Recent Medieval Acquisitions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Affiliated Society or Committee Name: Midwest Art History SocietyThis panel will explore three little-known new acquisitions—a French architectural drawing, an ornate Flemish chasuble, and a Jewish prayer book. Established in 1900, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is the largest cultural institution in the southwest United States. Objects were only first acquired for the Museum in 1924 and the relatively small holdings of medieval and Renaissance objects were mainly given by philanthropists Annette Finnigan and Edith A. and Percy S. Straus between 1934 and 1944. Recently, through dedicated MFAH acquisition endowments, the Museum has been making a concerted effort to add significant acquisitions for a newly conceived presentation of medieval art. These acquisitions are in tandem with the Museum’s growing holdings from Asia and the Islamic worlds that will enhance the Museum’s ability to recount the early global story of art and culture across varied societies.
Field of Study:
Chairs:
Dena M. Woodall,Museum of Fine Arts Houston - dwoodall@mfah.org
and
Heidi J. Hornik,Baylor University - heidi_hornik@baylor.edu
