirk Brown and Tim Burns Nancy and Randall Burkett Marifred and Sal Cilella Betty Jo and Andy Currie J. Kirk Edwards Lauren Giles Gail and Michael Habif Judy Hemenway Marguerite Ingram Pat and John Laszlo Elaine Levin Lindsay Marshall and Courtenay Beebe Sajal and Jay Patel Sybil Ralston Cindy and John Rooker Joan Sammons Laura and Carter Smith Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel Becky and Sid Yarbrough
Fidelity Bank Times 3
go ld benefacto rs
Chris Carlos Suzanne and Donald Leebern silv er benefacto rs
Sally and Jim Morgens Harshna and Pyush Patel bro nze benefacto rs le ft Model Solar Boat.
Egyptian. Middle Kingdom, mid Dynasty 11–Dynasty 12, ca. 2000–1760 BC. Wood, stucco, pigment. Gift of the Georges Ricard Foundation.
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Tara and Richard Aaronson Sally and Joe Gladden Jiong and Baxter Jones Eleanor Ridley Dina and Ed Snow
silv er spo nso rs
Delta Air Lines Magnum National Distributing Company Northern Trust Robert Long Flora & Event Design bro nze spo nso rs
Emory Point J.P. Morgan
Photo by Ben Rose / www.benrosephotography.com
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Coming soon
Membership
We extend our gratitude to all who have become new members or who have renewed their Partner, Council, or Patron level memberships between January and June 30, 2019. Your support is greatly appreciated and we look forward to seeing you at the museum for many years to come. Not yet a member? Visit CARLO S . E M O RY. E DU /J O I N to join the ranks of these generous supporters. To upgrade your membership, call 404.727.2623 . directo r ’s co uncil
do ric patro n
Mr. James B. Miller, Jr.
Ms. Mary Elizabeth Abbott Mrs. Ellen Agnor Bailey Ms. Nancy L. Barber Dr. and Mrs. Harry Black Beverly Dr. Achuyt Bhattarai and Mr. Beni Amatya Dr. Josephine V. Brown Ms. Alicia Brooke Carew Ms. Mary Kathleen Carroll Mrs. Lorraine Rooks Cary Drs. Alison Youngs Caughman and Stewart Wright Caughman Ms. Carol E. Chatham Dr. Stanley A. Cohen Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. Cross Ms. Dorothy Anne Cunningham Dr. and Mrs. S. Carter Davis, Jr. Mr. Jefferson James Davis Mr. and Mrs. David Dundee Mr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Dunham Mr. and Mrs. Steven Godarze Ebrahimi Dr. Leslie R. Freedman and Ms. Lee Paula Miller Mr. and Mrs. Carl I. Gable, Jr. Mrs. Sally Willingham Hawkins Mr. and Ms. Charles Hodge Dr. Ruth A. Hough Dr. and Mrs. Michael E. Johns Mr. and Mrs. J. Timothy Johnson Veronica and Richard Kaplan Ms. Jennifer Elizabeth Kirker Mr. and Mrs. Arnold H. Kurth Mr. and Mrs. Norman Langberg Mr. and Ms. Daniel L. MacFarlane Mr. and Mrs. Peter Mariolis Dr. Clint Lawrence and Ms. Deborah Ann Marlowe
curato rs’ co uncil
Mrs. Dorothy T. Boynton Crawley Ms. Emily Elaine Katt Dr. Larry R. Kirkland and Mrs. Lyn B. Kirkland Mrs. Eleanor Horsey Ridley Ms. Joan M. Sammons co rinthia n patro n ab ov e l eft Manjari Sharma (Indian, born 1979). Lord Vishnu, 2013. Chromogenic print. Lent by the artist. to p r i g h t Raja Ravi Varma
(Indian, 1848–1906). VishnuGarud Wahan, ca. 1920. Lithograph with fabric and embellishments. Lent by OJAS Art / Ramchander Nath Foundation. b otto m r i g ht Abhishek Singh (Indian, born 1982). Trimurti, 2010. Digital print. Lent by the artist.
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Transcendent Deities of India: The Everyday Occurrence of the Divine January 18 – May 20, 2020
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hat does it mean to see and be seen by the divine? And what does it mean to see the divine in new ways? These are the questions underlying Transcendent Deities of India: The Everyday Occurrence of the Divine, an exhibition of more that 70 works of art by Raja Ravi Varma, Manjari Sharma, and Abhishek Singh. For Hindus in India, images of gods and goddesses are an integral part of religious practice. These images inspire worshippers and artists alike, populating the art of the region for thousands of years and demonstrating their power through hundreds of millions of daily encounters as part of rituals
at temples, shrines, and other settings within India and the broader diaspora. Transcendent Deities of India explores the visual communion between human and divine. Through prints, photographs, graphic art, paintings, and illustrations, Varma, Sharma, and Singh offer modern and contemporary interpretations of traditional imagery that position Hindu gods and goddesses within viewers’ frame of reference, ensuring their seamless applicability in new eras. The Carlos Museum will present exhibition-related programming for adults and children, including a live painting event during which Singh will create a painting over several days at different locations across the city. Transcendent Deities of India: The Everyday Occurrence of the Divine was organized by Asia Society Texas Center.
Dr. Margaret Hawes and Mr. Alexander Sidney Hawes io nic patro n
Dr. Delores P. Aldridge Dr. and Mrs. Michael Enrico Bernardino Ms. Catherine Ann Binns and Mr. James Edward Honkisz Ms. Lynne Y. Borsuk, Esq. and Mr. Robert D. Smulian Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Buchmiller Drs. Aubrey M. Bush and Carol T. Bush Dr. Daniel Bennett Caplan Mrs. Judy W. Hemenway Mrs. Susanne W. Howe Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Ovidio Kaba Drs. James J. Lah and Katrina Marie Dickson Mrs. Dorothy H. Miller Dr. and Ms. David S. Pacini Mr. and Mrs. Marion P. Rivers III Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Vivona
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Martin Drs. Linda McCarter Matthews and John Michael Matthews Ms. Sharon McClelland and Mr. David P. Robichaud Ms. Martha Josephine Mills Mr. Kenneth Nassau Ms. Joanna L. Parks and Mr. Kevin Buck Mr. and Mrs. Melvin A. Perling Dr. and Mrs. Richard Vladimir Remigailo The Honorable and Mrs. Mathew Robins The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Philip Daniel Schroeder Mr. and Ms. Michael Carlton Selph Ms. Winifred D. Simpson Ms. Mary Lynn Smith Mr. and Mrs. Barry Lee Spurlock, Sr. Ms. Susan C. Talgo Ms. Jan Thibadeau and Mrs. Carol W. Thibadeau Dr. Garth Edward Tissol Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wagner Dr. and Mrs. Warren Walter Drs. Paul F. Walter and Jonne Barney Walter Mrs. Aileen W. Wieland Ms. Barbara Lord Willis
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michael c. carlos museum emory university 571 south kilgo circle atlanta, ga 30322
Nonprofit Org U.S. Postage Paid Emory University
carlos.emory.edu
Visitor information Hours Tuesday through Friday:
10 am–4 pm; Saturday: 10 am– 5 pm; Sunday: noon–5 pm; Closed Mondays and University holidays. Admission $8 general admission. Carlos Museum members, Emory students, faculty, and staff: Free. Students, seniors, and children ages 6–17: $6 (Children ages 5 and under free). Visit our website to learn about free admission days. Ebrik Coffee Room Serving coffee, pastries, and snacks Monday–Friday, 9 am–4 pm; Saturday, 10 am–5 pm; and Sunday, noon–5 pm. Carlos Museum members receive a 10% discount on all purchases. Public transportation marta bus line 6 Emory from Inman Park/ Reynoldstown & Lindbergh stations or 36 North Decatur from Avondale and Midtown stations. Parking Parking is available at the Oxford Road and Fishburne Decks.
On weekdays before 4 pm, accessible parking is available in the Oxford Road parking deck. Enter the Oxford Road building and take the elevator to top (Plaza) level, and follow the accessible route path markers to the rear (Plaza Level) entrance of the museum. On weekends and after 4 pm daily, handicap accessible parking spaces are available on South Kilgo Circle, adjacent to the rear (Plaza Level) to the museum. A governmentissued hangtag must be displayed. Tours Advanced booking required for weekday or weekend groups of 10 or more. For reservations call 404-727-0519 at least two weeks before your group would like to visit. Public tours Depart from the rotunda on Sundays at 2 pm. Call in advance, 404-727-4282. Multimedia audio guide $2. Free for museum members. Museum information 404-727-4282 Web access carlos.emory.edu
Stay connnected Stay connected on our Facebook page with event reminders, specials, notes from curators, and exhibition information. Subscribe to our Carlos Museum calendar and enjoy lectures, the Carlos Reads book club, AntiquiTEA, family events, and more. Visit carlos.emory.edu/connect
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