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COURSES

Hollywood Glamour and the Birth of the Cool 2

A Golden Age in the World of Gustav Klimt 4

The Pivot: 19th-Century Japan 6

1950: Society, Art, and Television 8

Leonardo da Vinci and the Italian Renaissance 10

Behind the Scenes: Curators Talk 11

LECTURES

THE RUTH AND CARL J . SHAP IRO

Celebrity Lectures 12

Celebrating the Common Wealth: Art by African Americans in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 13

An Evening with Patty Larkin 14

A Revolutionary Legacy: Art and Poetry from the First Decades of the Twentieth Century 15

For the Love of…with Boston Storytellers 15

MUSEUM OF F INE ARTS—BOSTON LYR IC OPERA S IGNATURE SER IES

The Artist Sings 16

Director’s Choice: 20 Years of Acquisitions 17

DARWIN CORDOBA LECTURE

Latin Artists You Should Know 18

ESTELLE SHOHET BRETTMAN MEMORIAL LECTURE

Signs of the Hero in Ancient Greek Epic and Iconography 19

An Afternoon in Words and Music with Lee Konitz 19

ESTHER STE INBERG MEMORIAL ARCHITECTURE LECTURE

What We Make 20

KATHRYN C. BUHLER LECTURE

Cincinnati: A Center for Silver 21

DEBORAH AND MART IN HALE V IS IT ING ART IST LECTURE

Lee Mingwei: The Trust of Strangers 21

The Complex Mind and Artistry of Joseph Cornell 22

ROBERT J . BOARDINGHAM MEMORIAL LECTURE

One-Off Caillebotte 22

BARBARA W. HERMAN MEMORIAL LECTURE

The Secrets of Anubis-Mountain 23

RAD SMITH PROGRAM IN JAPANESE ART

Naoya Hatakeyama: Personal Landscapes 23

Leonardo da Vinci’s Ideals of Beauty and Ugliness 24

Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis 24

Inspiration in the Face of Adversity: Humanitarians and Artists 25

LOOKING TOGETHER 26

NEW PROGRAM

REMIX 30

NEW PROGRAM

AUTHOR EVENTS AT THE MFA 33

join usWelcome to Winter/Spring 2015 Lectures and Courses!Revel in the beauty and design of Old Hollywood. Catch the wave of Hokusai’s art and 19th-century Japan. Celebrate the life and work of the original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci. Looking Together discussions offer two-, four-, and six-session seminars. Afternoon and evening Remix programs fire up your senses, providing a unique social atmosphere. From the photography of Gordon Parks, to New York Fashion Week’s Fern Mallis, to Cincinnati silver, say goodbye to cabin fever and hello to the MFA.

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1. February 3 or 5 • Doherty

HOLLYWOOD, AMERICAN CULTURE, AND WWI I

The documentary footage and Hollywood films of the

war years—compiled, reedited, remade, replayed

endlessly—are a vivid cultural heritage and a vital

historical link. Wartime images and the values they

transmitted changed not only the way Americans saw

the movies but helped transform America itself.

2. February 10 or 12 • Finamore

SILVER SCREEN STYLE, 1930–1950

The 1930s and ’40s—arguably the most glamorous

years of Hollywood design—saw increasing sophistica-

tion in costume production. See how interpretations

of Parisian style were rendered with a Hollywood

twist, and look into the quintessentially American

work of costume designers, such as Gilbert Adrian,

Travis Banton, and Edith Head.

3. February 24 or 26 • Price

MILES DAVIS AND THE SOUND THAT CHANGED JAZZ FOREVER

Recorded in three sessions between 1949 and 1950

but not released until 1957, the album Birth of the Cool was a masterpiece that introduced Miles Davis’s

cultural aesthetic to 1940s and ’50s Hollywood—and

a new sound that changed jazz forever.

4. March 3 or 5 • Gadsden

CALIFORNIA DESIGN FOR MODERN L IFE

The innovative work of midcentury California designers

continues to influence contemporary design more than

60 years later. Marvel at the iconic designs of Charles

and Ray Eames, as well as Kem Weber, Richard Neutra,

and others, and see how California showed the entire

nation how to live in a modern way.

courses

In this four-session course covering the cool aesthetics of Hollywood, learn about the striking new look of midcentury California as exemplified by this 1945 Eames molded plywood chair, opposite, and the influence of cinema glamour, as in Edward Steichen’s elegant shot of a young Joan Crawford from 1932, above, on design, fashion, music, and culture and vice versa.

Image © 2014 The Estate of Edward Steichen / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

MORNING OR EVENING COURSE

Inspired by the exhibition “Hollywood Glamour: Fashion

and Jewelry from the Silver Screen,” revel in the beauty

and sophistication of Hollywood in the 1930s through the

1950s in this four-part course. See splendor in the cool

aesthetics of the period’s design, fashion, and music.

Hollywood Glamour and the Birth of the Cool

Tuesdays, Feb 3, 10, and 24, Mar 310:30 am–NoonRemis AuditoriumORThursdays, Feb 5, 12, and 26, Mar 57–8:30 pmAlfond Auditorium

Thomas Doherty, professor and chair, American Studies Program, Brandeis UniversityMichelle Finamore, Penny Vinik Curator of Fashion ArtsNonie Gadsden, Katharine Lane Weems Senior Curator of American Decorative Arts and SculptureEmmett Price, associate professor, Music, Northeastern University

FOUR-SESSION COURSE

$96 MEMBER, $120 NONMEMBER

INDIV IDUAL SESSIONS


Course package is not available online.

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1. March 4 • Johnson

V IENNA 1900: SECEDING FROM THE WORLD OF SECURITY

In the years around 1900, Vienna was the political,

social, and cultural center of the largest continental

European empire in modern history, and one of the

birthplaces of European modernism. See how the

Viennese environment attracted poor and wealthy alike

into a culture that shaped modern European history.

2. March 11 • Staggs

GUSTAV KL IMT: PA INTER OF V IENNA’S GOLDEN AGE

Gustav Klimt’s golden and Symbolist works solidified

his legacy within the Vienna Secession movement.

Explore how he captured the zeitgeist of fin-de-siècle

Vienna through his society portraits, vivid landscapes,

and romantic allegorical paintings.

3. March 18 • Melvin

JOSEF HOFFMANN: V IENNA MODERN

Klimt’s Austrian patrons often commissioned homes

as avant-garde as the paintings they housed.

Josef Hoffmann, a leader in Viennese architecture

and design, created extraordinary homes for his

discerning clientele. Discover Hoffmann’s artful interiors

and the bold designs of Vienna’s Workshops.

4. March 25 • Cernuschi

OSKAR KOKOSCHKA AND EGON SCHIELE: GUSTAV KL IMT’S V IENNESE FOLLOWERS

Examine how the art of Gustav Klimt influenced

both affinity for and reaction against the early work

of notable modernist painters, including Oskar

Kokoschka and Egon Schiele.

5. April 1 • Peattie

GUSTAV MAHLER’S V IENNA

Through his songs and symphonies, learn to recognize

Mahler’s remarkable contribution to his adopted city

of Vienna, as well as the impact of his career as a

conductor on his creative output.

Wednesdays, Mar 4, 11, 18, and 25, Apr 11–2:30 pmRemis Auditorium

Claude Cernuschi, professor, Art History; chair, Fine Arts Department, Boston CollegeAlison Frank Johnson, professor, History, Harvard UniversityMeghan Melvin, Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Curator of DesignThomas Peattie, assistant professor, Music, Boston UniversityJanis Staggs, associate curator, Neue Galerie New York

F IVE-SESSION COURSE





courses

Celebrate the arrival of Gustav Klimt’s Adam and Eve, 1917–18, at the MFA with this exciting investigation of the golden age of intellectual and artistic growth that was Vienna at the turn of the 20th century. Above, a 1910 postcard of the Secession Building in Vienna, built in 1897 as an architectural manifesto for Klimt and his contemporaries.

A Golden Age in the World of

Gustav KlimtWEDNESDAY AFTERNOON COURSE

This five-week course delves into the remarkable

world of fin-de-siècle Vienna. Ponder the immense

and enduring impact of Gustav Klimt and his

contemporaries, such as artist Oskar Kokoschka and

composer Gustav Mahler, and explore the beautiful

city in which they made their home. See works by

Klimt and Kokoschka in “Visiting Masterpiece:

Gustav Klimt’s Adam and Eve” on view January 17

to April 27 in Gallery 155.

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courses

The Pivot 19th-Century Japan

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON COURSE

In this five-part course inspired by the exhibition

“Hokusai,” take in the dramatic changes that

occurred in Japanese culture and art throughout the

19th century. Contrast early 19th-century romantic

idealism and Hokusai (1760–1849) with the latter

half of the century, when technology and open

seaports shaped Japanese culture.

Wednesdays, Apr 8, 15, and 29, May 6 and 131–2:30 pmRemis Auditorium

Allen Hockley, associate professor, Asian Art History, Dartmouth CollegeDavid Howell, professor, Japanese History, Harvard UniversityTrent Maxey, associate professor, Departments of History and Asian Languages and Civilizations, Amherst CollegeAnne Nishimura Morse, William and Helen Pounds Senior Curator of Japanese ArtSarah Thompson, assistant curator, Japanese Prints; curator, “Hokusai”

F IVE-SESSION COURSE





Immerse yourself in the great wave of change in 19th-century Japan, from the period of Hokusai’s genius in the first half, to the opening of dialogue with the West in the second half and the fascinating Boston connections to art and tourism. Shown here, Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa, also known as The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (detail), Japanese, Edo period, about 1830–31.

1. April 8 • Maxey

CULTURAL H ISTORY OF LATE TOKUGAWA JAPAN

In the decades prior to the Meiji Restoration of 1868,

political, economic, and ecological crises created

a pervasive sense of disorder across the shogun’s

realm. Through woodblock prints and literature,

see how the early and mid-19th century laid the

groundwork for the upheaval to come.

2. April 15 • Thompson

HOKUSAI : THE END OF AN ERA

Hokusai died in 1849, just four years before the

opening of Japanese ports to the West dramatically

altered Japanese culture. See how Hokusai’s art

perspicaciously hinted of things to come, including a

fascination with technology, curiosity about the out-

side world, and growing sense of Japan as a nation.

3. April 29 • Howell

MEIJ I JAPAN F INDS ITS PLACE IN THE WORLD

Japan engaged in an extended dialogue with the

West in the latter half of the 19th century. Appreciate

the allure Japan held for many Western observers,

and examine the reception of Western ideas,

institutions, and technologies in Japan.

4. May 6 • Hockley

WHAT DID TOURISTS SEE IN 19TH-CENTURY JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHS?

The photographs that travelers purchased while

touring Japan were more than souvenirs acquired

to commemorate their travels. Focus on the intersec-

tions between travel and photography during the late

1880s to see how photographs mediated foreign

tourists’ encounters with Japanese culture.

5. May 13 • Morse

BOSTONIANS IN 19TH-CENTURY JAPAN: THE FORMATION OF THE MFA COLLECTION

The MFA is privileged to have the largest, most

comprehensive collection of Japanese art in the West.

Critical to its development was a group of Bostonians

living in Japan in the 1870s and 1880s. Meet these

fascinating characters who were influential advisors

to the Japanese government and patrons of the arts.

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In this four-part course inspired by the exhibition of

photographs from 1950,“Gordon Parks: Back to

Fort Scott,” experience a rapidly changing America:

the start of the Korean and Cold wars, the post-WWII

economic boom, abstract art, and the nascent

ubiquity of the automobile and television.

Tuesdays, Mar 10, 17, 24, and 3110:30 am–NoonRemis AuditoriumORThursdays, Mar 12, 19, 26, and Apr 2 7–8:30 pm Alfond Auditorium

Karen Haas, Lane Curator of PhotographsEdward Saywell, chair, Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art; Arthur K. Solomon Curator of Modern Art; head of the Department of Contemporary Art and MFA ProgramsBruce Schulman, William E. Huntington Professor of History and chair, History Department, Boston UniversityDavid Thorburn, professor, Literature, and Director of the MIT Communications Forum

FOUR-SESSION COURSE





1. March 10 or 12 • Schulman

AFFLUENCE AND ANXIETY: POL IT ICS AND SOCIETY IN POST–WORLD WAR I I AMERICA

Reexamine the landscape of America in 1950 as one

of unprecedented prosperity coupled with the threat of

destruction. The jubilant excitement of the economic,

baby, suburban, and automobile booms did not curb

Americans’ insecurities around the threat of nuclear

destruction, the war in Korea, or a raft of domestic

problems.

2. March 17 or 19 • Saywell

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Barnett Newman,

Mark Rothko—giants in 20th-century art. What makes

their work so enduring? Learn about the historical and

intellectual roots of America’s most revolutionary art

movement, and how their monumental achievements

catapulted New York to the center of the international

art world in the 1950s.

courses

In this four-part course, gain an appreciation for the art and society of 1950: Gordon Parks, abstract expressionism, and a country in flux. Top, Jackson Pollock’s Number 10, 1949, and, right, Gordon Parks’s 1950 photograph Husband and Wife, Sunday Morning, Detroit, Michigan.

1950 Society, Art, and Television

3. March 24 or 26 • Haas

“GORDON PARKS: BACK TO FORT SCOTT”

From Life magazine photojournalist to film director,

Gordon Parks is one of the most celebrated artists of

his time. The groundbreaking photographs in the

exhibition “Gordon Parks: Back to Fort Scott” focus on

the realities of life under segregation during the 1940s,

but also relate to Parks’s own fascinating life story.

Find out what influenced Parks as he photographed

the everyday lives of the residents in his hometown of

Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1950, and what he took away

from the experience.

4. March 31 or April 2 • Thorburn

STORY MACHINE: ’50S TELEV IS ION AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICAN CULTURE

Even in its earliest ghostly images, television reflected

and shaped 1950s culture. Reviled and mocked even

as it reached the largest audiences in history and

displaced movies as America’s central medium for

storytelling, television established itself as a mighty

agent for advertising, suburban culture, and consumerism.

Image © 2014 The Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

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courses

Tuesdays, Apr 7, 14, and 28, May 510:30 am–NoonRemis AuditoriumORThursdays, Apr 9, 16, and 30, May 77–8:30 pmAlfond Auditorium

Helen Burnham, Pamela and Peter Voss Curator of Prints and DrawingsMarietta Cambareri, Jetskalina H. Phillips Curator of Judaica; curator, Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Art of Europe John Garton, associate professor, Art History, Clark UniversityFrederick Ilchman, chair, Art of Europe, and Mrs. Russell W. Baker Curator of Paintings

FOUR-SESSION COURSE





1. April 7 or 9 • Garton

RENAISSANCE ITALY IN THE T IME OF LEONARDO

Survey the developments of thought and culture in the

territories of Italy where Leonardo da Vinci lived and

worked. From broader perspectives of politics and econ-

omy to changing conceptions of artists, appreciate the

“Renaissance man” Leonardo da Vinci was to become.

2. April 14 or 16 • Burnham

LEONARDO: DRAWINGS

Discover Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings in the context of

the Italian Renaissance artist’s studio, reflecting on the

tension between the real and the ideal in his work.

3. April 28 or 30 • Ilchman

LEONARDO: PA INT INGS

Sparse in number, Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings were

nevertheless extraordinarily influential to his contempo-

raries and to later generations. Explore the inside stories

of his rare painted masterpieces and learn how their

fame is well justified.

4. May 5 or 7 • Cambareri

LEONARDO: SCULPTURE

Leonardo da Vinci’s relationship with sculpture is vital

for understanding his work and his impact on the visual

arts in Italy. See how sculpture in the MFA’s collection

by Donatello and Rustici reveal this intriguing story.


Expand your knowledge of the magnificent works of

this master artist, inventor, and scientist. Hailed as

one of the most famous artists of all time, Leonardo

da Vinci’s works survive mostly as works on paper, as

seen in the exhibition “Leonardo da Vinci and the Idea

of Beauty,” opening April 15.

Tuesdays, May 19, 26, and Jun 210:30 am–NoonRemis Auditorium

Denise Doxey, curator, Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern ArtLawrence Berman, Norma Jean Calderwood Senior Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern ArtErica E. Hirshler, Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings

THREE-SESSION COURSE





1. May 19 • Doxey

JEWELS OF ANCIENT NUBIA

The MFA houses the most compre-

hensive collection of ancient Nubian

jewelry outside Khartoum. Hear

about these extraordinary jewels

and what they tell us about the

ingenuity, sophistication, and skill

of Nubian craftsmen.

2. May 26 • Berman

THE PRIEST, THE PRINCE, AND THE PASHA: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE BOSTON GREEN HEAD

Experience the fascinating story

behind this world-renowned portrait

sculpture of an Egyptian priest.

On view in the MFA’s Egyptian

collection, this lifelike head has no

name, but carries with it a story of

an incredible journey to the MFA.

3. June 2 • Hirshler

COMING ACROSS BOSTON COMMON AT DUSK

Childe Hassam recorded Tremont

Street and Boston Common at a

pivotal moment in his own career

and in the life of our city. Take in

new discoveries about the history

and context of Hassam’s beloved

scene, revealing the modernism

of both Hassam’s art and the

subject he depicted.

TUESDAY MORNING COURSE

In this three-part course, hear insider and

behind-the-scenes details on storied objects

that are the subjects of current and upcoming

MFA publications.

Hear from curators on rarities, treasures, and new discoveries in the MFA collection.Above, Childe Hassam, At Dusk (Boston Common at Twilight) (detail), 1885–86.

Leonardo da Vinci and the Italian Renaissance

Enhance your appreciation of Leonardo with this four-session course and hail the arrival of the April exhibition of the Renaissance genius’s works on paper, including Study for the Head of a Girl, about 1483, thought by many to be the most beautiful drawing in the world.

Behind the Scenes: Curators Talk

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CARRIE MAE WEEMS: A RETROSPECTIVE OF ART AND PRACTICEWed, Mar 11, and Thu, Mar 12, 6:30–8 pm

Carrie Mae Weems is “one of our

most effective visual and verbal

rhetoricians” (The New York Times). Hear Weems discuss her life and

acclaimed three-decade career in

photography, video, and other media

in a program that blends stories and

images with live music.

MIRANDA JULY: THE F IRST BAD MANWed, Apr 15, and Thu, Apr 16, 6:30–7:30 pm

Filmmaker, artist, and writer Miranda

July’s videos, performances, and

web-based projects have been

presented at leading museums and

biennials. Working in many media,

from feature-length film to fiction,

her “ability to pervert norms while

embracing what makes us normal

is astounding” (Lena Dunham). Join

July as she reads from her new novel

The First Bad Man (to be released

in January 2015) and discusses her

work in a moderated conversation.

lectures

Remis Auditorium$32 MEMBER, $40 NONMEMBER

T ICKETS ON SALE NOW!

evenings with creative mindsTHE RUTH AND CARL J . SHAP IRO CELEBRITY LECTURES

FUNDED BY THE CARL AND RUTH SHAP IRO FAMILY FOUNDAT ION.

Wed, Jan 14, 10:30 am–12:30 pmRemis Auditorium

John P. Axelrod, Eminent BenefactorElliot Bostwick Davis, John Moors Cabot Chair, Art of the AmericasEdmund Barry Gaither, director and curator, Museum of the National Center of Afro-American ArtistsAndrew Haines, associate conservator, Furniture and Frame ConservationMichael Rosenfeld, principal, Michael Rosenfeld Gallery Gwendolyn Dubois Shaw, honorary overseer; associate professor and undergraduate chair, American Art, University of PennsylvaniaLowery Stokes Sims, William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator, Museum of Arts and Design


TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Don’t miss these artists and innovators at the MFA this spring. Carrie Mae Weems blends stories, music, and images in her presentation in March. A master of several media, Miranda July shares her writing in April.

Celebrating the Common WealthArt by African Americans in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Celebrate the publication of Common Wealth at this January symposium on the growing presence of art by African Americans in the MFA’s collection. Top: Beauford Delaney’s, Greene Street, 1940, depicting his Greenwich Village neighborhood. Ticket holders will receive a 20% discount on Common Wealth at the MFA Bookstore and Shop. Offer valid on day of event only.

Explore important and fascinating works of art by

African American artists in the collection of the

MFA with presentations and a panel discussion by

eminent scholars, collectors, and curators. Discuss

many recent acquisitions from the John P. Axelrod

Collection, including works by Henry Ossawa Tanner,

Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Loïs Mailou Jones,

Gordon Parks, Wifredo Lam, Kara Walker, Glenn Ligon,

and Kerry James Marshall, all featured in the new

publication Common Wealth: Art by African Americans in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. See mfa.org for

full schedule and panelist information.

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lectures

Wed, Jan 28, 7–8 pmRemis Auditorium

Anthony Brooks, co-host, Radio Boston

Patty Larkin, musician


T ICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Hear from longtime MFA favorite Patty Larkin as she

talks about her life as one of Boston’s most esteemed

folk musicians. In conversation with Anthony Brooks,

trace Larkin’s journey from Milwaukee to Boston’s

Berklee College of Music, and on to a storied musical

career that has yielded 13 albums, collaborations with

luminaries such as Chris Smither and Rosanne Cash,

and more than 20 memorable performances at the MFA.

A N E V E N I N G W I T H P A T T Y L A R K I N

Sun, Feb 8, 2–3 pmRemis Auditorium

Jade Sylvan, host; author of Kissing Oscar Wilde, poet, performer

Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein, filmmakersWes Hazard, comedian, storytellerObehi Janice, writer, actressAl Miner, associate curator, Contemporary Art Courtnee Nagim-Chase, MFA Teen Arts Council member, storytellerTony Woodcock, president, New England Conservatory


Love is in the air at the MFA this February. We gave

Boston-area storytellers and curators this prompt: Tell

a five-minute story that starts with “For the love of…”

Hosted by poet, performer, and author Jade Sylvan,

hear storytellers fill in the rest of the sentence,

expounding upon visual arts, music, relationships,

and love for one’s country in this fast-paced event.

Experience the beauty, anguish, frustration, and humor

that love can bring through the evocative art of storytelling.

For the Love of…

Wed, Feb 11, 7–8:30 pmRemis Auditorium

Christopher Capozzola, associate professor, History, MIT Edward Saywell, chair, Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art; Arthur K. Solomon Curator of Modern Art; head of the Department of Contemporary Art and MFA ProgramsLloyd Schwartz, Frederick S. Troy Professor of English, University of Massachusetts, Boston


At a time of immense political turbulence, the early

20th century witnessed radical transformations

in European art with movements such as Cubism,

Futurism, and Vorticism, forever changing the way we

see the world. Developments in poetry paralleled the

dramatic shifts in the visual arts, and the influence of

these artists and writers still resonates today. Enjoy

an evening primer to this revolutionary time, through

the lens of its history, art, and poetry.

A R E V O L U T I O N A R Y L E G A C Y

Art and Poetry in the First Decades of the Twentieth Century

Enjoy love stories with some of Boston’s finest raconteurs. Left: Raphael Kirchner, Woman with hearts on fire, from the series To Love, 1899.

Learn about the great artists and art movements of the early 20th century, including Pablo Picasso and Cubism, as in Picasso’s Standing Figure from 1908.

Image © 2014 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

with Boston Storytellers

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lectures

Wed, Feb 25, 6:30–7:30 pm Remis Auditorium

Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director


As Ann and Graham Gund Director of the MFA, Malcolm Rogers has overseen 20 years of Museum acquisitions. Join Malcolm as he reveals his favorites, including a Caillebotte, treasures from Benin, and the Leonard A. Lauder collection of postcards. Find out which other works made the list.

Ann and Graham Gund Director Malcolm Rogers chooses among his favorite acquisitions from his 20-year tenure at the Museum.

Museum of Fine Arts * Boston Lyric Opera

S I G N A T U R E S E R I E S

Sun, Feb 22, 2–3 pm Remis Auditorium

Boston Lyric Opera Performers


BLO subscribers receive member-priced tickets.

Bravo reception with BLO presenters at 3 pm: add $50 per person.

The Artist SingsOpera is full of malevolent villains, passionate lovers, and intrepid warriors, but it is also animated by a fascinating collection of working artists—composers, painters like Cavaradossi, poets like Andrea Chénier. Then there are those, like Tosca, who demand an actual audience—divas, actors, wandering minstrels, and street clowns.

Presented by Boston Lyric Opera performers, hear these characters sing their music. Listen to dramatic words evoking the hypnotic power of the performer from Walt Whitman, James Joyce, Leo Tolstoy, and Willa Cather; and look at paintings and images from the MFA collection that portray singers and artists in their full passionate glory.

20 Years of Acquisitions

Director’s Choice20Appreciate the artists of opera and their sung poetry with Boston Lyric Opera performers. Shown here, Hendrick ter Brugghen, Boy Singing (detail), 1627.

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lectures

The past two decades have seen exciting new

attention on mid-20th century Latin American

artists. Behold the influence of seminal artists and

hear reconsidered perspectives on Cuban Amelia

Pelaez, Costa Rican Francisco (Paco) Amighetti,

Argentine Xul Solar, Brazilian Tarsila do Amaral,

and Mexican Maria Izquierdo.

A free reception follows the lecture.

SPONSORED BY THE DARWIN CORDOBA FUND FOR LAT IN AMERICAN ART.

Sun, Mar 1, 2–3 pmRemis Auditorium

Isabella Hutchinson, president, Isabella Hutchinson Ltd.; private art dealer, collector of Latin American art

FREE EVENT T ICKET REQUIRED

DARWIN CORDOBA LECTURE

L A T I N A R T I S T S Y O U S H O U L D K N O W

Sun, Mar 15Conversation, 2–3 pmConcert, 3:15–4:15 pmRemis Auditorium

Tim Hagans, musician, composerLee Konitz, musician, composerDan Tepfer, piano


Above: Argentine painter, sculptor, and writer Xul Solar’s watercolor, Jefa (Patroness), 1923.

Verbal and visual art in ancient Greece were inextricably linked. Peer into the heroic scenes painted on Athenian vases to see how they can enhance and excite our appreciation of key passages of Homer’s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Sun, Mar 8, 2–3 pmRemis Auditorium

Gregory Nagy, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature and professor of Comparative Literature; director, Center for Hellenic Studies, Harvard University


ESTELLE SHOHET BRETTMAN MEMORIAL LECTURE

Signs of the Hero in Ancient Greek Epic and Iconography

Mixing bowl (calyx krater) depicting dueling scenes from the Trojan War.

Enjoy an afternoon with jazz saxophonist and composer Lee Konitz.

Spend a two-part afternoon celebrating the life and music of legendary jazz composer and saxophonist Lee Konitz. Hear Konitz in conversation with musician Tim Hagans as he recounts his almost 70-year career in jazz, from playing on Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool and work with Lennie Tristano, to decades of large and small ensemble work. Then let the music speak for itself as Konitz and pianist Dan Tepfer perform.

An Afternoon in Words and Music with Lee Konitz

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lectures

Wed, Mar 18, 7–8 pmRemis Auditorium

Jeanne Gang, founder and principal, Studio Gang Architects


Sun, Mar 22, 2–3 pmAlfond Auditorium

Amy Miller Dehan, curator, Decorative Arts and Design, Cincinnati Art Museum


KATHRYN C. BUHLER LECTURE

Cincinnati A Center for Silver

New York–based Taiwanese artist Lee Mingwei is

known for participatory installations exploring issues

of trust, intimacy, and social connection—giving a

flower to a stranger, writing a letter to a loved one,

or mending a garment. His art transforms such

generous gestures into metaphors for the power of

human creativity and relationships. Premiering in

the United States at the MFA this spring, Lee’s Sonic Blossom invites Museum visitors to receive the

personal gift of a song from an opera singer. Learn

more from Lee about his groundbreaking art practice

over the past two decades, including the essential

role audiences play in creating his art.

Wed, Mar 25, 7–8 pmRemis Auditorium

Lee Mingwei, artist


Architect and MacArthur Fellow

Jeanne Gang is the founder and

principal of Studio Gang Architects,

an award-winning practice based in

Chicago and New York. Taking on the

topic “what we make,” Jeanne steps

back to explore the architect’s role in

making cities of the past, what that

role is today, and what its evolution

might look like in the future.

Through the lens of some of her

firm’s most recent and noteworthy

projects, including Aqua Tower,

Northerly Island Framework Plan,

Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park

Zoo, and Columbia College Chicago’s

Media Production Center, she

examines how architectural practice

might be refocused to help reimagine

the state of our environment

and our cities.

Cincinnati’s silver trade was established as early as 1789,

within a year of the city’s founding, and the last known

independent silversmith practiced into the early 1940s.

As presented in the recent book and exhibition at the

Cincinnati Art Museum, “Cincinnati Silver: 1788–1940,”

hear about new attention paid to the city’s extant silver,

and learn how diaries, city directories, and newspaper

advertisements revealed a clearer picture of the breadth,

operation, and significance of Cincinnati’s silver trade.

Studio Gang’s innovative multiuse 2010 building, Aqua Tower, in Chicago, Illinois. Lee Mingwei in his interactive conceptual installation, The Mending Project.

Learn about the start of silver in Cincinnati. Above, a splendid 1870s tureen from the Cincinatti Art Museum’s collection.

DEBORAH AND MARTIN HALE VISITING ARTIST LECTURE

Lee Mingwei The Trust of Strangers

ESTHER STEINBERG MEMORIAL ARCHITECTURE LECTURE

W H A T W E M A K E

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lecturesThe Complex Mind and Artistry of J O S E P H C O R N E L L

Sun, Mar 29, 10:30 am–12:30 pmRemis Auditorium

Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Chief Curator, Peabody Essex MuseumSusan Scheftel, assistant clinical professor, Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry), Columbia University Psychoanalytic Center for Training and Research


CONTINUING EDUCATION REGISTRATION


BIP members and students receive member-priced tickets.

Gustave Caillebotte is often the least considered of

the Impressionist group’s core members. His rela-

tively brief career, however, generated some of the

most singular paintings of the 1870s and ’80s, with

one-off wonders including Paris Street, Rainy Day; Calf’s Head and Ox Tongue; Man at His Bath; The Refuge; and Boulevard Haussmann, Snow. Hear

the stories behind some of Caillebotte’s most

powerful and surprising images, and appreciate his

unique contribution to French avant-garde painting.

ROBERT J . BOARDINGHAM MEMORIAL LECTURE

One-Off Caillebotte

Wed, Apr 1, 6:30–7:30 pmRemis Auditorium

Mary Morton, curator and head of department, French Paintings, National Gallery of Art


One of Japan’s leading contemporary photographers,

Naoya Hatakeyama has presented award-winning

images that explore the relationship between

urbanization and the natural world, some of which

are on view in the exhibition “In the Wake: Japanese

Photographers Respond to 3-11.” Since 2011,

Hatakeyama has returned to his tsunami-ravaged

home of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture to

photograph the transformed landscape. Hear how

his experiences in Japan and abroad have influenced

his process, body of work, and personal philosophy.

RAD SMITH PROGRAM IN JAPANESE ART

Naoya Hatakeyama: Personal Landscapes

Joseph Cornell, Dovecote, about 1952.

Joseph Cornell was a brilliant and idiosyncratic

artist whose celebrated boxes, assemblages, and films

continue to intrigue and mesmerize. Experience the

world of Cornell with an exploration of his artistic work

and his life. Lynda Roscoe Hartigan presents his art,

while psychoanalyst Susan Scheftel presents a psycho-

logical perspective on Cornell’s particular art forms.

Naoya Hatakeyama’s haunting series “Rikuzentakata 2011–2014,” depicts the photographer’s hometown before and after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Above, 2013.10.20 Kesen-chō (detail), 2013.

PRESENTED IN COLLABORAT ION WITH THE BOSTON INST ITUTE FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY.

In southern Egypt, beneath the sacred peak of the

Anubis-Mountain at Abydos, excavations by the

University of Pennsylvania have discovered the

necropolis of pharaohs who ruled centuries before

the Valley of the Kings. Established in 1850 BC by

King Senwosret III, the Anubis-Mountain site includes

tombs of at least 11 pharaohs, including the recently

discovered Senebkay and an entire lost Egyptian

dynasty dating 1650 to 1550 BC. Hear about this

royal necropolis that sheds new light on an important

but still little understood ancient era.

Sun, Apr 12, 2–3 pmAlfond Auditorium

Josef Wegner, associate professor, Egyptian Archaeology, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania; associate curator, Egyptian Section, Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology


Tomb paintings from Anubis-Mountain.

Wed, Apr 22, 7–8 pmRemis Auditorium

Naoya Hatakeyama, photographer


Gustave Caillebotte, Man at His Bath, 1884.

BARBARA W. HERMAN MEMORIAL LECTURE

The Secrets of Anubis-Mountain An Egyptian Royal Necropolis Revealed

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lecturesLeonardo da Vinci’s Ideals of Beauty and Ugliness

Fern Mallis has been an industry game-changer in

the fashion and design world for more than 30 years.

The creator and organizer of New York’s Fashion Week,

Mallis is the recipient of numerous industry awards,

including induction into the BoF (Business of Fashion)

500 Hall of Fame. Compiled from her highly success-

ful series at New York’s 92nd Street Y, the engaging

book Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis

features 19 no-holds-barred and inspiring interviews

with American fashion luminaries. Be introduced to the

real artists behind fashion icons, including Tom Ford,

Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Michael Kors,

Tommy Hilfiger, Betsey Johnson, Bill Cunningham,

and Oscar de la Renta.

FASH ION L IVES Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis

Wed, May 13, 7–8 pmRemis Auditorium

Michelle Finamore, Penny Vinik Curator of Fashion ArtsFern Mallis, creator of New York Fashion Week, international industry consultant

$16 MEMBER, $20 NONMEMBERFashion insider Fern Mallis gives the scoop on the industry’s icons.

Wed, May 6, 7–8 pmRemis Auditorium

Carmen Bambach, curator, Drawings and Prints, The Metropolitan Museum of Art


No western artist has been as eloquent as Leonardo

da Vinci in his art and writings about the themes

of aesthetic beauty and grotesque ugliness. See

how our perceptions of these opposites on view in

the exhibition “Leonardo da Vinci and the Idea of

Beauty” have endured through the lens of his work

as an artist, author, scientist, and inventor.

Leonardo da Vinci, Two Heads in Profile, about 1500.

Sun, May 17, 1–4 pmRemis Auditorium

Sonali Deraniyagala, economist; author of Wave Paul Farmer, Kolokotrones University Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard University; co-founder, Partners in HealthRussel Lord, Freeman Family Curator of Photographs, New Orleans Museum of ArtRyūji Miyamoto, photographerPerformers from Boston Lyric Opera


Inspired by the upcoming exhibition “In the Wake:

Japanese Photographers Respond to 3-11,” join us

for an afternoon to discuss how humankind responds

in remarkable ways in the face of adversity.

Author and economist Sonali Deraniyagala

recounts her survival and recovery following

the 2011 Indonesian earthquake and tsunami.

Humanitarian Paul Farmer shares insights from

on-the-ground operations across the world.

In the second half of the program, hear the

artistic response to recovery with presentations

from artist Ryūji Miyamoto of Japan and Russel

Lord of New Orleans. Artists from Boston Lyric

Opera end the afternoon with a musical

meditation on human recovery.

SPONSORED BY ESTRELL ITA KARSH.

Inspiration in the Face of Adversity Humanitarians and Artists

Hear inspirational responses to natural disasters from artists and humanitarians. Above, Lieko Shiga, Rasen kaigan (Spiral Shore) 46, 2011, from the series Rasen kaigan (Spiral Shore), 2011.

FASHION LIVESNorma KamaliCalviN KleiNTommy HilfigerDoNNa KaraNTom forDmiCHael KorsDiaNe voN fUrsTeNbergPolly melleNKeNNeTH ColemarC JaCobsbeTsey JoHNsoNvera WaNgosCar De la reNTasimoN DooNaNaNDre leoN TalleybrUCe WeberFASHION IcONSwItH FErN MALLISisaaC mizraHibill CUNNiNgHamJoHN varvaTosFOREWORD BY RALPH LAUREN

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F O U R - S E S S I O N SMFA BOOK GROUP: AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS AND AUTHORSBarbara Martin, Barbara and Theodore Alfond Curator of Education Four Thursdays, 7–8:30 pm, Jan 29, Feb 26, Mar 26, and Apr 23

Link photographs by Gordon Parks and paintings by

African American artists with experiences captured in

powerful works of fiction and nonfiction. See course

description on mfa.org/lectures for the book list.

WAR AND PEACE IN THE F INE ARTSJohn Hermanson, adjunct instructorFour Tuesdays, 10:30 am–Noon , Feb 10–Mar 10, except Feb 17

From the ancient Greeks to the Cuban Missile Crisis,

examine the contrast between art trumpeting the

heroism and horrors of war and, conversely, the

quiet and blessings of peace.

THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGEJohn Hawley, curatorial research fellow, Art of Europe Four Thursdays, 1–2:30 pm, Feb 26–Mar 19

In the 17th century, the Netherlands was one of

Europe’s most vibrant artistic centers. Join us in the

galleries and Morse Study Room to survey works

by eminent Dutch masters, such as Rembrandt

and Frans Hals, as well as their talented but less

well-known contemporaries.

WINE, POETS, AND PERFORMERS IN ANCIENT GREECEPhoebe Segal, Mary Bryce Comstock Assistant Curator of Greek and Roman ArtFour Wednesdays, 10:30 am–Noon, Mar 4–25

Explore three new galleries of ancient and classical

Greek art devoted to Homer and the Epics, Dionysos

and the Symposium, and Theater and Performance.

Delve deeper into the rich imagery and learn about

planning and installing the galleries, including

“discoveries” made in storage.

MFA MASTERPIECESAnn Bible, adjunct instructorFour Fridays, 10:30 am–Noon, Mar 6–27

Celebrate and discover many of the treasures in

the MFA’s collection, including John Singleton

Copley’s Watson and the Shark and Sarah

Bernhardt’s Fantastic Inkwell.

EXPERIENCING ART IN BOSTONMaggie Cavallo, adjunct instructorFour Sundays, 1–2:30 pm, Mar 8–29

Discover the unique ways that art has been made,

displayed, and experienced in Boston over the past

200 years by exploring works that were created in this

city. From the MFA’s murals, to SMFA’s exhibition of

emerging contemporary artists, this program involves

close looking, conversation, and writing.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >

TWO SESSIONS


FOUR SESSIONS


S IX SESSIONS


All classes convene at Sharf Visitor Center.

Engage with the MFA’s galleries and experts in seminar-like sections led by a knowledgeable, enthusiastic instructor who guides participants in dialogues with the Museum’s collections and exhibitions. Each section is limited to 16 participants.

Enjoy a Looking Together course on intrigue in the Chinese court. Above, Emperor Huizong, Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk (Or Picture of Pounding Silk) (detail), Northern Song Dynasty, early 12th century.

T W O - S E S S I O N SSEEING ASIA ANEW IN

“SHIN IQUE SMITH: BRIGHT MATTER”Jen Mergel, Robert L. Beal, Enid L. Beal and Bruce A. Beal Senior Curator of Contemporary ArtMartha Wright, adjunct instructor Two Wednesdays, 2–3:30 pm, Feb 4 and 11

Explore Shinique Smith’s exuberant paintings,

sculptures, and large-scale installations through

the lens of Eastern influence, with further

examination in the Asian galleries.

AMERICAN CERAMICSCaroline Cole, Ellyn McColgan Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts and SculptureEmily Zilber, Ronald C. and Anita L. Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative ArtsTwo Tuesdays, 10:30 am–Noon, Feb 10 and 24

Investigate the boundaries of ceramic art in “Nature,

Sculpture, Abstraction, and Clay: 100 Years of

American Ceramics.” Join exhibition curators for an

in-depth look at experimentation in forms, colors,

and glazes, and a discussion of the role of clay as

artistic and sculptural medium.

KLIMT AND H IS CONTEMPORARIESBridget Hanson, adjunct instructorTwo Fridays, 10:30 am–Noon, Mar 20 and 27

Marvel at Gustav Klimt’s masterpiece Adam and Eve, and discover the context and connection to his

European contemporaries’ works.

“PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES”Nonie Gadsden, Katharine Lane Weems Senior Curator of American Decorative Arts and SculptureMeghan Melvin, Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Curator of DesignTwo Thursdays, 10:30 am–Noon, Apr 9 and 16

Delve into midcentury transportation design featured

in “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” with the exhibition

curators, both in the gallery and the Morse Study Room.

GLAMOUR IN THE CHINESE COURT Martha Wright, adjunct instructorTwo Saturdays, 10:30 am–Noon, Apr 11 and 18

Focus on the exhibition “Court Ladies or Pin-Up Girls?

Chinese Paintings from the MFA, Boston,” and the

intriguing stories of one-upmanship and palace intrigue.

“HOKUSAI” Sarah Thompson, assistant curator, Japanese PrintsTwo Wednesdays, 10:30 am–Noon, May 6 and 13Two Wednesdays, 6:30–8 pm, May 20 and 27

Katsushika Hokusai was the first Japanese artist to

be internationally recognized and continues to inspire

artists around the world. From the whimsical to the

dynamic, immerse yourself in this artist’s array of

works with guidance from the exhibition’s curator.

“LEONARDO DA V INCI AND THE IDEA OF BEAUTY”Lindsay Alberts, adjunct instructor Two Thursdays, 6:30–8 pm, May 7 and 14Two Wednesdays, 10:30 am–Noon, May 13 and 20

Examine the scientific drawings and the beauty in the

caricatures of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in this

rare chance to view their remarkable drawings up close.

L O O K I N G T O G E T H E R

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L O O K I N G T O G E T H E RS I X - S E S S I O N SJAPAN ADAPTS TO THE NEWMartha Wright, adjunct instructorSix Thursdays, 1:30–3 pm, Apr 2–May 14, except Apr 23

Discover the breadth of the arts of Japan throughout the

MFA, and witness how changes such as the introduction

to Zen Buddhism and Westernization affected the arts.

The course emphasizes new MFA acquisitions and the

two exhibitions, “Hokusai” and “In the Wake: Japanese

Photographers Respond to 3-11.”

Celebrate Japan this spring at the MFA with Looking Together classes. Katsushika Hokusai, The Falling Mist Waterfall at Mount Kurokami in Shimotsuke Province from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces, Japanese, Edo period, about 1832.

STORYTELL INGLillian Gould, coordinator, Contemporary Art and MFA Programs Adam Tessier, head of InterpretationFour Tuesdays, 1–2:30 pm, Mar 10–Mar 31

Discover the ways artists have used their works to tell

narratives—simple or complex, funny or tragic,

fact or fiction—with stops in the American,

Contemporary, Impressionist, and Ancient galleries.

ART À LA CARTEMiriam Braverman, adjunct instructorFour Mondays, 1–2:30 pm, Mar 23–Apr 13Four Tuesdays, 1–2:30 pm, Mar 24–Apr 14Four Thursdays, 1–2:30 pm, Mar 26–Apr 16

Explore the MFA’s expansive collection presented

through a fresh and exciting lens, with stops in the

newly renovated Wine, Poets, and Performers in

Ancient Greece galleries and “Hokusai.”

AGE OF QUEEN V ICTORIAJohn Hermanson, adjunct instructorFour Thursdays, 10:30 am–Noon, Mar 26–Apr 16

From the time Queen Victoria ascended the throne

in 1837 until her death in 1901, the UK—alongside

America and most of Europe—experienced a

tumultuous age of economic, political, social, and

artistic change. Follow the trends and the beginning

of modernism while they unfolded in England

and here at home.

HEAVEN, HELL, AND EARTH IN THE MIDDLE AGES AND RENAISSANCEBeth Pugliano, adjunct instructorFour Wednesdays, 10:30 am–Noon, Apr 1–29, except Apr 22

Explore the imaginative ways artists have visualized the

afterlife, and cast a new eye on the realm between—

where one’s final place in the pleasure of Heaven or

the pain of Hell was determined.

ART FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

Nancy Ketterer, adjunct instructorFour Tuesdays, 1:30–3 pm, Apr 14–May 5

Take a tour of the world through the MFA with stops

in the newly renovated Wine, Poets, and Performers in

Ancient Greece galleries, “Gordon Parks: Back to Fort

Scott,” and the Arts of the Pacific gallery.

PORTRAITURELana Sloutsky, adjunct instructorFour Wednesdays, 6:30–8 pm, Apr 15–May 13, except Apr 22

Self-portraits and images of patrons from the elite to

the unknown can be found throughout the Museum

in Egyptian funerary masks, Roman imperial marble

statues, watercolor sketches, and formal oil paintings.

Discover the importance of portraiture across different

cultures and time periods.

ART BY AFRICAN AMERICANSEdmund Barry Gaither, director and curator, Museum of the National Center of Afro-American ArtistsKaren Haas, Lane Curator of PhotographsPatrick Murphy, Lia and William Poorvu Curatorial Research Fellow, Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs; supervisor, Morse Study RoomKaren Quinn, Kristin and Roger Servison Curator of Paintings, Art of the AmericasFour Mondays, 1–2:30 pm, Apr 27–May 18

Inspired by the new MFA publication Common Wealth: Art by African Americans in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, spend four weeks examining the

collection, including the exhibition “Gordon Parks:

Back to Fort Scott.”

ANCIENT LEGACYNicole Claris, manager, School Programs Four Wednesdays, 6:30–8 pm, Apr 29–May 20

Even after the fall of Rome, the values and aspirations

of the classical world continued to influence art, politics,

and philosophy. Explore how subsequent groups of

artists reinterpreted and appropriated the ideals of

the ancients for their own times.

ON V IEWNancy Ketterer, adjunct instructorFour Tuesdays, 1:30–3 pm, May 12–Jun 2

Join us for a closer look at current exhibitions,

including “Leonardo da Vinci and the Idea of Beauty,”

“In the Wake: Japanese Photographers Respond to

3-11,” and the extraordinary “Hokusai.”

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N E W P R O G R A M S !

Sparkling Treats and First ImpressionsChristopher Gilbert, adjunct Instructor Fri, Feb 13, 7–9:30 pm

Find romance at the MFA! Join us for an evening

of fascinating tales of love focusing on iconic works of

art in the MFA collection. The evening concludes with a

splash of bubbly and a sampling of decadent desserts.


Slow Art, Fast FoodMartha Wright, adjunct instructorFri, Feb 27, 6:30–9 pm

Slow down and enjoy an in-depth look at a two

signature artworks, including Paul Gauguin’s Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Take in every side there is to see, then pick up

the pace with a modern take on classic fast food and

malted milkshakes.


LookMaggie Cavallo, adjunct instructorSat, Mar 7, 1–3:30 pm

This lively crash course helps you decipher masterworks

by learning about perspective, narrative, and history,

with particular attention paid to the works in the

contemporary galleries.


It’s All about the FrameAndrew Haines, associate conservator, Furniture and Frame ConservationBeth Pugliano, adjunct instructorThu, Mar 19, 6:30–8:30 pmWed, May 6, 2–4 pm

Have you ever noticed the frames that border famous

works of art in the Museum’s collection? Often comple-

mentary to the work of art and beautiful in their own

right, frames frequently have a back story as fascinating

as the artworks they hold. Hear the often untold tales

of frames and pair the history of the artwork to the

decorative border.


Socialize. Share. Engage your senses.

Remix is a new way to experience every side and sense

of the MFA with a variety of social activities offered

in exclusive, small-group sessions that immerse you

in art and culture as never before.

All sessions convene at Sharf Visitor Center.

Remix

Contemporary CocktailsAl Miner, assistant curator, Contemporary ArtFri, Mar 27, 7–9:30 pm

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes perspective on two of the

Museum’s current contemporary exhibitions “National

Pride (and Prejudice)” and “Landscape, abstracted.”

Curator Al Miner shares his inspiration when planning

an exhibition, and explains how it all comes together.

Stop in Bravo Restaurant for a choice of a crafted

cocktail and small bites inspired by the artwork.


Mad Style: Midcentury Modern DesignCaroline Cole, Ellyn McColgan Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts and SculptureTaylor Poulin, curatorial research associate, Art of the AmericasFri, Apr 10, 7–9:30 pm

Inspired by the set design of the television series Mad Men, we’ll explore themes in midcentury

American furniture, art, and design. Dress in your

1950’s chic, and enjoy a cocktail and small bites as we

watch clips from the show and discuss them in context

with the MFA’s collection of midcentury design.


Mad Men: The Print and the FashionMichelle Finamore, Penny Vinik Curator of Fashion ArtsMeghan Melvin, Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Curator of DesignFri, Apr 17, 7–9:30 pm

Don your finest as Huntington Avenue meets

Madison Avenue! Tonight, we’re pulling period clothing

out of the storage closet, and taking a close-up view

of fashion illustration and advertising from our print

collection. See how the fashion of the time and the

advertising ring true in the hit television series.


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.

Cover and pages 6 and 7: Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa, also known as The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (detail), Japanese, Edo period, about 1830–31.

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow

Collection. Inside front cover and page 1: Katsushika Hokusai, Phoenix (detail), Japanese, Edo period, 1835. Eight-panel folding screen; ink, color,

cut gold-leaf, and sprinkled gold on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Page 2: Designed by Charles Eames. Manufactured by Evans Products

Company (Molded Plywood Division). Distributed by Herman Miller Furniture

Company. DCW (Dining Chair Wood), designed 1945–46, Venice, California,

made 1946–47, Grand Haven, Michigan. Plywood with walnut veneer, rubber.

Gift of Edward J. Womley. 12. 2000.1081 Used with Permission. Herman

Miller, Inc.® Eames®. Page 3: Edward Steichen, Joan Crawford, 1932 (In the Studio), negative 1932, printed 1984–85. Photograph, gelatin silver print.

Gift of Janet Singer. © 2014 The Estate of Edward Steichen / Artists Rights

Society (ARS), New York. Page 4: Gustav Klimt, Adam and Eve, 1917–18.

Oil on canvas. © Belvedere, Vienna. Page 5: Detail of the Secession building in Vienna, Austrian, about 1910. Real photo on cardstock. Leonard

A. Lauder Postcard Archive—Promised gift of Leonard A. Lauder. Page 8 and 9 top: Jackson Pollock, Number 10, 1949, 1949. Alkyd (synthetic paint)

and oil on canvas mounted on panel. Tompkins Collection—Arthur Gordon

Tompkins Fund and Sophie M. Friedman Fund. © 2014 The Pollock-Krasner

Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Page 9: Gordon

Parks, Husband and Wife, Sunday Morning, Detroit, Michigan, 1950.

Photograph, gelatin silver print. Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks

Foundation. Page 10: Study for the Head of a Girl, about 1483 (silverpoint

on paper), Vinci, Leonardo da (1452–1519) / Biblioteca Reale, Turin, Italy

/ Alinari / Bridgeman Images. Page 11: Childe Hassam, At Dusk (Boston

Common at Twilight) (detail), 1885–86. Oil on canvas. Gift of Miss Maud E.

Appleton. Page 12 top: Carrie Mae Weems: Photo by Jerry Kleinberg. Page 12 bottom: Miranda July: Photo by Todd Cole. Page 13: Beauford Delaney,

Greene Street, 1940. Oil on canvas. The John Axelrod Collection—Frank

B. Bemis Fund, Charles H. Bayley Fund, and The Heritage Fund for a Diverse

Collection. Reproduced with permission. Page 14 top: Patty Larkin: Photo

by Jana Leon. Page 14 bottom: Raphael Kirchner, Woman with hearts on fire, from the series To Love, 1899. Color lithograph on card stock. Gift of

Leonard A. Lauder. Page 15: Pablo Picasso, Standing Figure, 1908. Oil on

canvas. Juliana Cheney Edwards Collection. © 2014 Estate of Pablo Picasso

/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Page 16: Hendrick ter Brugghen,

Boy Singing (detail), 1627. Oil on canvas. Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow

Fund. : Xul Solar, Jefa (Patroness), 1923. Watercolor on paper, set

on cardboard. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Museum purchase with

funds provided by the 2005 Latin American Experience Gala and Auction. ©

Fundación Pan Klub - Museo Xul Solar. Page 19 top: The Tyszkiewicz Painter,

Mixing bowl (calyx krater) depicting dueling scenes from the Trojan War (detail), Greek, Late Archaic Period, about 490–480 BC. Greece, Attica,

Athens. Ceramic, Red Figure. Catharine Page Perkins Fund. Page 19 bottom: Lee Konitz: Photo by Frank Eppler. Page 20: Aqua Tower. Photo by Steve

Hall © Hedrich Blessing, Courtesy of Studio Gang Architects. Page 21 top: Tureen (detail), 1870s, Duhme & Co., United States (Cincinnati), silver, Cincin-

nati Art Museum, Museum Purchase: Gloria W. Thomson Fund for Decorative

Arts, 2013.74 a-b. Page 21 bottom: Lee Mingwei in studio. Photo by Anita

Kan. Page 22 top: Joseph Cornell, Dovecote, about 1952. Mixed media.

Gift of Susan W. Paine. Art © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial

Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. Page 22 bottom: Gustave

Caillebotte, Man at His Bath, 1884. Oil on canvas. Museum purchase with

funds by exchange from an Anonymous gift, Bequest of William A. Coolidge,

Juliana Cheney Edwards Collection, and from the Charles H. Bayley Picture

and Painting Fund, Edward Jackson Holmes Fund, Fanny P. Mason Fund in

memory of AliceThevin, Arthur Gordon Tompkins Fund, Gift of Mrs. Samuel

Parkman Oliver—Eliza R. Oliver Fund, Sophie F. Friedman Fund, Robert

M. Rosenberg Family Fund, and funds donated in honor of George T. M.

Shackelford, Chair, Art of Europe, and Arthur K. Solomon Curator of Modern

Art, 1996–2011. Page 23 top: Anubis Mountain site: Image courtesy of

J. Wegner. Page 23 bottom: Naoya Hatakeyama, 2013.10.20 Kesen-chō from the series “Rikuzentakata 2011–2014” (detail), 2013. Photograph,

C print. © Hatakeyama Naoya / Courtesy of Taka Ishii Gallery. Page 24 top: Two Heads in Profile, about 1500 (red chalk on paper), Vinci, Leonardo da

(1452–1519) / Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy / Bridgeman Images. Page 24 bottom: Fern Mallis: Photo by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Page 25: Lieko Shiga, Rasen kaigan (Spiral Shore) 46, 2011, from the series Rasen kaigan (Spiral Shore), 2011. Photograph, digital print. © Lieko

Shiga Page 26 and 27: Emperor Huizong, Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk (Or Picture of Pounding Silk) (detail), Northern Song Dynasty,

early 12th century. Ink, color, and gold on silk. Special Chinese and Japanese

Fund. Page 28: Katsushika Hokusai, The Falling Mist Waterfall at Mount Kurokami in Shimotsuke Province from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces, Japanese, Edo period, about 1832. Woodblock print

(nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Page 29 and 30: Larry Salk, Summer Cocktail Party with English Butler, 1961.

Watercolor, gouache, ink on paper. Gift of Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf.

Reproduced with permission. All images © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,

unless otherwise noted. © 2014 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

“Hollywood Glamour: Fashion and Jewelry from the Silver Screen” Sponsored by Neil Lane Jewelry. Additional support from the David and

Roberta Logie Fund for Textile and Fashion Arts and the Loring Textile

Gallery Exhibition Fund.

“Hokusai”Media sponsor is WCVB-TV Boston. With generous support from the

Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Exhibition Fund.

“Gordon Parks: Back to Fort Scott”Sponsored by Northern Trust. This exhibition is organized by the Museum

of Fine Arts, Boston, in partnership with the Gordon Parks Foundation.

Presented with support from the Dr. Lawrence H. and Roberta Cohn

Exhibition Fund.

“In the Wake: Japanese Photographers Respond to 3-11”Presented with generous support from Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.

Additional support from the Barbara Jane Anderson Fund.

“Shinique Smith: BRIGHT MATTER”Sponsored by Celebrity Cruises. Presented with generous support from the

Robert and Jane Burke Fund for Exhibitions, The Contemporaries, and the

Callaghan Family Fund for Contemporary Exhibitions. Additional support

provided by the Eugenie Prendergast Memorial Fund, made possible by a

grant from Jan and Warren Adelson. “Shinique Smith: BRIGHT MATTER”

continues a series of annual exhibitions focused on internationally known

SMFA graduates of the past decade whose work is exemplary of the

excellence, innovation, and influence of SMFA alums.

“Nature, Sculpture, Abstraction, and Clay: 100 Years of American Ceramics”Presented with generous support from the John and Bette Cohen Fund

for Contemporary Decorative Arts.

“Court Ladies or Pin-Up Girls? Chinese Paintings from the MFA, Boston”Presented with support from the Rodger and Dawn Nordblom Fund for

Chinese Paintings in Honor of Marjorie C. Nordblom and The June and John

C. Robinson Fund for Chinese Paintings in Honor of Marjorie C. Nordblom.

“Leonardo da Vinci and the Idea of Beauty”Media sponsor is Boston Magazine. Presented with support from the

Cordover Exhibition Fund and the MFA Associates/MFA Senior Associates

Exhibition Endowment Fund. Organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art

at The College of William & Mary in Virginia in partnership with Associazione

Culturale Metamorfosi.

“National Pride (and Prejudice)”With generous support from The Contemporaries.

“Landscape, abstracted”Funded by the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation in loving memory

of Rhonda S. Zinner. On view in the Eunice and Julian Cohen Galleria, Level

2; Hope and Mel Barkan Art Wall; and Michael D. Wolk Art Wall.

N E W P R O G R A M S !

Tickets on sale January 8 at 10 amGo to mfa.org/lecturesCall 1-800-440-6975Visit any MFA ticket deskPrices and exceptions noted; University Members (with proper identification) and Corporate Members (with transferable

membership cards) receive member priced tickets when purchased in person on the day of the event. Event tickets do

not require purchase of Museum admission. Tickets may not be refunded or exchanged. All prices, dates, and times are

subject to change; visit mfa.org for the most up-to-date schedule and complete ticket policy.

S A V E T H E D AT E !Summer Lectures and Courses go on sale April 30, 2015Sake and Hokusai

Sarah Thompson, assistant curator, Japanese PrintsFri, May 1, 6:30–9 pm

The MFA holds the greatest variety of Hokusai works

of any museum. Spend an evening in “Hokusai” with

the exhibition curator. After exploring, sample sake

and reimagined bento boxes.


Leonardo: Materials and TechniquesHelen Burnham, Pamela and Peter Voss Curator of Prints and DrawingsKatrina Newbury, Saundra B. Lane Associate ConservatorThu, May 14, 6:30–8:30 pm

Pair a curatorial tour of “Leonardo da Vinci and the

Idea of Beauty” with a behind-the-scenes conservation

session in the Morse Study Room, exploring the tools,

methods, and materials used by artists in Leonardo da

Vinci’s time. Engage in a lively discussion of technique

with respect to the enduring beauty of these drawings.


Italian FlairFrederick Ilchman, chair and Mrs. Russell W. Baker Curator of Paintings, Art of EuropeFriday, May 22 from 6:30–9 pm

Step into the MFA’s Italian Renaissance collection with

Frederick Ilchman for an evening of Leonardo da Vinci-

inspired art, coupled with delicious classic Italian cuisine

and vino italiano refreshments.


RemixMembers save on tickets

From local luminaries to international voices, experience the

power of the written and spoken word. Engage in intimate

events with favorite and new voices in photography, fashion,

art history, poetry, and nonfiction. Books discussed at these

events are available in the main Bookstore and Shop, and

the Huntington Shop.

See mfa.org/lectures for upcoming events.


Author Events at the MFA

Meet the authors of Cape Cod Modern on Friday, May 15.

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