WHAT WILL YOU DISCOVER?
MEMBERS MAGAZINE
SPRING 2011
Reinstalling the Nineteenth-CentUry Paintings Collection page 4
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Setting Sail The Art of the Writing Instrument Programs & Events Mellon Fellow Profile Medieval Collection Guide Community Outreach In the Museum Store Behind the Scenes Top Ten Works of Art Profiles in Giving Upcoming Events Museum News
our mission The Walters Art Museum brings art and people together for enjoyment, discovery and learning. We strive to create a place where people of every background can be touched by art. We are committed to exhibitions and programs that will strengthen and sustain our community. The Walters Art Museum is open Wednesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
board of trustees 2010–2011 Chair andrea b. laporte President peter l. bain President-Elect douglas w. hamilton, jr. Vice-President ellen n. bernard Vice-President thomas s. bozzuto Vice-President dr. hervey (peter) s. stockman, jr. Treasurer frank k. turner, jr. Treasurer dr. gary k. vikan, director — julianne e. alderman calvin h. baker neal d. borden c. sylvia brown h. ward classen rosalee c. davison michael de havenon cynthia l. egan christine m. espenshade jonathan m. fishman bruce w. fleming guy e. flynn michael b. glick sanford m. gross the honorable c. yvonne holt-stone mary c. mangione stanley mazaroff bailey morris-eck jennifer murphy charles j. nabit marilyn a. pedersen william h. perkins lynn homeier rauch george k. reynolds, iii john r. rockwell edward l. rosenberg nancy r. sasser judy van dyke mary baily wieler — ex-officio members the honorable stephanie rawlings-blake the honorable bernard c. young the honorable martin j. o’malley the honorable kevin kamenetz the honorable ken ulman rosemary eck margaret z. ferguson constance j. fitzpatrick laura l. freedlander barbara guarnieri adele kass elizabeth koontz marco k. merrick tom noonan diana ulman — trustees emeriti dr. robert s. feinberg samuel k. himmelrich, sr. cynthia r. mead william l. paternotte adena w. testa jay m. wilson — international advisory board dr. james michael bradburne wendyce h. brody eddie c. brown dr. myrna bustani constance r. caplan philip d. english sam fogg laura l. freedlander leah gansler joel goldfrank bruce livie dr. james marrow angela moore dwight platt george roche paul ruddock the honorable paul sarbanes donald j. shepard george m. sherman john waters, jr. dr. daniel h. weiss benjamin b. zucker
The Walters Magazine, Vol. 64, No. 2 Published by the Trustees of the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. Editor, charles dibble Designer, tony venne Art Photography, susan tobin
above: Hope / Pierre Puvis de Chavannes / 1872 cover: 1814 / Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier / 1862
Please send membership questions to membership@thewalters.org Please send editorial comments to magazine@thewalters.org
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Dear Members: In the fall of 2008, Wall Street slid into its deepest slump since the Great Depression. The Walters, like all cultural institutions across America, initiated a broad range of painful austerity measures to weather the ever-worsening financial storm. At that time, we made the seemingly counter-intuitive decision to raise our investment in technology significantly. This meant that we would continue with two critical new hires, even as we were forced to eliminate other staff positions, and that we would remain fully committed to digitizing all the works of art on view in our galleries. It also meant that we would proceed with a highly innovative plan to make cover-to-cover surrogates of the 126 Islamic manuscripts in our collection (more than 53,000 pages), with grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Further, we decided that we would make these tens of thousands of new digital images available worldwide in very high resolution with minimal use restrictions. We would also let the world know about our rapidly growing content base and open access policy through social media: Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. We did all this for the same reasons that we removed our general admission fee in 2006: these wonderful works of art belong to the public and it is our duty to lower or remove all barriers to their access. We felt that through technology we could further fulfill our mission to “bring art and people together”—now, without geographic or financial limit. Despite the financial climate, raising the Walters to a fundamentally different place in our relationship with the world through investment in content for our website felt like an enormous but essential task. Guided by what one of our curators calls the “Mona Lisa Phenomenon”—the idea that familiarity with images of a work of art, like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, makes people more and not less included to see the original in person—we continue to advocate for broad exposure to images from the permanent collection. Having these works available for everyone around the world to reference fulfills our mission of bringing art and people together. Happily, our results have been impressive and our strategy vindicated. Since 2008, the number of images of works of art we offer on line has doubled, from fewer than 5,000 to nearly 10,000, and during that same period, the number of our unique web visitors has increased almost four-fold, to a rate nearing 1,000,000 per year. From 2009 to 2010 alone, visits to the online collection have increased by more than 50 percent. At the same time, we have seen dramatic growth in the number of our social network friends, with now more than 4,600 Walters Facebook fans and more than 8,800 Walters Twitter followers. Perhaps it is no accident that attendance at our last five major exhibitions has, in each case, significantly exceeded our projections. If you are not already recieving e-mail from the Walters, you can sign up at thewalters.org. Henry Walters would probably be astounded—but I’m certain he would be pleased.
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SPringtime RetUrns to the Walters
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Reinstalling the Nineteenth-CentUry Paintings Collection T
his spring the Walters will welcome back forty of its best-known paintings. J.A.D. Ingres’ Oedipus and the Sphinx, Claude Monet’s Springtime and many more will return to the galleries from a triumphant year-long tour in the traveling exhibition Masterpieces of Nineteenth-Century Painting from the Walters Art Museum. The exhibition opened at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (January 30–May 30, 2010) and followed with a record-breaking run at the University of Texas’s Blanton Museum of Art (October 2, 2010–January 2, 2011). Early summer will also see the return of an important group of works from the acclaimed exhibition The Spectacular Art of Jean-Léon Gérôme (The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, June 15–September 12, 2010; Musée d’Orsay, Paris, October 19, 2010–January 23, 2011; Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, March 1–May 22, 2011). Gérôme’s harlequins and emperors will find their way back onto the walls this August. In celebration of the return of the collections, the museum is rehanging its fourth floor in a new display that highlights the origins of the collection. Drawing on the research of the collection’s curator and curator emeritus William Johnston, the galleries traces the development of the William and Henry Walters’ taste in painting, from the patronage of Baltimore artists in the 1850s, through William’s first encounter with the Parisian art world in the 1860s, to the turn of the twentieth century, when Henry Walters collected for the public institution that his family’s art gallery was soon to become. In many ways, the nineteenth-century painting collection is the most personal of the Walters’ holdings. William Walters began buying art seriously when he and his young family moved to Mount Vernon Place in 1857, and his early purchases were made to be hung on the walls of his home. From the first, he established relationships directly with artists, sponsoring William Henry Rinehart’s (1825–1874) training in Rome as early as 1855. A number of Rinehart’s marble busts of members of the Walters family can be seen on the fourth floor of the museum. During the Walters family’s sojourn in Europe during the Civil War (1861–1865), when William’s collecting interests shifted toward French art, he continued, both in person and through his agent, George Lucas (1824–1909), to buy work directly from living artists. In 1862 William initiated what was to become one of his most cherished artistic relationships by commissioning a group of bronzes from the animalier Antoine-Louis Barye (1795–1875). It is worth remembering that at the same time that William and later Henry were acquiring treasures of eighteenth-century porcelain, Japanese metalwork and medieval manuscripts, this was their collection of contemporary art. previous page: Springtime / Claude Monet / 1872 left: At the Café / Edouard Manet / ca. 1879
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left: Before the Race / Edgar Degas / 1882–1884 opposite: Masterpieces of Nineteenth-Century Painting from the Walters Art Museum installed at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (above) and Blanton Museum of Art (below).
The sequence of galleries begins with a room devoted to William Walters’ early collecting and art collecting in Baltimore more broadly. This includes new acquisitions and displays a substantial number of our American paintings, including works by Baltimore-born artists Alfred Jacob Miller (1810–74) and Richard Caton Woodville (1825–55). Landscape was an important theme in William’s initial European collecting, and the works of Théodore Rousseau (1812–67), François Daubigny (1817–78) and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796–1875) have a strong presence in the next gallery. This is followed by history painting, the Academic genre that encompassed depictions of classical, religious and mythological subjects, an area in which both William and Henry made significant purchases. The next section of the gallery contains examples of Realist and Historicist painting, which played a crucial role in nineteenth-century ways of thinking about the value of art. These paintings are a unique strength of the Walters’ collection, and there is no other collection in the United States that captures this taste with the same immediacy and clarity. Before reaching the changing exhibitions gallery and the Nineteenth-Century Treasury, the sequence of galleries ends with Impressionist and late nineteenth-century works by Claude Monet (1840–1926), Edgar Degas (1834–1917), Édouard Manet (1832–83) and Alfred Sisley (1839–99).
(1841–1920) and Mariano José María Bernardo Fortuny y Marsal (1838–74) among others. A number of these works will reappear alongside returning favorites in the new arrangement of the galleries. This has been an important and productive period for research on the collection. The process of mounting a traveling exhibition and, for the museum, displaying of paintings that had been in the museum’s stores required the technical evaluation and conservation of a number of works. We hope that returning visitors will have the opportunity to pick new, and perhaps unexpected, favorites. While it would be impossible to display all the paintings in the Walters’ collection at once, we hope to keep revealing new facets of the collection through focus shows and by continuing to circulate parts of the collection international exhibitions in the years to come. The reinstallation of the Walters’ nineteenth-century painting collection will take place in two phases this spring and summer. The first phase opened April 2 with the rehanging of the outer circuit of paintings, including the museum’s exemplary holdings of Barbizon landscape, Realist, Historicist and Impressionist art. During the second phase, scheduled for July and August of 2011, we will refresh the décor and represent our two Salon-style galleries, showing more of the small-scale genre works and Orientalist paintings that are a particularly delightful aspect of the museum’s nineteenthcentury holdings.
While Masterpieces of Nineteenth-Century Painting from the Walters Art Museum has been in preparation and on the road, we have had the opportunity to take a fresh look at the mu–Alicia Weisberg-Roberts, seum’s holdings and to reveal aspects of the collection that Assistant Curator of 18th- and 19th-Century Art had seldom been explored before. This included a display of nineteenth-century Spanish painting, unusual in American collections, with works by Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta
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santa barbara museum of art “Our visitors fell in love with the Masterpieces show. It was such a treat for me to be able to lavish care and attention one last time on some of the Walters’ finest paintings. The installation was stunning, and the show received rave reviews.” —Eik Kahng, Chief Curator and Curator of Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century European Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Art
blanton museum of art “We are extremely pleased with the success of this special exhibition. Turner to Monet offered a rare opportunity for our members and the Austin community to experience one of the country’s finest collections of nineteenth-century art. It was wonderful to see the galleries filled with people of all ages enjoying these beautiful paintings.” —Ned Rifkin, Director of the Blanton Museum of Art
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Setting Sail: Drawings of the Sea
T
june 18–september 11
his focus show features drawings, the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) to Kobayashi Kiyochika’s (1847–1915) paintings and prints of ships, sailors and the sea from the permanent collec- dramatic wood block renderings of the events of the First Sino-Japanese War tion of the Walters. The sea and the men (1894–95). Others show the varied and women who make their living from facets of our interaction with the sea, it have provided a subject for art from from commercial fishing and ocean ancient times until the present day. In the nineteenth century, under the influ- travel to pleasure boating and visiting the seaside. ence of Romanticism, the sea took on a new emotional resonance, becoming a Artists have long been fascinated by the metaphor for the awesome power of challenge of depicting the varied effects nature. This tendency can be seen in the of wind and weather on the ocean. expressive brushwork and somber Setting Sail showcases the variety of palette Jacques Dupré (1811–89) used to media artists use to show the ominous paint At Sea, an image of boats beset by light of a storm at sea, the jaunty angle choppy waves. At the same time, in an of a sailor’s hat, or the peaceful lapping era of global expansion, the world’s of water on a sheltered shore. Highlights oceans were of unparalleled economic include the biting, satirical pen of Paul importance. Artists were able to draw on Gavarni (1804–66) and the unsurpassed a long tradition of maritime painting to freshness of the French watercolorist depict the strength and enterprise of Eugène Isabey (1803–86). nations. A number of the works in Setting Sail explore the theme of naval –Alicia Weisberg-Roberts, Assistant conflict, from a painting by Pierre Curator of 18th- and 19th-Century Art Nicolas Legrand (1758–1829) commemorating the death of Admiral Nelson at
Fishing Boats ⁄ 1862 ⁄ Eugène Isabey (French, 1803–1886)
SECTION HEADER
The Art of the Writing Instrument from Paris to Persia july 2–september 25
E
above: Writing Box (suzuri bako) with a Pheasant Beside a Stream / Japanese / 18th–19th century below: Pencase & Penholder / Turkish (Ottoman) / 18th century
royal family. A writing-box (suzuri-bako) the name of the artist and the owner, as very culture that values the art of from Edo Japan, containing an ink-stone, well as the tughra (imperial monogram) writing has found ways to reflect ink-stick, brushes and a water-dropper, of Sultan Mahmud I (r. 1730–54). This the prestige and pleasure of writing exemplifies a type of object cherished by ceremonial set may have been gifted by through beautiful tools. Implements Japan’s educated classes. The lid of this the sultan to the individual named on such as pens, knives and scissors, as well sublimely beautiful lacquer piece, dating the rifle. While preparing for this focus as storage chests, pencases and writing show, the Walters’ curatorial and con- to around 1700, depicts a poetic scene of desks, were often fashioned of precious a pheasant beside a stream. The high ser vation team was thrilled to materials: gold and silver, imported quality of the craftsmanship reflected woods, mother of pearl and gems. Such “rediscover” additional objects from this the owner’s elite status. set in museum storage; all the parts of items are exceptional works of art that the set will be exhibited together for the are rarely exhibited in museums. This Objects such as these, owned by statesfirst time. exhibition provides a view into the men, calligraphers, wealthy merchants intimate world of the writing instruand women of stature, highlight the Also showcased is a lady’s desk from ment—personal objec ts used by ingenuity of the artists who created France by the late eighteenth-century individuals empowered with the skill to them and attest to the centrality of the master cabinetmaker Maurice-Bernard inscribe. Among these are a stunning Evalde. This elegant writing desk, written word in the diverse cultures that Ottoman Turkish penbox and penholder produced them. enriched with wood marquetry and gilt studded with emeralds and rubies or spidesigns, dates to the reign of Louis XV nels. Both the pencase and penholder (1715–74). The associated key bears the –Amy Landau, Assistant Curator of were made to be housed in the butt of a Islamic Art and Manuscripts arms of France, suggesting that it might similarly decorated rifle, which bears have been made for a member of the WWW.THEWALTERS.ORG × 11
Programs & Events WALK-IN TOURS Ongoing Weekend public walk-in tours are
The Mother Prayed, The Daughter Felt Relief: Women, Motherhood and Pilgrimage in Late Medieval Europe
offered on Sundays at 1 p.m. Please check
Sunday, May 8
thewalters.org for complete details.
2–3 p.m.
lunch and learn
Medieval stories frequently recount
Thursday, May 5
their injured or ailing children, thereby
12:15–1:15 p.m.
gaining social and cultural power from
Free
Oriental Ceramic Art
instances of women seeking healing for
Free
their brushes with the miraculous. Leigh
Enjoy a lunchtime talk with Associate
Ann Craig, Associate Professor of history
Curator of Asian Art Robert Mintz, who
at Virginia Commonwealth University,
will discuss the production of William
will show how women’s roles as mothers
Walters’ ten-volume catalog of Asian
informed their pilgrimage travels.
ceramics, Oriental Ceramic Art—a masterpiece of color lithography published in 1896—and highlight its lasting impact as
By the Hand of the Saint: The Book of Kells and Relics
a record of one of the finest American
Sunday, May 15
collections of Asian porcelain.
2–4:15 p.m.
peabody institute recital series
Peabody Honors Ensemble: The Gaam Trio Friday, May 6 12–1 p.m. Free
This concert will feature clarinet trios by Beethoven and Brahms as performed by The Gaam Trio, one of the Peabody Institute’s student Honors Ensembles. As the season draws to an end, we are proud to conclude our first year presenting this series of dynamic Friday lunchtime concerts. mothers day
The Virgin Mary and Other Migrant Mothers Sunday, May 8 1–2 p.m. Free The Emmy-nominated singer / songwriter ellen cherry uses history for inspiration. She will perform selections from her women’s history album, Years, and draw from her genre-crossing repertoire, displaying her talents in folk, pop, jazz and instrumental music.
Free During the Middle Ages The Book of Kells, a magnificently illuminated gospel book, was thought to be the work of the scribe Saint Columba and was thus treated as a relic. Art historian Ben Tilghman will explore how this medieval myth might offer clues to the book’s origins. A free screening of The Secret of Kells, a 75-minute Academy Award–nominated animated film, follows the talk.
The Beau Soir Ensemble: The Garden of Earthly (and Other) Delights Sunday, May 22 1–2 p.m. Free The Beau Soir Ensemble, composed of harpist Michelle Lundy and flutist Lauren Panfili, will play a diverse short program. The duo specializes in new and standard repertoire, spanning all eras of classical music. spotlight with gary vikan
Walters, Rubens, Ford, Duke, Bourne (and Others): More Than Just a Name
Sunday, May 22 2–3 p.m. Members: free / Non-members $10 / Seniors: $5 / Students: $5 Walters Director Gary Vikan will chat with William Johnston, curator emeritus, about how the collecting interests of numerous individuals have enlarged the richness of the museum’s collections.
top: ellen cherry middle: Henry Walters
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bottom: Behind the Mask of Tutankhamun
Family FUN • Rescuing Egypt’s Heritage
Drop-In Art Activities
Sunday, June 19
Saturdays & Sundays
1–2 p.m.
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
The Artist’s Studio Experience
Free
Free
August 1–12
Recent looting of Egypt’s ancient treasures
Join museum educators as they help fami-
10 a.m.–4 p.m. Members $150 /
has drawn attention to an urgent need
lies create artful projects related to the
to safeguard monuments and artifacts
collection, special exhibitions and family
Non-members $280
that have survived for thousands of years.
programs. Check out our monthly themes!
The Artist’s Studio
Walters Curator of Ancient Art Regine
May
A Horse of Course
Experience offers
Schulz will discuss present conditions
June
Nature Escape
6th–12th graders the opportunity to work
in Egypt, as well as the development of
July
Come Sail Away…
with a local practicing artist from a spe-
formal and informal policies to protect
August
World Banquet
cialized field of fine art. Participants will
Egypt’s heritage. Schulz, a member of the
discover art techniques used throughout
ethics committee of the International
Visit the Walters Around Town
Council of Museums, was recently named
This summer you can find educators from
artists specific to the week’s theme as
Executive Director of the Roemer-und
the Walters at family-friendly festivals and
they create their own works of art. Each
Pelizaeus-Museum in Hildesheim, Germany.
events around town providing art activi-
week, participants will also see examples
ties and more! Here’s a glance at just a few
of the teaching artist’s portfolio, and have
• Behind the Mask of Tutankhamun
history and learn about art terms and
of the community festivals in which we’ll
the opportunity to discuss careers in the
Sunday, June 19
be participating:
fine arts, portfolio development and the
2–3:30 p.m.
May 6–7
Flowermart at Mt. Vernon Pl.
vast applications of art. Magnet school
Free
May 28
BikeJam at Patterson Park
students may work toward completing
The gold funerary mask from Tutankha-
June 18
A Celebration of Art
summer art requirements, and all partici-
mun’s tomb is perhaps the best-known
at Cylburn Arboretum
pants will work to build a portfolio.
work of art from ancient Egypt. British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves will
Summer Art Camp at the Walters
Birthday JAM at the WAM
present groundbreaking scholarship on
July 5–29
For ages 4–10
this masterpiece, arguing that the mask
Full day, 9 am–4:30 pm
Members $300 / Non-members $360
was originally made for another, equally
Members $190 / Non-members $320
2 hours; weekend availability
famous, member of the royal family.
per week
To reserve a party or for more information,
Morning only,* 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
call 410-547-9000, ext. 300 /
members events
Members: $100 / Non-members: $170
email: wamjam@thewalters.org.
Members: free / Non-members: $5
To register or for more information, call 410-
Birthday JAM at the WAM offers children
Members receive a 10% discount on books
547-9000 ext. 300 / thewalters.org
a unique and fun venue for celebrating
The Art of Reading Book Club
per week
purchased in the museum store!
Our 1st–5th grade summer camps feature:
birthdays. Amazing art activities and
The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato
· Four weekly sessions to choose from
inspiring gallery adventures will make
Sunday, June 26 3 p.m. When Luciana Vetra of Florence, part-time model and full-time prostitute, poses for the figure of Flora in Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera, she soon finds herself trapped
(camps are sold by week) · Multiple age groups offered in same week · Morning only* or full-day class options
will visit the party and enchant the
· Art techniques and cultural themes
children by delivering a special Waltee
explored through gallery visits, art proj-
stuffed animal to the birthday girl or boy!
ects and theater activities
in a maze of murder, political intrigue and
· Camper exhibition and portfolio-sharing days
a deadly secret hidden within the famous
*Mornings will focus on theme introductions,
artwork. The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva Sunday, August 14 3 pm A murder and the theft of a long-lost Rembrandt portrait propel semiretired spy Gabriel Allon on a trail of clues that leads to international arms deals and the repercussions of Nazi war crimes.
birthdays memorable! For an additional fee, our cuddly lion cub mascot, Waltee,
gallery visits and in-depth art projects that
Choose from one of the following funfilled party themes:
• Hunt for the Pirate’s Prize • Mythical Make-Believe
Quest for the Mummy
noons will continue the week’s theme with
The King Is Coming
different art projects, gallery visits, theme-
Jungle Jamboree
will be created throughout the week. After-
related games and collaborative activities. Fall Registration Notice: Members can register early for our popular family programs! Member registration begins July 1; public registration begins July 11. All registration takes place online. Look for more information coming soon!
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andrew w. mellon fellow profile
Kathryn Gerry, Department of Medieval Art
S
ince taking up my fellowship in 2009, I’ve had a chance to get to know the workings of the medieval department at the Walters inside and out, and to examine some of the finest pieces of medieval art in North America. One of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on has been a book about the medieval collection at the Walters that I have cowritten with Martina Bagnoli, the head of the medieval department (see p. 15). We selected some of the most famous and important pieces in the collection, along with a few works that deserve more attention than they have received, and used them to tell the story of art in the Middle Ages, highlighting some of the key issues in this field.
I’ve also assisted with the exhibition Treasures of Heaven, working with the curators, the exhibition designer, and members of the education, marketing and conservation divisions to bring together an amazing show. I traveled to Cleveland when the exhibition was on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and although I wish it could stay on view at the Walters for a longer time, I’m looking forward to seeing the third version of the exhibition when it opens in London at the British Museum this summer. The Mellon Fellowship provides the opportunity to conduct my own research, and with the help of the conservation division I’ve discovered some fascinating information about several pieces at the Walters, including the luxurious Mondsee Gospels, a manuscript encased in covers decorated with precious metals, carved ivories and an enormous piece of rock crystal. The Walters holds one of the most important medieval collections in the United States, and in order to encourage scholarly research on the museum’s holdings, I organized a symposium at which art historians at the start of their careers presented papers on pieces in the collection. With former Zanvyl Krieger Curatorial Fellow Richard Leson (now at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), I am editing these papers, which will appear as a dedicated volume of the Journal of the Walters Art Museum.
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collection highlights
The Medieval World
A
generous gift from philanthropists Clarice and the late Robert H. Smith has made it possible for the Walters to publish a series of guides to its collections during the last three years. The latest of these books, The Medieval World, written by Martina Bagnoli, Robert and Nancy Hall Curator of Medieval Art, and Kathryn Gerry, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow, will appear in September, published in association with D. Giles Ltd.
The publication explores themes in medieval art—the church and the liturgy, the role of artists, the function of relics and reliquaries, daily life—through nearly 150 objects from one of the richest collections in the United States, ranging from Late Antiquity to the early Renaissance. The Medieval World showcases some of the museum’s most famous masterpieces—enamels, ivory sculptures, stained glass, illuminated manuscripts and jewelry, but also modest works of great charm such as children’s toys, playing cards and pilgrim badges. A concluding chapter on the nineteenthcentury revival of interest in medieval art among collectors and scholars puts emphasis on Henry Walters (1848–1931), who bequeathed his collections to the City of Baltimore. A pioneer collector of medieval art in America, it was Walters’ passion for the Middle Ages, together with his knowledge and subtle aesthetic sense, that created the collection which forms the core of the museum’s medieval holdings, supplemented in recent years by generous gifts and purchases. The book is intended both as a guide to the collection and as a point of entry for readers to broadly explore medieval art and culture. Two Smith-funded collection guides, The Art of Ancient Greece and Egyptian Art, were published in 2008 and 2009 respectively, complementing guides to the Walters’ nineteenth-century painting and sculpture (2000), Ethiopian art (2001), and Italian paintings (2005). These publications enable the Walters to provide people around the world with greater access to the museum’s superb collections. Recognizing the power of new media and new technologies to bring art and people together, we are exploring other avenues, including mobile apps and digital media, to supplement future print publication of our collections.
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International Family Day, JUNE 12: A Global Celebration at the Walters
D
id you know that approximately 3,000 refugees were resettled in Maryland from 2007 to 2009 and that our state is ranked twelfth among the states resettling refugees in the United States? The latest census figures show that Maryland’s minority population represented all of the state’s growth in the past decade, and the state’s Hispanic population has doubled. The diversity in our state is growing, and this fact is celebrated each year at the Walters during our International Family Day celebration. International Family Day is presented in close partnership with Baltimore City Community College’s Refugee Youth Project (ryp) and Education Based Latino Outreach (eblo). This year, approximately two hundred immigrant and refugee youth from ryp and eblo after-school sites at five Baltimore City schools have made regular, repeat visits to the museum. During these visits, students use the galleries to strengthen their literacy and critical-thinking skills; discover other cultures and discuss their own; and use the museum’s studio classrooms to express themselves and share their stories. International Family Day is a culminating event held each year during which we invite ryp and eblo youth to return to the museum with their families to celebrate their achievements, participate in art-making activities, and explore the museum. Youth from ryp and eblo after-school sites are actively involved in planning each year’s event, which includes global art activities and cultural performances, refugee and immigrant student art exhibitions, and more. The celebration enables the greater Baltimore community to discover and learn about these youths’ experiences and stories, often overlooked and untold. Through events like International Family Day, the Walters hopes to create a space where youth and families from Baltimore and from around the world can learn more about one another and themselves. Visitors also have the opportunity to meet representatives from Baltimore refugee and immigrant social service organizations to learn more about refugees and immigrants in Baltimore. We invite you to join us in celebrating the diverse cultures that make up our community at this year’s third annual International Family Day on Sunday, June 12 from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. For more information on International Family Day or our community partnerships, contact landerson@thewalters.org –Lindsey Anderson, David Hirschhorn Community Outreach Coordinator
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IN THE MUSEUM STORE Asian Silk Lamp $299.95 / Members $284.95 The softness of spring is beautifully rendered in this carefully handpainted silk lamp from China. Mounted on a footed wooden base, it will add a breath of fresh air to any room décor. Measures 13"× 9"× 6"
Arts and Passion Scarves $204.95 / Members $184.45 From Joan Edelstein of Austin, Texas, these gorgeous scarves are lightweight and a fabulous way to add an accent to your spring and summer attire. A wizard in using found fabric and fibers, the artist fashions cool, creative, one-of-akind shawls and scarves.
Éclat Jewelry Brooch $54.95 / Members $49.95 Necklace $76.95 / Members $69.25 Watch $124.95 / Members $122.95 Perfect for summer wear, this vibrant and playful jewelry is fashioned of anodized aluminum by southern California artist Sylvi Harwin. Each piece is carefully handcrafted, using a special industrial technique, and sealed to render the color permanent. Lightweight and easy to wear… even on hot summer days!
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behind the scenes
Mike McKee, Art Handler What do you do at the Walters? mike mckee: My title is Senior Museum Technician. As the senior tech, I supervise and coordinate the movement and installation of artwork in the museum. I oversee the packing and mount making for objects; when large, heavy objects need to move I work with our team of art handlers to rig the art to move safely. What type of training do you need to be an art handler? mm: The museum has developed procedures and guidelines to ensure the safety of the collection. There is a bit of “on the job training,” where one has to be physically engaged in the art moving process to understand all that goes into the job. Art handlers require a calm demeanor, manual dexterity and a strong back, as well as patience. What is the most unusual experience / project you’ve worked on at the Walters? mm: One of the most unusual projects was when we took our Egyptian mummy to the hospital to undergo a ct scan. This is one of the most fragile objects in the collection and had not traveled since it arrived at the Walters in 1941. We had to pack her in a crate, drive her through the bumpy streets of Baltimore, and bring her back safe and sound. We were successful, and the project gathered a great amount of information. What projects are you currently working on? mm: At this time there are several projects going on at the same time, as is often the case. We have two traveling exhibitions that have returned to the museum. They total about 55 crates and will all need to be unpacked and returned to their designated places. Recently, we installed the exhibition Treasures of Heaven. All the while art is requested by various departments in the museum for photography, examination or treatment. When people ask you about your work, what do they most often want to know? mm: People are always curious about the value and extreme fragility of the works in the collection. I explain how the “value” is equal among all objects in my eyes. Every object receives the same care and consideration as the next. We have protocols and procedures for moving the art that ensure safe transit; there is never any room for mistakes or miscalculations.
Mike and fellow art handler Gill Furoy (top right) installing works in the Egyptian (top) and Asian galleries (above)
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the walters online collection most-viewed works of art The Walters Museum’s works of art website is nearly 2 years old. Last year, nearly 2 million web page views were served from the art site to about 200,000 visitors, in 188 countries around the world. What were all those visitors looking at? To help answer that question, here’s the Top Ten Greatest Hits. This is a list of the the most popular artworks on our website. ➊ A Roman Slave Market / Jean-Léon Gérôme / 1884 ➋ Camel / Anonymous (Chinese) / 7th–8th century ➌ Tiger at Rest / Antoine-Louis Barye / ca. 1830s–1840s ➍ The Ideal City / Fra Carnevale / ca. 1480–1484 ➎ Book on Navigation / Piri Reis / late 17th century-early 18th century (Ottoman) ➏ Springtime / Claude Monet / 1872 ➐ Black-Figure Amphora / The Affecter (Greek) / ca. 540–530 bc (Archaic) ➑ Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius / Anonymous (Italian) / ca. 1565–1585 (Renaissance) ➒ Charles Dikran Kelekian / Mary Cassatt / 1910 �� Cycladic Female Figurine / Goulandris Master (Greek) (?) / ca. 2500–2400 BC (Early Cycladic II)
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Profiles in giving
Joan Sobkov “Art challenges me. It excites me. It fulfills me. It expresses what we are as human beings.” These are some of the reasons Joan Sobkov has been a docent at the Walters Art Museum for 22 years. Learning about a work of art with Joan as your guide is a remarkable experience. She is gifted not only in conveying the poetry of a piece and how it fits into its specific historical niche, but also in painting the “big picture,” skillfully illustrating how the work reflects the social, political, spiritual and economic circumstances of its era. Although Joan is conversant with all of the art in the Walters, she has a particularly strong interest in the Asian collection. In 1991, she did docent training for the opening of Hackerman House, and she has traveled to Asia eight times, visiting Indonesia, Bhutan, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, China, Vietnam and Japan. Mrs. Sobkov’s life was first touched by the Walters in 1984, when her son, then in high school, became an intern at the museum “to try something he’d not ever likely do in his life.” She earned her M.A. in psychology, and worked for the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in the area of cognitive neurology. Later, Joan went on to become a psychologist for Baltimore County School System. She saw a notice about becoming a docent at the Walters and signed on in 1989. 20 × THEWALTERS.ORG
When Joan and her late husband, Ted, were fortunate enough to inherit some money, they decided that they wanted to accomplish two things with the gift. First, they wanted to honor Ted’s parents, and second they chose to benefit docent education at the Walters. They made the decision to establish a charitable remainder unitrust, assigning the Walters as one of two beneficiaries. When asked about what is special about the Walters Art Museum, Joan replies: “The Walters Art Museum is such a dynamic place to me. There is always something new to see. It is an ongoing education. It has wonderful outreach for children—my grandsons loved the Walter Wick exhibit. The museum gives children something aesthetic, but it also gives them a connection to the wider world.” Joan adds, “It is the opportunity to see objects from so many cultures over so many centuries in a setting intimate enough that it is not off-putting. One of the joys of the Walters is that it has a very human scale. For a long time, it had a reputation of being very scholarly. Now it can inform you without intimidating you.” The Walters is lucky indeed to have the involvement of someone as talented, thoughtful and generous as Joan Sobkov. –Anne King, Manager, Gift Planning and Major Gifts
upcoming events
GALA October 15 / 6 p.m.–midnight Mark your calendar for the annual Gala. Take part in this rare opportunity to dine in the galleries
THE PARTY
surrounded by spectacular art. Enjoy a wonderful
October 15 / 8 p.m.–midnight
evening while raising crucial funds for the museum.
Enjoy open bar and dancing with
Join other Walters patrons for Baltimore’s most
one of Baltimore’s top D.J.’s on the
elegant event!
Sculpture Court.
For tables or tickets, please contact Anne Berman
To purchase tickets, please visit
aberman@thewalters.org or 410-547-9000, ext. 212
thewalters.org/gala
Jewelry Fair November 4–6 The Women’s Committee of the Walters Art Museum will sponsor the eighth annual Jewelry Fair. Twenty world-class jewelers will display and sell a vast array of museum-quality work.
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MUSEUM NEWS
The walters Annual Monument lighting Waltee welcomed our guests to the Annual Monument Lighting Celebration on December 2, 2010. Photos: Mark Dennis above: Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and daughter Sophia cozy up to Waltee. / below: Five-year-old Nick Owens and Waltee in the Parlor of the Walters’ family home on December 2, 2010.
The Gavel Is Passed With the chairmanship of the Women’s Committee changing hands, we extend warm thanks to Constance Fitzpatrick (above left) as she passes the gavel to Anne Apgar (above right). Connie has been a member of the Walters Women’s Committee since 2000. She served as Art Blooms Chair in 2005, Vice Chair of the Committee from 2007 to 2009 and Chair from 2009 to 2011. She is an accomplished artist, whose talents in decoration and flower arranging have graced our annual Gala, Director’s Dinner, Art Blooms and Jewelry Fair. She has focused particularly on making Women’s Committee events fund- and friend-raisers and on strengthening the Women’s Committee’s website. Anne Apgar joined the Women’s Committee in 1999 and has been involved with both the Jewelry Fair and Art Blooms, bringing her talents and experience to underwriting, signage and labels. This year, Anne helped refine the website, and is co-chairing Art Blooms 2011 with Connie. Formerly an urban economist and an antiques and interior design consultant, she was most recently Director of Capital Giving at her alma mater, Roland Park Country School. Anne is active in the Baltimore Wellesley Club and St. David’s Episcopal Church.
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TREASURES OF HEAVEN PATRON CELEBRATION
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On February 12, 190 members of the Annual Giving Circles gathered in the sculpture court for a festive medieval evening honoring the opening of Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe. A troupe in medieval garb mingled with the crowd and music from the middle ages filled the air. A talk in the auditorium with Curator of Medieval Art Martina Bagnoli followed. Members of the Annual Giving Circles at the Patron level ($1,000–1,499) and above are eligible to receive invitations to the Walters’ Annual Patron Celebration. For more information contact Lauren Sampson at lsampson@thewalters.org or by calling 410-547-9000, ext. 215.
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➊ Holger A. Klein, Associate Professor of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University / Gary Vikan, Director, the Walters Art Museum / Martina Bagnoli, Robert and Nancy Hall Curator of Medieval Art, the Walters Art Museum / C. Griffith Mann, Chief Curator, the Cleveland Museum of Art / James Robinson, Curator of Late Medieval Europe, the British Museum ➋ Laura & Barrett Freedlander and Senator Paul Sarbanes. Laura is chair of the International Advisory Board. ➌ Mary Catherine Bunting and Anne King ➍ Joanna Davison Golden, Richard Dellheim and Chris Montgomery contemplate St. Baudime.
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➎ Stephanie Wilson, Tom Johnson, Laura Johnson and Walters Board Chair Emeritus Jay Wilson
600 n. charles st. baltimore, md 21201-5185 thewalters.org / 410-547-9000
Lost and Found: The Secrets of Archimedes October 16–January 1
In Jerusalem in ad 1229 the greatest works of the Greek mathematician Archimedes were erased and overwritten with a prayer book by a priest named Johannes Myronas. This book, known as The Archimedes Palimpsest, was sold at auction at Christie’s New York in 1998 to a private American collector for two million dollars. This collector loaned the manuscript to the Walters Art Museum, and in the year 2000 a project was begun to conserve and read these erased texts. By the time they had finished, the team of experts that worked on the book had recovered Archimedes’ secrets, rewritten the history of mathematics and discovered entirely new texts from the ancient world. This exhibition tells that story. It will recount the book’s history, detail the painstaking conservation, explain the cutting-edge imaging and highlight the discoveries of the dogged and determined scholars who finally read what had been obliterated. The exhibition will conclude with case studies featuring future Walters collaborative research projects. The Archimedes Palimpsest / fol. 93v + 92r, processed image
nonprofit org u.s. postage paid baltimore, md permit no. 1102