Page 155 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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popular galleries displays La
Japonaise by Monet and Dance
at Bougival by Renoir.
The American Painting
collection includes more than
2,000 works. Among the
highlights are portraits by the
Boston artist John Singleton
Copley, perhaps America’s most
talented 18th-century painter,
and sumptuous portraits by
John Singer Sargent (1856–
1925), who also painted murals
on the museum’s domed
Impressive hall of European Art at the Museum of Fine Arts rotunda. Other works include
19th-century landscapes by
augmented in 2010 by the 53 second floor. Outstanding early Luminist painter Fitz Henry
galleries of the Art of Americas exhibits here include scroll and Lane, and seascapes by Winslow
Wing. In 2011, the museum screen paintings. A highlight Homer. Twentieth-century
transformed its west-facing of the museum is the serene American masters represented
wing, designed in 1981 by Japanese Temple Room, on the include Stuart Davis, Jackson
I.M. Pei, into the Linde Family first floor, known for its exquisite Pollock, and Georgia O’Keeffe.
Wing for Contemporary Art. examples of Buddhist art. The Decorative Arts exhibit
The Museum of Fine Art’s The European Art collections displays silver tea services
excellent collection of ancient date from the 7th to the 20th made by Paul Revere (see p148);
Egyptian and Nubian Art is centuries and feature Dutch 18th-century Boston-style
unparalleled outside of Africa paintings, including portraits clocks; numerous ship models;
and derives primarily from the by Rembrandt. The Koch Gallery, and outstanding examples of
MFA–Harvard University with its magnificent wooden contemporary crafts. Period
excavations along the coffered ceiling, displays rooms present decorative arts
Nile, which began in masterpieces by in a historical context. They
1905. It also includes a El Greco, Titian, include furnishings and
wonderful collection and Rubens. reproduced decor of the three
of mummies that is Boston’s 19th- circa-1800 rooms from a
located on the first century collectors Peabody mansion designed
floor. The adjacent enriched the MFA with by Federal-period architect
gallery of Ancient Near wonderful French art: Samuel McIntire.
Eastern Art exhibits the museum features In addition to these major
Babylonian, Assyrian, several paintings by collections, the Museum of
and Sumerian reliefs. On Jean-François Millet as Fine Arts also has important
the second floor are well as by 19th-century holdings in the multifarious
several monumental French artists such as arts of Africa, Oceania, and the
sculptures of Nubian Edouard Manet, Pierre- ancient Americas, and collec-
kings, dating from the Auguste Renoir, and tions of musical instruments
7th to 6th centuries BC. Egyptian Edgar Degas. It also has and manuscripts. A pioneer
The MFA boasts one of sarcophagi several paintings by van in collecting photography,
America’s top holdings of Gogh, and holds the the MFA holds archival
Classical Art as well. Among the most important Monet collection work by Yousuf Karsh and
highlights of this collection are outside of Paris. One of the most Bradford Washburn.
Greek figured vases, carved
Etruscan sarcophagi, and Roman
portrait busts. Also on display are
a series of wall-panel paintings
unearthed in Pompeii in 1901.
The Asian Art collections are said
to be the most extensive under
one roof anywhere in the world.
They include Indian sculpture
and narrative paintings, and
exhibitions of Islamic miniature
paintings that keep changing.
A beautiful stairway with
carved lions leads to the Chinese
and Japanese galleries on the The impressive Beaux Arts-style exterior of the Museum of Fine Arts

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