Collecting for a New Century – Recent Acquisitions January 18 – May 13, 2012

Collecting for a New Century: Recent Acquisitions celebrates the continuing addition of important works of art to the collections of the Museum of Art and Archaeology during the twenty-first century. The Museum of Art and Archaeology has acquired many exceptional artworks in the recent years through generous gifts, bequests, and purchases. While some of the works have been included in Museum exhibitions, the vast majority of pieces remain unknown to our Museum visitors. This exhibition showcases the significance and diversity of these new additions to the collection. Encyclopedic in nature, the Museum continues to expand and deepen its holdings. Thus, this exhibition features objects consisting of a variety of art forms (paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, prints, and photographs), differing materials (ceramic, glass, gold, iron, and marble), numerous cultures (American, European, African, Pre-Columbian, South Asian, and East Asian), and a time span from antiquity to the present. Classical antiquities stand at the heart of the Museum, and significant new acquisitions continue to enrich these outstanding holdings. The addition of a colorful Roman ribbon glass bottle hearkens back to Dr. Gladys Weinberg, co-founder of the Museum of Art and Archaeology and a foremost expert in ancient glass. A remarkable life-size bust of a Roman empress and a rare Egyptian funerary stele combining Greek and Roman cultural elements featuring an independent and learned woman named Heliodora represent some of the important sculpture additions. Other outstanding accessions advancing this distinguished collection include a fine South Italian red-figure rhyton (a vase for libations or drinking) in the form of a griffin and an unusual South Italian askos (a type of vessel in the shape of a wineskin) surmounted by a molded figure of Scylla with an undulating sea serpent’s body. The European and American collections include artworks from the thirteenth century to the present, and new additions continue to elevate and expand this part of the Museum. A few of the numerous impressive artworks that will be shown include a French medieval illuminated manuscript page, a large woodcut of the Crucifixion by the renowned printmaker Dürer, a seventeenth-century painting on stone showing the 2 execution of St. Catherine of Alexandria, a French Impressionist etching and drypoint by Cassatt, and a lithograph by the Mexican artist Rivera. Other striking pieces include an expressive woodcut of the Expulsion from Paradise by Rohlfs (who was declared a degenerate artist by the Nazis), and radiant glass creations from the Persian series by the contemporary artist Chihuly. Donations continue to significantly enrich the Museum’s holdings of non-Western art. East Asian highlights of the exhibition include pieces from the fourteenth through eighteenth centuries: several Tibetan bronzes, whose gilding is believed to enhance the figurines' magical effectiveness, a gilded and painted Chinese Guanyin (Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion), a Thai bronze of a seated Buddha posed in the gesture showing he has attained supreme enlightenment, and a Korean bodhisattva seated on a lotus throne in a teaching pose. The Museum’s collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts was significantly strengthened with more than 500 objects all from one donor. A small representation of this outstanding gift includes a Late Pre-Classic Colima (Mexico) vessel in the form of a dog, an iconic form of funerary vessel from west Mexico, a vessel in the form of a seated captive warrior made by the Moche (Peru) that gives a glimpse into the world of ancient sacrificial rituals, and a fascinating urn in the form of a figure with elaborate headdress from Oaxaca (Mexico) that probably represents a venerated human ancestor. Aztec pieces from Mexico include a model of a temple and a statuette of the goddess of childbirth Chalchiuhtlicue. Because there are many more recent acquisitions to the Museum than our special exhibition galleries can accommodate, and because several of these are already on display in the permanent galleries, the labels of these other new additions will be marked [with a special insignia] so that visitors can continue their voyage of “Collecting for a New Century.” This exhibition highlights the Museum’s ongoing efforts to build on a remarkable collection of art and artifacts, advancing the knowledge and appreciation of art and the world around us, as well as our common cultural heritage. Since the inception of the Museum, the collections have grown each year to create the third largest visual arts museum in the state of Missouri.

Long Gallery

Circle of Jacques Stella (Italian, 1596–1657) Miracle of the Martyrdom of St. Catherine of Alexandria, ca. 1625 Oil on jasper (2009.126) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

After the beheading of St. Catherine of Alexandria (4th c.), milk was said to flow from her body instead of blood, and angels took her body to Mount Sinai, where it received a hidden burial. This painting shows a moment not long after Catherine’s execution. Her severed head lies on the ground as milk streams from it, symbolizing her purity. One angel holds a flaming candle while the other cradles the detached head, which emits a nascent aureole.

Artists hardly ever depicted this scene in art. In this representation the artist paired the uncommon subject matter with an equally rare support, a piece of veined, colored stone, the mottled pattern of which forms part of the composition. Encased in a richly carved and gilded Louis XIII French frame, this work of art and frame reveal the seventeenth-century fashion for precious paintings manifesting intellectual artifice, uniqueness, and a highly refined manner.

Jacob Hoefnagel (Flemish, 1575–ca. 1630) After Joris (Georgii) Hoefnagel (Flemish, 1542-1601) Plates 7 and 8 from Part II From the book Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii…, 1592 [1st edition] Engraving (2006.3, 2006.4) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

These two pages come from a portfolio, which served as one of the principal sources of seventeenth-century still-life painting. Jacob Hoefnagel engraved the plates as a youth under the supervision of his father Joris, the last of the great Flemish manuscript illuminators. Viewed as if seen from above, the creatures and plants cast shadows and are arranged as if they were specimens belonging to a cabinet of natural curiosities. The elements are not arranged according to any taxonomic system, but for pictorial and symbolic effect. Each sheet contains Latin inscriptions. Plate 7 has a strong religious content and reflects how the work was dedicated to the glorification of God in even his smallest creations. Plate 8 emphasizes the theme of death and the fleeting nature of life, which became an important part of the seventeenth-century still-life tradition.

Translations of Inscriptions

Plate 7: Top: Sin was committed by our first parents through the eating of the apple, not because it was bad in itself, but because it was prohibited. Bottom: Under every stone sleeps a scorpion.

Plate 8: Top: Birth. Suffering. Death. Bottom: A trifling injury kills the lustful mice: thus this uncertain life is lost through a simple accident. 5

Anne Allen (British, 1749/1750 – after 1808) Stairway Leading to a Fragile Pavilion 1798 Etching on wove paper (2008.13) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Anne Allen was a talented English printmaker in the eighteenth century. She achieved her fame through collaborating with her husband, the popular French artist Jean-Baptiste Pillement, for whom she served as the primary printmaker.

This color etching is made in the à la poupée (French: with the doll) technique, which describes a method of inking an incised metal plate, using small ball- shaped wads of fabric. Inks of differing colors are applied selectively to the copper, and then the inked plate is printed. Each impression has the appearance of a monoprint and is unique in its coloring. The print portrays a whimsical Chinese design often referred to as chinoiserie, which was popular in eighteenth-century Rococo art.

Mary Cassatt (American, 1844–1926) Susan Seated Before a Row of Trees 1883 Etching and drypoint (2004.9) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund and Gift of Museum Associates

Mary Cassatt, one of the most famous American Impressionists, was an expatriate artist from Pennsylvania, who spent most of her artistic career in and around Paris. In her paintings, drawings, and prints, Cassatt concentrated on images of the domestic realm, particularly scenes of women at leisure.

Susan Seated Before a Row of Trees shows a woman seated in a three- quarter pose wearing a long dress. Although the sitter is identified as Susan (a cousin of Cassatt’s maid), the etching is not a “portrait” in the traditional sense. Rather, it is study of light and atmosphere characteristic of Impressionist art. Several vertical elements behind Susan suggest tree trunks. The model is illuminated by patches of light shining through the trees created through overlapping parallel lines of varying density and energetic broken contours.

This print is especially rare since only a small number of impressions were produced, and this one is signed with the artist’s initials.

Félix Hilaire Buhot (French, 1847-1898) Les Voisins de Campagne (The Country Neighbors), 1879–1880 Etching, drypoint, and aquatint on laid paper (2008.15) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Buhot is known for producing several states of a print from the same plate. While experimenting with papers and inks, he continued to alter the plate using drypoint, aquatint, and the roulette tool. In particular, he used numerous techniques and tools as well as diverse strokes to create a variety of atmospheric conditions. In this delightful print, a couple is seen from behind as they rush to get out from the rain. The wind blows briskly as seen in the folds of their windswept clothing. Carrying a lit lantern, the man awkwardly lifts his left leg as he tries to avoid a large puddle of water. Buhot’s ability to render rain and water throughout the print is masterful. On the left may be seen a series of sketches in varying states of completion, also by the artist, which acts as a decorative border.

Pietro Antonio Martini (Italian, 1739–1797) After Johann Heinrich Ramberg (German, 1763–1840) The Exhibition at the Royal Academy, 1787 Etching and engraving (2010.12) Gift of Museum Associates

A tour de force of etching and engraving, this print shows the annual exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1787. George, the Prince of Wales, stands in the center foreground, beneath a large portrait of himself with a servant. Next to him, holding his hearing horn, is Joshua Reynolds, one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy. Giving a tour to the Prince of Wales, Reynolds points to one of the thirteen works he exhibited at the academy that year.

Founded in 1768, the Royal Academy of Arts was created for the promotion and appreciation of the visual arts by means of exhibitions, education and debate. The most important artistic event of the year, the exhibition took place in the Great Room at Somerset House and attracted the highest levels of society. A spectacular piece, the print documents the world of eighteenth-century art and society as it shows how paintings were displayed and details the costumes and social customs of the upper class.

Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–1879) L'enseignement mutuel (Mutual education) 1839–1842 From the series The Bathers Lithograph (2011.6) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

A French graphic artist, painter, and sculptor, Daumier also produced biting caricatures of bourgeois society. This print shows a man with air-filled bladders strapped to his chest standing thigh-deep in water near an embankment as some young boys look at him. Pulled before the final publication, this working proof has the caption handwritten in the bottom and left margins.

Clearly afraid of the water, the man seems reluctant to go any deeper, even though he wears the air-filled bladders that will help him float. The inscription reports what one of the boys is saying in response to the comical scene: “Allons donc, vieux! Les vessies ne sont pas des lanternes, elles vont à l'eau.” (Come on in old man! The bladders are not lanterns, they go in the water.) In the past, such expanded bladders had been used as lanterns through the insertion of a candle. Seen through the eyes of the boy, the silly old man has no reason to be afraid of the water.

Ludovic Lepic (French, 1839–1889) A Stormy Landscape, 1870 Etching (2008.14) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Lepic popularized a new expressive freedom in printmaking. In particular, he experimented with the etching process, developing “l’eau-forte mobile,” or changeable etching, which is a hybrid of the etching and monotype processes. This technique consisted of using an original etching as the matrix and then employing various inking and wiping procedures to create different tonal effects. Inspired by Lepic, the famous contemporary Impressionist artist Edgar Degas employed the idea of creative inking, but abandoned the etched line to produce his monotype masterpieces.

During his career, Lepic claimed to have reworked one of his plates eighty- five different times. By “painting” the plate differently, Lepic could change the time of day, season, focal point, and perspective. In this etching, the artist shows a dark and stormy landscape submerged by waves of water.

Fred E. Conway (American, 1900–1973) Mardi Gras Scene, ca. 1945–50 Encaustic on Masonite panel (2011.8) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

This painting comes from a series of works Conway created investigating the theme of Mardi Gras. Also known as Carnival, Mardi Gras takes place before Lent, the period preceding Easter that is marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence in the Christian church.

Rather than portraying a specific moment, this painting helps the viewer experience and feel the evening festivities as they unwind. Masked figures wear harlequin-patterned costumes, hands hold playing cards, and musicians play music while a clock counts time forward and backward as the night and reveling continue seemingly without end.

Conway’s unusual depiction is complimented by his uncommon selection of the encaustic medium. First used by ancient Greek and Roman artists, encaustic painting involves mixing dry pigments or colors with molten wax.

The overlaying and stacking of forms, the startling juxtapositions, and the decorative use of color in this painting show the unmistakable influence of Max Beckmann, with whom Conway studied at the Washington University School of Fine Arts in St. Louis.

Charles-Nicolas Cochin I (French, 1715-1790) L‘Amour au théâtre italien (Love in the Italian Theater) 1734 Etching and engraving (2010.13) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

This engraving is a copy of the painting L’Amour au théâtre italien by the French Rococo painter Antoine Watteau. The painting was the only night scene in Watteau’s oeuvre, as nocturnal scenes were a great rarity in eighteenth- century European painting. Cochin paid special attention to Watteau’s original painting and ensured that his print matched the dimensions and that the representation was not reversed as is found in most engravings after paintings.

L’Amour au théâtre italien probably represents the Italian troupe that was summoned by the Regent to return to France in 1716 after their expulsion by King Louis XIV in 1697. Whether the darkness is meant to reference the absence of the Italian players, their continuing presence in the minds of theatergoers, or celebrate their return is uncertain.

The inscription under the engraving reads:

Jealous Italy, frightening the Cupids, Makes them go by night, in forced mystery; But a serenade takes the place of speeches; A gesture, a single glance makes or breaks the affair. The impatient Frenchman in intrigue prefers Ways that are less covert: do you believe them any shorter?

William Hogarth (British, 1697–1764) Engraved by Louis Gérard Scotin (French 1690–after 1755) The Marriage Settlement (from the series Marriage à la mode), 1745 Engraving and etching (2008.16.1) Gift of Museum Associates

The English artist William Hogarth took the art of visual satire to a new level of sophistication and complexity. He merged current issues with tragedy, melodrama, and comedy to look critically at contemporary society.

In the series Marriage à la Mode, Hogarth satirizes a marriage of convenience between members of the aristocratic and working classes as he presents a cautionary tale of vanity, greed, corruption, and betrayal, which leads to decline and death. This print is the first of the series and depicts the Earl of Squander suffering from gout, as he arranges for his son, Viscount Squanderfield, to marry the daughter of a rich merchant, who selfishly buys his way into the aristocracy at the expense of his daughter.

This marriage is doomed from the beginning, however. The young groom, dressed in the latest French fashion, turns away from his obviously unhappy bride, to narcissistically admire himself in the mirror. As the bride is being ignored by her groom, the lawyer Silvertongue flirts with her, as implied by the suggestive sharpening of his quill. The chained dogs in the foreground underscore the ill-matched and loveless nature of the marriage.

Claudi Casanovas (Spanish, b. 1956) Medium Block Form, 2003 Stoneware (2009.646) Gift of Mr. Mark Landrum

Although this piece has the appearance of a piece of driftwood, it is actually made out of clay. The weathered and torn aspect of the form comes from cutting and sandblasting the fired and unglazed surface. As an artist, Casanovas is particularly interested in experimenting with and manipulating the clay in order to create something surprising yet naturalistic.

George Edgar Ohr, Jr. (American, 1857–1918) Untitled, ca. 1900 Glazed ceramic (2009.670) Gift of Mr. Mark Landrum

Using local alluvial clay bodies with colored glazes and metallic finishes, Ohr threw thin-wall forms that he altered by pinching, denting, and stretching. His work has been characterized as the precursor of Abstract Expressionism; it defied convention, was hardly functional, and perplexed the public. Today, the idiosyncratic shapes, bold colors, and playful, dynamic character of his “mud babies” are widely recognized as strikingly modern works created before the public was ready for modern art.

Glen Lukens (American, 1887–1967) Bowl, mid-20th century Ceramic with red glaze over white crackled glaze and stain (2006.45) Gift of Vera and Boyd O'Dell in memory of Glen Lukens

An award-winning ceramicist and teacher, Lukens helped change the way we see and interpret ceramics today. He pioneered a new approach to the ceramic vessel. In this instance the red glaze penetrates the deep crackle of the thick white underglaze, calling attention to the beauty of pattern, texture, and color by means of a beautifully shaped, simple bowl.

Lucie Rie (Austrian, 1902–1995) Fluted Stoneware Vase ca. early 1970s Glazed stoneware (2009.672) Gift of Mr. Mark Landrum

Dame Lucie Rie was one of Britain’s most eminent potters. Her work has been described as cosmopolitan and architectural, valued for its refinement and restraint. This piece’s clear, simple form with incised lines and textured surfaces reveal her interest in the aesthetics of design, which she learned at the prestigious Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Art and Design) in Vienna.

Zhou Dingfang (Chinese, b.1965) Old Bag 98, 1998 Stoneware (2009.657) Gift of Mr. Mark Landrum

Zhou Dingfang is one of the most innovative of the new generation of Yixing potters and is ranked as a “Craft Master.” Known for her trompe l’oeil (French: fool the eye) teapots, she creates innovative and remarkable pieces. In Old Bag 98, she transforms clay into a teapot made of soft leather complete with stitches, patches, pockets, and folds.

Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987) Philip J. Kendall, 1986 (2008.92) Pia Miller, 1985 (2008.52) Rhonda Ross, 1981 (2008.53) Rick Ocasek, 1980 (2008.80) Polaroid photographs Gift of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

One of the most famous and controversial artists of the twentieth century, Andy Warhol is synonymous with the Pop Art Movement and renowned for his portraits of celebrities. What many people do not know is that between 1970 and 1987, Warhol took thousands of photographs, which were never seen by the public. These photographs analyze the social conventions of display, the subtleties of personality, the effects of exaggeration, and the artificiality of gender.

2008.92: Compared to the staging of women as objects to be looked at in Warhol’s portraits, this man, Philip J. Kendall, is staged assertively and authoritatively. Kendall’s suit and cigar act as masculine status symbols, often associated with a boss like figure. Through the exaggeration of these stereotypical traits, Warhol positions Kendall as a powerful figure with the power to look, judge, and desire as he pleases.

2008.52: This Polaroid depicts Pia Miller. Born in New York, to an American self-made millionaire father and an Ecuadorian mother with Spanish and Incan blood, Miller spent her youth in Hong Kong and Europe, attending school in Switzerland and studying art history at Georgetown University. In Bali in 1992, she married Christopher Ronald Getty, the heir to Getty Oil, but the couple later divorced in 2005. Miller is now the American spokeswoman for the cosmetic company, Sephora. In 20 this Polaroid, Andy Warhol captured Miller at the age of 19, a young, wealthy, international girl, on the verge on becoming her own woman.

2008.53: Here, Andy Warhol captures Rhonda Ross, the daughter of famous singer Diana Ross and Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records. Photographed at the age of ten Rhonda Ross had already experienced the life of a young, wealthy socialite and is about to embark on the critical years of her life as a teen trying to develop in a world built of money and status.

2008.80: This photograph shows the former leading vocalist and rhythm musician for the musical group “The Cars”, Rick Ocasek. Ocasek has also acted as the producer for numerous musical groups, including Weezer, Bad Religion, and No Doubt. In this particular shot Warhol decided to include the hand of the sitter. The long, flowing hand of Ocasek, suited to his profession as a bass guitarist, recapitulates his long face and reminds the viewer of this musician’s role in society and fame.

Edward Weston (American, 1886–1958) Juniper at Lake Tenaya 1937 Gelatin silver print (2002.8) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Weston was born in 1886 in Highland Park, Illinois, and at sixteen began taking photographs with a Kodak Brownie Bulls-eye camera. In 1906, following the publication of his first photograph in Camera and Darkroom, he moved to California and began working as an itinerant photographer. Five years later he opened a portrait studio in Los Angeles.

After a trip to New York in 1922 where he met Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Charles Sheeler, and Georgia O’Keefe, Weston began putting his subjects into sharp focus as he designed powerful compositions. In Weston’s trademark style, this photograph evokes strong feelings through abstract, sensual, and curvilinear forms that have anthropomorphic qualities.

Weegee (Arthur Fellig) (American, 1889–1968) Self-Portrait (with Crown) 1956 [later printing] Gelatin silver print (2005.9) Museum Purchase

Arthur Fellig, known professionally as “Weegee,” was born in Austria and immigrated to the United States in 1910. Working as an itinerant photographer, he specialized in photographing the nocturnal activities of the streets of New York. He had the uncanny ability to be the first to appear on the scene of a crime, even before the police. This earned him the nickname “Weegee,” appropriated from the Ouija board. Selling his often bloody images of murders, fights, and criminal activities to the tabloids and photographic agencies, Weegee became known as a master of the sensational.

After gaining recognition in the late 1940s, the artist turned to more self- consciously artistic photo-caricatures of celebrities using distorting trick lenses. He became captivated by the idea of fame and would stamp the back of his photographs with “Credit Photo by Weegee the Famous.” This self-portrait depicts Weegee as an enthroned king with a crown, robe, and scepter, holding his camera.

Karen LaMonte (American, b.1967) Sleep, 2000 Glass (2009.660) Gift of Mr. Mark Landrum

Fascinated with the role clothing plays in personal identity, Karen LaMonte uses her glass sculptures to address the complexity of the multi-layered human condition. Clothing reveals how we see ourselves and how we want the world to see us. Ultimately, though, clothing is just a mask for the human form, which is a container for our spiritual selves.

Many of LaMonte’s glass sculptures, like Sleep, are developed from life-casts of both the human body and the surface of a garment. When the two moulds are combined, a hollow space remains between the two layers of glass. This allows light to penetrate into the sculpture, illuminating the contours and curves of the body and the folds and wrinkles of the garment. Through this technique, LaMonte is able to display simultaneously the role of clothing as a presentation of identity while also capturing the form of the body, which is the vessel of true identity.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720–1778) Veduta del Sepolcro di Cajo Cestio (View of the Tomb of Gaius Cestius) From the series Vedute di Roma (Views of Rome), 1755 Etching and engraving (2005.1) Museum Purchase

One of the greatest printmakers of the eighteenth century, Piranesi is considered a supreme exponent of topographical engraving. The son of a stonemason and master builder, he was trained in both architecture and stage design but considered himself an architect.

The pyramidal tomb of Gaius Cestius, the subject of this print, was built on the outskirts of Rome before the death of the Roman magistrate in 12 BCE. The architecture of the monument reflects first-century Roman interest in Egypt, which followed Rome’s conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE. The shape of the mausoleum appears based on the steeper pyramids found in Nubia, which the Romans invaded in 23 BCE.

While still a topographical illustration of the monument, Piranesi’s dynamic composition, bold lighting, and dramatic setting result in a romantic interpretation of the pyramid and its setting. Piranesi’s prolific output of such evocative prints of ancient monuments helped shape the European Neo-classical perception of antiquity.

Askos with Plastic Decoration Depicting the Monster Skylla South Italian, Apulia, probably Canosa, ca. 300 BCE Pottery with traces of pigment (2008.172) Weinberg Fund and Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

This vessel has the form of an askos (Greek: wineskin). In reality, an askos was stitched from animal skin and used to carry wine. The wineskin became imitated in pottery, and the resulting vessel type enjoyed great popularity.

While some of these vessels were used to serve wine, this one would have been used in a burial ritual or as a grave offering because it has no bottom. In Greek burial rituals, the askos was placed on the ground and a libation was poured into the spout. The liquid offering would then trickle down through the bottomless vessel and into the earth, where the deceased was interred.

This askos is decorated with the monster Skylla, a lethal female creature like the Sirens, the Sphinx, and the gorgon Medusa, who killed sailors and other hapless travelers. According to myth, Skylla dwelt in the rocky crags overhanging the Straits of Messina, between Sicily and Italy, where she plucked unlucky sailors from their ships with the help of mutant dogs that grew from her torso. While all these creatures were deadly, their images also could have an apotropaic or protective function. In this instance, Skylla appears to be making an oblation, holding an offering dish in one hand and a fish in the other. These are likely references to funerary offerings or a ritual meal at the gravesite.

Funerary Stele of Heliodora Egyptian, Roman period, 2nd–3rd c. CE Probably from Terenouthis, Nile Delta region Limestone with traces of pigment (2011.25) Weinberg Fund and Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

This funerary stele is a remarkable example of Graeco-Egyptian cultural intermingling. Heliodora, whose Greek name means “gift of the sun,” wears a Greek costume that looks as if it is made from Egyptian linen, and has an Egyptian hairstyle. She reclines on a couch extending a kantharos, or Greek cup, toward the Egyptian jackal- god Anubis. The architectural enclosure exhibits a combination of Egyptian and Greek architecture.

Below the woman is a series of glyphs, framed on either end by Egyptian djed columns (symbol of strength). From left to right the symbols are: unknown (perhaps a loaf), an amphora in a stand, and a tripod (three- legged Greek vase). These symbols probably make reference to objects used in Heliodora’s funerary banquet. The inscription below the glyphs reads:

“Heliodora, inclined to learning, pure, faultless, virginal, devoted to your brother, about 52 years, be of good fortune.”

Head of an Empress, perhaps Herennia Etruscilla Roman, mid-third century CE Allegedly from Tunisia Prokonnesian marble (2004.1) Weinberg Fund and Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Though uncertain, this portrait of a third- century empress may be from Tunisia, the modern North African country that was part of Roman Zeugetania, where the wealthy city of Carthage was located. Large quantities of white marble must have been imported into this region as suggested by the extensive ancient sculpture collections at today’s Bardo Museum in Tunis. No wide-scale testing of this collection’s marble has been undertaken, and thus we have no way of knowing whether the Prokonnesian identification of the empress head is unusual or not. In any event, it suggests a very long journey for the marble from the island known as Prokonnesos in antiquity (today Marmara Island, near Istanbul) to Tunisia. Scholars who have studied the head believe that it was carved by a Roman sculptor, not one from Carthage. This suggests that Roman-trained sculptors were living in the region or that the head was carved in Rome and then shipped to Carthage. This latter scenario is unlikely since the head belonged either to a bust or perhaps even a full- length statue, both of which would have been very fragile to ship.

Jug in the Form of an Old Woman with a Wine Jug Roman, late 1st– early 3rd century CE Pottery (2000.15) Weinberg Fund

This unusual moldmade jug portrays an old woman holding a lagynos, or wine pitcher, which was often used in rustic drinking festivals. Without any sign of mirth, her heavily wrinkled face appears numb. The wine jug is her only consolation now. The experiences and emotions of everyday people played an important part in Hellenistic art.

White-ground Lekythos Greek, Classical Period, ca. 425 BCE Pottery (2000.1) Weinberg Fund

This lekythos depicts a youth and a woman flanking a funerary stele while performing funerary rights in remembrance of the deceased. The figure’s somber expressions reveal a sense of loss. The lekythos' decoration is related to the function of the vessel, which was used to store oil for anointing the body of the dead during funeral ceremonies.

Color-Band Bottle Roman, 1st century BCE–1st century CE Glass (2002.11) Gladys D. Weinberg Memorial Fund and Weinberg Fund

Color-band glass belongs to the transitional period where blowing replaced casting as the most common method of forming glass vessels. To make this multicolored bottle, the maker arranged a series of cane slices into the desired pattern and fused them. The fused mass would then be heated again and cast or manipulated into a form that could be picked up by a blowpipe, heated again, inflated, and finally shaped by tooling, swinging, and marvering.

Rhyton in the Form of a Griffin’s Head Attributed to the Rhyton Painter South Italian, Apulia, ca. 330–310 BCE Pottery (2006.10) Gift of Professor William R. Biers

A rhyton was used for drinking or pouring libations in religious ceremonies or during funerary rituals. The lack of wear on many such vessels suggests that they were made specifically for the funeral and subsequent deposition in the grave. A hybrid of an eagle and a lion, the griffin became linked to the Scythians in central Asia, where these monsters were said to guard hoards of gold. The Greeks imported the creature into their arts, mostly using it as a protective or decorative figure.

Aubrey Beardsley (British, 1872–1898) How Sir Lancelot was known by Dame Elaine 1893 From Sir Thomas Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur, 1893 Line block print (2005.33) Gift of Museum Associates

The British artist Aubrey Beardsley became internationally known for his decorative and decadent illustrations for works by Oscar Wilde and other authors. His bold and sinuous use of line and striking use of black and white proved to exert a great influence on Art Nouveau design. The scene portrayed here shows Dame Elaine, the mother of Sir Lancelot's illegitimate son Galahad, finding her former lover wounded and sleeping in a garden. Beardsley captures the romantic tension of the episode as Elaine kneels next to Lancelot, their heads close together as she embraces him, while her ladies look on from the other page.

Anonymous (French) Illuminated page from a Psalter in Latin, ca. 1200–1210 Ink, pigments, and gold on parchment (2002.15) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

This page comes from a Psalter, a bound collection of the 150 Psalms, which provided medieval readers with tools for private and communal devotions. Stylistically, this leaf resembles other manuscripts produced in Paris, Northeastern France, and England during the reign of the French monarch Philip Augustus (1179–1223).

The script is written in a Gothic liturgical hand, and the large illuminated initials and painted line-endings were created at the same time as the text. The linear penwork in-fills and flourishes were probably added after 1250. The high quality of the decoration and the lavish use of gold and lapis blue indicate that this page comes from a book made for a member of the royal court or a high-ranking cleric.

Hans Sebald Beham (German, 1500-1550) Prudencia (Prudence) From the series Cognition and the Seven Virtues, 1539 Engraving (2002.17) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

The German Renaissance artist Hans Sebald Beham is known as a Kleinmeister, or “Little Master,” because of the diminutive size of his engravings. He worked in Nuremburg early in his career and his work shows the influence of Albrecht Altdorfer and Albrecht Dürer.

The figure of Prudence looks into a mirror, which references the ability of prudent individuals to “see” or understand themselves as they truly are. She also holds a snake, which relates to a Biblical passage from Matthew 10:16 that reads “Be wise as serpents…,” and the calipers before her symbolize a measured and prudent approach to life.

Andrea Cagnetti (Akelo) (Italian, b. 1967) Strange Mechanism #3, 2010 Iron (2011.26) Gift of the artist

According to Andrea Cagnetti, the particles that make up his art are detached from the material of the infinite cosmos. In his sculptures made of iron, these particles have become macroscopic in dimension (as opposed to the microscopic elements of his golden creations). These fragments can be seen as mysterious meteors vibrating with energy, looking for new harmonious spatial relationships. They project themselves—rotating in a magical dance. This sculpture in its roughness and elegant nudity recollects the stringent rules of divine rationality that govern creation.

Eilenberg Gallery

Roger Weik (American, b. 1949) Light and Reflection, 2007 Acrylic emulsion and oxide pigments on canvas (2007.38) Gift of the artist

This work belongs to Weik’s series of emulsion paintings and shows the artist’s interest in taking elements that are not compatible, like oil and water, and finding a way to make them work together. In this instance Weik prepared the canvas with a wash of turpentine and asphaltum. He then splashed a water-based black oxide onto the turpentine surface, which repelled the oxide causing it to bead up. After drying, Weik poured clear emulsion over the surface in a series of parallel lines, which occasionally converge. Following another drying period, he applied a blue oxide wash in the areas between the emulsion forms. He then carefully polished these acrylic lines to reveal the dots beneath the surface.

The forms appear organic, as if created by some natural primordial process. This small jewel-like piece breathes with life thanks to the flowing forms that appear ephemeral and capable of morphing into other patterns. The drops, too, appear fugitive. The tactile quality of the piece, which further proclaims its existence, comes from Weik’s "affinity for thickness and texture." Art holds a special place in Weik’s world: "I know that it affects and moves me, that it has a life of its own, that it exists."

Andrea Cagnetti (Akelo) (Italian, b. 1967) YILDUN, 2001 Gold (2010.17) Anonymous Gift DHENEB, 2004 Gold and glass (2010.27) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Andrea Cagnetti is an Italian master goldsmith. Working under the artistic name Akelo, which refers to the ancient Greek river god Achelous, he creates one-of-a-kind pieces of gold jewelry and precious golden objects. Through his in-depth studies of ancient texts and ceaseless technical experimentation, Akelo recovered the ancient goldsmithing solutions. The past breathes again in his original works of art inspired by the Etruscan, Greek, and Roman past. He names each of his golden creations after a star.

One of the most notable features of Akelo’s jewelry is his mastery of the ancient art of granulation, which lends a delicate, sophisticated richness to the surface. Granulation is the technique of welding, in an imperceptible fashion, minuscule golden spheres onto a metal background. The tiny orbs appear to float on top of the gold ground without any visible trace of solder or alteration of the rotundity of the particles.

YILDUN is a pendant in the shape of a bulla (Latin: bubble). First used by the Etruscans as an element in jewelry, Roman nobility continued the use of the bulla as an amulet, perhaps containing a protective charm or perfume. While Akelo’s bullae do not contain apotropaic substances, they are hollow, like those of the past, curving outward to form a protective, shield-like form.

The necklace DHENEB combines smooth, gently lustered golden spheres and ones highly decorated with filigree petals and granulation. In between these appear ancient blue glass beads meant to recall the sky and the divine. Color, while a decorative and symbolic component, gives vitality to Akelo’s pieces. A sensuous and luxurious cordlike, multidirectional loop-in-loop golden chain links the beads together.

Jean-François Janinet (French, 1752–1814) After Jean-Guillaume Moitte (French, 1746–1810) La Mort de Lucrèce (The Death of Lucretia), 1795 Etching and engraving (2010.15) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

This Neo-classical print shows the legendary death of Lucretia. With the discovery and excavation of ancient tombs in Pompeii in the eighteenth century, the desire for artworks in a classicizing style with Greek and Roman subject matter came to the forefront.

According to the early Roman historian Livy (d. 17 CE), the virtuous woman Lucretia was raped by Sextus, the son of the tyrant Tarquin the Proud. After informing her father and husband, she took her own life. The incident and resulting revolution eventually lead to the establishment of the Roman Republic. In this print, Brutus stands at the center of the composition holding the knife taken from Lucretia’s dead body as he takes an oath to avenge the atrocities committed against Lucretia.

The delicate shading evidenced in the print is the result of painstaking work and a variety of tools used in the “crayon manner.” Looking more like an ink drawing with delicate washes for shading, this tale of virtue, honor, and the importance of family is a masterpiece of the exceptionally sophisticated printing techniques of the eighteenth century in France.

Adriaen Collaert (Flemish, 1550–1618) After Joos de Momper the Younger (Flemish, 1564–1635) December, 16th century From the series The Twelve Months of the Year Engraving (2008.11) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Part of a series of the twelve months of the year by Collaert, this print details the rural activities associated with the month of December in a Flemish town. The oversized figure of a man on the right holds things linked to the harvest including a knife, axe, and sheaf of wheat. Just behind him in the middle ground can be found several individuals involved in the slaughtering of pigs, while a man has just slit a pig’s throat and blood pours from the wound in the left foreground. The symbol Capricorn appears in the sky, relating the earthly rhythms of the months with the heavenly astrological cycle that also ruled the year and people’s activities.

Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746-1828) Por que'? (Why?), 1810-20 [1st edition printing, 1863] From the series The Disasters of War Etching, lavis, drypoint, burin, and burnisher on wove paper (2011.5) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

A Spanish painter, draughtsman, and printmaker, Goya worked for three generations of Spanish kings. In the second decade of the nineteenth century, the artist created a series of eighty-two prints in reaction to the Napoleonic occupation of Spain in 1808 and the subsequent Peninsular War (1808-1814) between France and the allied powers of Spain. The scenes of atrocity are to some extent based on eyewitness experience. This print captures a horrific moment of violence as soldiers slowly strangle a man to death. In this work and the others of the series, Goya compellingly tells the appalling truth of man’s inhumanity to man.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635) La Revanche de paysans (The Revenge of the Peasants), 1633 Etching (2005.2) Museum Purchase

The Revenge of the Peasants is one of eighteen prints in Jacques Callot’s The Miseries and Misfortunes of War series. Inspired by the Thirty Years War and Cardinal Richelieu’s invasion of Lorraine, France, Callot’s native region, the artist reveals the reality of contemporary warfare. His detailed prints depict the horrors, miseries, and devastation of combat suffered by soldiers and civilians alike. Prior to the publication of Callot’s series, most artists had focused solely on illustrating the spoils of war and the joy of conquest, or had portrayed war in allegorical terms.

The poem under The Revenge of the Peasants describes the event in verse:

After the soldiers have caused considerable destruction, finally the peasants, whom they have treated as enemies, await them in ambush in a secluded place, surprise them, kill them, and strip them of their shirts, thus avenging themselves on these unfortunate men for the loss of their property, due solely to them.

Leonard Baskin (American, 1922–2000) Man of Peace, 1952 Woodcut on Japan paper (2002.5) Gift of Harry B. Cohen, M.D.

Profoundly affected by World War II, during which he served in the U.S. Navy, many of Baskin’s monumental woodcuts feature subject matter that deals with war and death, and human triumph, weakness, and cruelty. He liked the “immediacy of purpose of prints that often is alien to the slower more contemplative medium of painting.” He saw his prints as following in the footsteps of other great artists who embraced the print medium to reveal social injustices and the horrors of armed conflict, like the “reactions to the disasters of war etched by Goya, the miseries of war engraved by Callot and Rouault, the cycle of war by Kollwitz, the lie of war by Picasso, and the lunatic brutality of war by Otto Dix.”

This print showing an emaciated figure standing behind barbed wire is a reflection on the victims of the Nazi concentration camps. The man holds a dead dove, which symbolizes the loss of peace. The print also appears to be a veiled jab at Picasso and his dove posters produced for the Communist Party’s World Peace Conference in 1949.

In the 1950s Baskin helped to pioneer large-scale prints. Rather than binding together several small blocks to print a large work, as had been done previously, Baskin created large-scale, monumental woodcuts from a single block of wood. 44

Christian Rohlfs (German, 1849-1938) Expulsion from Paradise, ca. 1915-16 Woodcut (2011.7) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

In addition to his work as a painter, Christian Rohlfs became interested in the medium of woodcuts during the 1900s. In response to World War I he produced a series of images with Biblical themes, which were symbolic of his mourning and despair, as well as his hope. The harsh and expressive strokes used to depict the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in this woodcut reveal the artist’s recent adoption of the German Expressionist style.

Rather than using the woodcut to create endless copies of an image, Rohlfs used the woodblock to create variations on a theme. Thus, it is rare to find identical prints from the same block. This version is unusual in that the subject is printed in a bright blue ink. In 1937 Rohlfs was declared a degenerate artist by the Nazis and banned from painting and exhibiting.

Charles Meryon (French, 1821–1868) La Ministère de la Marine (The Admiralty), 1865 Etching (2002.1) Gift of the Delta Gamma Foundation and Mrs. Darlene Johnson

Charles Meryon developed an interest in art during the long sea voyages he took during his time in the French Navy between 1839 and 1848. After returning to Paris, Meryon intended to devote himself to painting. The artist turned to printmaking, however, when he discovered he was colorblind.

La Ministère de la Marine is one of Meryon's last prints. The refined drawing and strong chiaroscuro contrasts evident in the print are reminiscent of Piranesi. The Neo-classical building to the left was the administrative center for the French Navy, and still stands at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. To this typical architectural scene, Meryon added flying whales, horsemen, serpents, and other fantastic creatures. Part of the artist’s initial concept for the print, these creations may relate to hallucinations suffered by the artist. Meryon was committed to a mental hospital in 1866, where he died in 1868.

Master F.G. (French, active sixteenth century) After Francesco Primaticcio (Italian, 1504–1570) Hector Carried before the Walls of Troy, ca. 1540s Engraving (2006.6) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

This print reproduces a painting by Francesco Primaticcio, one of the leading Italian Mannerists of the sixteenth century. Primaticcio was court artist to the French kings Francis I and Henry II at the famed palace of Fontainebleau outside Paris.

Hector Carried before the Walls of Troy depicts a scene from Homer’s Iliad. After Achilles defeated Hector in battle, he dragged Hector’s dead body around the walls of Troy. Priam, Hector’s father and the King of Troy, convinced Achilles to return his son’s body for proper burial. Moved by the father’s grief, Achilles returned the body of Hector, which can be seen carried before the walls of Troy in this engraving.

Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528) Crucifixion, 1516 [later printing, 1524] Woodcut on laid paper (2002.16) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

An extraordinarily talented German Renaissance painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and theoretician, Dürer had the greatest artistic impact on the medium of prints. He revolutionized printmaking, elevating it to an independent art form, expanding the tonal and emotional range as he explored new conceptual avenues.

By using hatching in varying degrees of density and by altering their direction, Dürer raised the art of the woodcut to a new level of sophistication. This print of the Crucifixion depicts Christ on the cross, flanked by the figures of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist. God the Father, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove with its wings outspread, and Christ on the cross form the Trinity. The decorated border, with its grapevines recalling the Eucharistic wine and blood of Christ and with its angels holding the instruments of the Passion, resembles the borders found in fifteenth and sixteenth- century manuscripts. Dürer’s famous monogram can be found hidden within the wood-grain pattern at the foot of the cross.

Dale Chihuly (American, b.1941) Radiant Persian Pair, 2003, Parrot Green Persian, 2001, Tango Red Persian, 2004, Cadmium Yellow Persian, 2003 Glass (2009.649-652) Gift of Mr. Mark Landrum Following his studies at a variety of institutions, including the Rhode Island School of Design, Chihuly went to work at the Venini glass factory in Murano, Italy. There he learned the team approach to blowing glass, which is fundamental to the way he works. Chihuly has been central to the development of glass as a fine art form.

These pieces come from the artist’s Persian series, which emerged in 1986. These objects, with their gently fluted edges, sensuously shaped forms, and waves of opulent, jewel-like colors, evoke the exoticism of the Persian, Byzantine Greek, and Islamic cultures. While Chihuly’s art decidedly belongs to the present, the artist maintains a profound connection with the past, as seen in these vibrant glass forms.

Tracy Montminy (American, 1911–1992) Captive Prometheus Oil on canvas backed by wood panel (2011.280) Transferred from Missouri Student Unions, Student & Auxiliary Services, MU

Tracy Montminy was born Mary Elizabeth Tracy in Boston, MA. She graduated from Radcliffe College with a Fine Arts degree in 1933 and studied at the Art Students League in New York from 1934-35. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Painting in 1940 and went on to teach at Stephens College and the University of Missouri.

Montminy painted in the Abstract Expressionist style and often explored Greek gods and myths in her work. She was strongly influenced by Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, and Diego Rivera, and aspects of Cubism and Surrealism can be found throughout her work as well.

This painting depicts Prometheus, the crafty Titan god, who was punished by Zeus for stealing fire from the gods and delivering it to mankind. Prometheus was chained to a rock on Mount Caucasus where his liver was eaten daily by an eagle. Because he was immortal, his liver regenerated nightly. Generations later, the Greek hero Herakles slayed the eagle and set Prometheus free. According to Montminy: “The forms of the tree suggest human forms.” This semblance is clearly seen in this unusual representation of Prometheus.

Dante Marioni (American, b.1964) Chartreuse and Orange Pair, 1998 Glass (2009.662.1 and 2) Gift of Mr. Mark Landrum

Dante Marioni combines past and present in inventive ways with traditional Venetian glassblowing and decorating techniques. The vessel on the left is in the shape of a becco di oca (Italian: goose beak) pitcher, a popular Italian form, which has ancient origins. The footed cup derives from the shape of the ancient Greek kylix (Greek: cup), a two- handled ceramic drinking vessel. Using comic book colors, exceptionally elongated proportions, and heroically scaled, classical shapes, Marioni creates contemporary glass vessels that pay homage to the traditions of both Italian glass and Italian history.

Rufino Tamayo (Mexican, 1899–1991) Watermelons II, 1969 Color lithograph (2009.2) Gift of Perry Parrigin in memory of his wife Elizabeth

Unlike his contemporaries, such as Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, Tamayo eschewed political issues in favor of a pictorial and aesthetic approach to art. In Watermelons II, we simply see slices of watermelon, a reoccurring theme in his art. Watermelons held a personal significance for Tamayo, who as a youth helped his aunt sell fruit in the open-air markets of Mexico City. Influenced by Cubism, Tamayo fused an exploration of sparse geometric forms with local subject matter.

Paul Russo (American, b. 1954) Hector, 2008 Latex caulk, coal, and acrylic paint on canvas (2009.14) Gift of the Artist

Paul Russo describes himself as an artist who “creates black non- representational reliefs and mixed media pieces. Within a strict limitation, I find endless creative possibilities.” In Hector, he uses coal in a startlingly unusual way to create an abstract work of art. Formed by the decomposition of vegetable matter in an airless environment with the influence of moisture as well as increased pressure and temperature, coal is widely used as a fuel. Here, the pieces of coal create a rich texture that glistens like a mosaic thanks to the shiny, scaly black pieces of varying shapes and sizes.

Russo was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1954 and studied art at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1973–1976. His works have been acquired by various museums throughout the world, and as an active artist with a growing reputation, his work continues to gain recognition.

Adja Yunkers (American, b. Latvia, 1900–1983) The Gathering of the Clans, 1952 Colored woodcut (2011.294) Gift of Katharine C. Hunvald

Born in Latvia and brought up in St. Petersburg, Russia, Yunkers traveled throughout Europe before settling in the United States in 1947. During the 1950s, he was at the forefront of the American woodcut. Known for his painterly approach to printmaking, he often added actual brushwork to his prints.

For this woodcut, Yunkers utilized several blocks and colored inks. The subject draws upon his experience in the American Southwest. Evoking an American Indian petroglyph, the print with its stark white and black lines reveals an aboriginal vitalism.

Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886–1957) Frutas des Campos (Fruits of Labor), 1932 Lithograph (2006.15) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

The Mexican painter Diego Rivera was one of the most important figures of the Mexican mural movement. A self-proclaimed populist with socialist ideals, he used his highly personal and realistic style inspired by Renaissance frescoes to exalt Mexican culture.

Rivera believed that the agrarian worker was the foundation of his country’s economy and culture. Here, in Frutas des Campos, he expresses this belief in a straightforward yet profound way. The print depicts children receiving a school lesson in the fields during apple-picking season. At the center, a female farm worker hands out apples, a traditional symbol of knowledge, from her overflowing apron, symbolic of fertility. The growth of the nation’s economy rests on the common laborer and the farmer, not the capitalist elite. The children will grow and become the true fruit of the county, working the land and expanding the Mexican national heritage. By depicting children from differing ethnic regions, Rivera symbolically creates a national identity that all Mexicans can embrace.

Byron L. Smith (American, b. 1960) Martin Luther King Jr. 1929- 1968, 1989 Serigraph (2005.32) Gift of the artist in memory of his grandmother, Laura Garcia Davis

Born in Columbia, Missouri, Byron Smith began painting at the age of eight and studied art at the University of Missouri. In order to produce this image, he made a number of thumbnail sketches based on an original photograph of the great civil rights activist. Smith considers himself a draftsman and wanted to create his own unique portrait of King, rather than copy someone else’s image.

Smith used vibrant and cool colors to show King as a forceful and strong individual. The brilliant yellow and red stippled background (created with the use of sponge on the screen) energizes the static figure with its warm colors, pushing the face forward. The artist considers this print a “quiet moment of celebration” and an homage to the monumental character of Martin Luther King Jr.

Cindy Sherman (American, b. 1954) Untitled, 1988/94 C-print photograph (2002.3) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

In the 1970s, Cindy Sherman began photographing herself in various contexts to call attention to the ways women have been objectified in Western culture. In this instance, Sherman used artificial hands. These hands rest on a table crowded with glasses and ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts. The tapered fingers, jewelry, and nail polish are all gender “signs” that encourage viewers to interpret these hands as feminine. We also see a bikini-clad body and a baby in the background, as well as lipstick stains on many cigarette butts, all of which link the hands to the “feminine” realm. Viewers are reminded of the artificiality of such gender-specific signs when they consider that the body parts depicted in the photograph belong to lifeless and genderless mannequins.

George Grosz (German, 1893–1959) In Meinen Gebiet Soll's Soweit Kommen… (Under my rule, it shall come to pass…), 1920/21 Plate 2 in the portfolio Die Räuber (The Robbers) Lithograph (2006.16) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

George Grosz is known for his caustic caricatures and vitriolic social criticism. With his highly expressive use of line, he attacked militarism, war profiteering, social decadence, and Nazism.

This print comes from a series illustrating the late eighteenth- century play Die Räuber by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805). The play critiques the economic inequities of German society. Grosz's title begins Act II, Scene II, and translates: "Under my rule it shall be brought to pass that potatoes and small-beer shall be a holiday treat, and woe to him who meets my eye with the audacious front of health. Haggard want and crouching fear are my insignia and in this livery will I clothe ye.”

Grosz’s print shows three greedy profiteers sitting around a table delighting in their piles of money while impoverished city dwellers aimlessly wander the streets behind them. The tiny swastika visible on the necktie of the right foreground figure links these racketeers to the Nazis’ increasing power in Germany.

Clare Leighton (American, b. England 1898–1989) New York Breadline, 1932 Wood engraving (2009.124) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Born in London, England, Clare Leighton immigrated to the United States in 1939. She specialized in the medium of wood engraving, developing a dramatic style based on heavy contrasts.

The Great Depression was a worldwide economic depression that began in 1929 and lasted throughout the 1930s. In New York Breadline, Leighton captures the grimness of depression-era Manhattan. People stand in endless, repetitive rows for food, dehumanized and dwarfed by the massive architecture. While focusing on the plight of the unemployed during the Great Depression, this print also considers the contrast between the anonymous poor and prosperous metropolis in the distance, the effects of mechanization, and the reality of social and economic inequality, issues which still resonate today.

Lizbeth Mitty (American, b. 1952) September 12 III, 2001 Oil on canvas (2002.2) Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund

Lizbeth Mitty lives and works in New York City. Her studio is near "ground zero," the former site of the towers of the World Trade Center. Using expressionist brush strokes, the artist recorded her impressions of the devastation caused by the destruction of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Dust-filled air mixes with steam and smoke, shrouding the skeletal remains of the towers. The odd and eerie coloring of the painting is the artist’s interpretation of the floodlights that were set up to illuminate the site.

Robert F. Bussabarger (American, b.1922) Centaur, ca. 1980s Ceramic (2011.20) Gift of the artist and his wife

A ceramic sculptor, potter, and painter, Bussabarger is a Professor Emeritus of Art at the University of Missouri in Columbia. During his long career, he has been the recipient of many awards for both his artistic work and for his research. In his art, he takes elements from his worldly and historical explorations and mixes them with the everyday and unconventional side of art and life. In this instance, Bussabarger chose the ancient Greek centaur as his subject. To build this part human and part horse sculpture, Bussabarger utilized both wheelmade and handmade elements. With his hands on his hips, this thoroughly modern centaur greets the viewer, having conquered his untamed nature.

Jennifer McCurdy (American, b. 1955) Wave Vessel, 2007 Porcelain (2008.174) Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur F. Furman

Jennifer McCurdy is a process-oriented artist, who has been a potter since the age of sixteen. She works primarily in porcelain due to its smoothness and starkness, which she correlates to bleached bones or white beach rocks. McCurdy concentrates on throwing the most dynamic and perfect shape each time she sits at her wheel, and she carves the patterns to add energy and counterpoint. Like her other works, Wave Vessel was hand thrown on a wheel and then altered and carved by the artist when the porcelain was leather hard. She then fires her piece to cone 10. Inspired by nature’s cycles, she produces graceful, flowing forms and intricately pierced designs.

Modern and Contemporary Gallery

Shrine with Seated Guanyinz China, late Ming or early Qing dynasty, 17th century Gilt and painted wood (2011.297 a and b) Gift of Katharine C. Hunvald

Guanyin, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, sits within a shrine and makes the gesture of intellectual discourse with his right hand. His crown, resplendent robes, and rich jewelry give him a radiant presence and attest to the supremacy of the Truth he espouses. Scraps of fabric, perhaps treasured relics, were once inserted into a cavity inside the figure and imparted a magical force.

Seated Buddha Thailand, 16th – 17th century Bronze with traces of gilding 2008.181 Gift of William A. Scott

With his right hand the Buddha reaches down to touch the ground in the gesture known as “Calling the Earth to Witness”, the defining moment when he attained supreme enlightenment. His downcast eyes evidence his spiritual detachment from worldly affairs. The flame-like peak atop the cranial protuberance on his head symbolizes his profound intellect and wisdom.

Seated Bodhisattva Korea, perhaps late Goryeo or early Joseon dynasty, Late 13th to 15th century Bronze (2008.175) Gift of William A. Scott

The richly-bedecked figure sits in a meditative cross-legged pose atop a lotus blossom that in turn rests on a throne. He makes teaching gestures with his hands. Lotus buds (the one on the proper right now broken away) rise up at either side, symbolizing purity. Bodhisattvas are perfected spiritual beings who help humans achieve the ultimate of goal of reaching nirvana.

Conch Shell with Tripod Stand Cambodia, Angkor period, Late 12th to Early 13th century Bronze (2007.44 a and b) Gift of Natasha Eilenberg in memory of Samuel Eilenberg

Replicating a conch shell but with a section cut away to form a spout, this vessel served ritual anointing purposes, such as the pouring out of holy water to bless newly-married couples. On the two preserved legs of the stand are heads of stylized aquatic creatures that are considered auspicious. The figure dancing on the front of the shell may be that of the Buddhist protector deity Hevajra, though that being is usually depicted with multiple arms.

Vajravarahi Tibet, 18th century Bronze (2008.183) Gift of William A. Scott

This Buddhist goddess serves as an intermediary and helps seekers attain redemption and achieve insight into secret Tantric writings. When her main task is to reveal and chase away demonic forces she appears in her terrible form called a dakini. Her action pose signifies her intense energy. She is shown naked but wears skull-adorned jewelry, carries a skull-cup and flaying knife, and holds a magical staff adorned with human skulls.

Vajrapani Tibet, 17th century Bronze with traces of gilding and enamel 2008.176 Gift of William A. Scott

Vajrapani is a celestial bodhisattva representing the concentrated power of all Buddhas. A powerful protector and remover of obstacles, he is most frequently depicted in his wrathful form. He fights a spiritual battle against the forces of ignorance, desire, and the cycles of rebirth. He has flaming hair, holds a thunderbolt (vajra), and wears a garland of skulls and a wreath of snakes.

Standing Bodhisattva Tibet, late 17th to 18th century Gilt bronze with traces of paint (2008.190) Gift of William A. Scott

The figure is elegantly dressed in rich garments, wears an elaborate headdress, and stands on a lotus pedestal. Floral sprays rise up from his upper arms. With both hands he makes the gesture of intellectual discourse and references dharma or Buddhist doctrine (the Wheel of the Law). The craftsman who made this statuette was a master of the lost-wax casting technique, as evidenced by the figure’s delicate modeling and exquisite detailing.

Seated Transcendental Buddha Tibet, Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign, 1770 Gilt bronze with traces of paint (2008.180) Gift of William A. Scott

This Buddha is likely either Amitayus or Amitabha but since the item he once held in his hands is now missing (either a begging bowl or a vase containing the nectar of immortality) it’s hard to know which he is. An aureole, a type of halo, once surrounded the figure and would have added to his magnificence. The Chinese inscription on the base dates the sculpture to the reign on the emperor Qianlong, a time when China’s empire included Tibet.

Dharmapala Astride a Lion Tibet, 18th century Gilt bronze with traces of paint (2008.178) Gift of William A. Scott

Dharmapalas are fierce defenders of Buddhist doctrine (dharma). They are viewed as wrathful manifestations of bodhisattvas. The figure rides a lion and with his hands makes the gesture of expelling demons. His glaring eyes, including a third eye on his forehead, are wide open in all-seeing alertness. The sculpture is gilded, the usual tradition in Tibet, a practice believed to enhance the figurine’s magical effectiveness.

Transcendental Buddha, Amitayus Tibet, Late 18th century Gilt and painted bronze (2008.188) Gift of William A. Scott

Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, is seated on a double lotus pedestal and holds a vessel containing the nectar of immortality. His thumbs and fingers touch to form a circle, signifying the Wheel of the Law or Buddhist doctrine. He wears a multi-tiered flaming crown and is bedecked in finery. The overall gilding of the statuette heightens the figure’s radiance, and traces of paint are preserved on his hair and lips.

Copador Style Bowl with Glyphs El Salvador, Maya, Late Classic, ca. 600-900 CE Pottery (2009.193) Gift of William A. Scott

Ceramics of this sort are believed to have been made in El Salvador, not far from Copan, an important Maya site in the neighboring country of Honduras. The glyphs are actually pseudo-glyphs in that they make no sense. Scholars have yet to determine who the figures are, though they have been described as “swimmers.” It has been suggested they might represent the Hero Twins of the Maya Popol Vuh, though this is by no means certain.

Polychromed Tripod Vessel with Rattle Feet Mexico, Oaxaca Mixtec, Late Post-Classic Period, ca. 1200-1520 CE Pottery (2009.180) Gift of William A. Scott

The Mixtecs are known for their attractive polychrome vessels. A wide range of slip-painted designs were employed including geometric motifs, spirals and the stepped fret pattern as shown on this example. Pellets incorporated into the feet function as rattles when the vessel is shaken. Such items were intended for use by the elite and were traded widely.

Vessel in the Form of a Seated Captive Warrior Peru, North coast, Moche, ca. 200-500 CE Pottery (2009.201) Gift of William A. Scott

Using molds, the Moche made effigy vessels in many shapes. Through the wide variety of subjects depicted in these vases we can gain glimpses into the world of the Moche. This example shows a captured warrior with his hands tied behind his back and a rope around his neck. The Moche conducted wars with neighboring peoples in order to obtain prisoners for use in sacrificial rituals. This very unhappy fellow’s fate seems assured.

Double Spout-and-Bridge Vessel with Animal Motif Peru, Nazca, ca. 200-500 CE Pottery (2009.202) Gift of William A. Scott

The Nazca culture that flourished along the dry southern coast of Peru is especially known for the vast network of “lines” that are drawn onto the desert floor of the valley where it was centered. It is also known for its colorful slip- painted pottery. Vessels shaped like this one, with its two spouts connected by a bridge handle, were common. The species of the animals here depicted is not certain, though they may be felines; note their claws and spotted pelts.

Tripod Vase with Incised Decoration Mexico, Teotihuacan, Classic Period, ca. 300-900 CE Pottery (2009.165) Gift of William A. Scott

Teotihuacan, situated about 30 miles northeast of modern Mexico City, was the largest city anywhere in Pre- Columbian America. In the middle of the first millennium CE its population peaked perhaps as high as 200,000 individuals. Tripod bowls like this one were a favored shape. It has quite thin walls and the feet were made in molds and attached before firing. The encircling incised decoration is probably related to designs developed by the earlier Olmec civilization. It seems to show what is termed the “jaguar- dragon” or “jaguar paw” motif.

Rattle/Whistle in the Form of a Standing Figure Wearing a Bird Headdress Perhaps Mexico, Yucatan region Maya, Late Classic, ca. 600-900 CE Terracotta (2009.195) Gift of William A. Scott

This hollow male figure may represent a priest or warrior, but he is definitely someone of high importance. He wears a huge headdress with owl-like features. The object can be used as both a rattle and a whistle—pellets inside rattle when the object is shaken, and when the whistle is blown a haunting sound reminiscent of an owl’s call comes forth.

Standing Figure Mexico, Teotihuacan Teotihuacán III, ca. 300-600 CE Terracotta (2009.149) Gift of William A. Scott

Terracotta figurines are abundant at Teotihuacan, the largest city in Pre- Columbian Mexico. The heads were made in molds while the bodies were fashioned by hand. Some scholars have suggested figures like this one depict dancers, but one researcher has proposed they are warriors and once held spears made of perishable materials. Indeed they might also have worn clothing too.

Standing Female Mexico, Colima, Late Pre-Classic Period, ca. 400 BCE-300 CE Terracotta (2009.226) Gift of William A. Scott

Thousands of small figurines such as this one have been found in the west Mexican state of Colima. Made by hand and not molded, no two are exactly alike, though they do share certain commonalities. Their exact function, whether funerary, ritualistic or for use in daily life, is unclear. Most figures do not readily stand up by themselves so they must have been intended to lie flat or be held in the hand.

Standing Figure with Smiling Face Mexico, Veracruz, Late Classic period, ca. 600-900 CE Terracotta (2009.188) Gift of William A. Scott

Moldmade smiling figures from the Veracruz region along Mexico’s Gulf coast are abundant, probably coming from tombs. Some investigators have suggested such figures represent persons in states of ecstatic transformation or perhaps drug- induced trances; however, it is more likely they represent performers. Small holes in the figure’s back and openings in his mouth and headdress helped vent gasses during the firing process. The scale of this figure and the details of his clothing, jewelry, and headgear, make him quite impressive.

Crouching Male Figure Holding a Pot Mexico, Aztec, Late Post-Classic Period, ca. 1200-1520 CE Terracotta (2009.223) Gift of William A. Scott

The powerful Aztecs of central Mexico had an elaborate pantheon consisting of many deities. This figure, who wears a headdress, earspools, and a chest ornament, may represent the Old Fire God, Huehueteotl. The petalled chest ornament and the presence of just two teeth are among his indicators. Primarily a household deity associated with the hearth, the god’s images usually turn up in residential quarters rather than in temple precincts.

Seated Figure Mexico, found at Tlapacoya Middle Pre-Classic Period, ca. 1000-400 BCE Terracotta (2009.141) Gift of William A. Scott

Figural Group of a Mother with Child and Dog Mexico, found at Tlatilco Middle Pre-Classic Period, ca. 1000-400 BCE) Terracotta (2009.133) Gift of William A. Scott

These two figurines come from two early, culturally-related villages situated on opposite sides of the large but shallow (and now almost completely dried-up) lake complex in the Valley of Mexico – where modern Mexico City is now located. Such figurines are handmade, one-of-a- kind creations, but certain characteristics are often present. They usually have simple stylized forms with incised and punctuate details. The scale is always quite small. With their intimacy and simplicity such figurines appeal to modern viewers, but the role they played in ancient times is obscure.

The Goddess Chalchiuhtlicue Mexico, Central Highlands Aztec, Late Post-Classic, ca. 1200-1520 CE Ceramic (2009.171) Gift of William A. Scott

The name of this beloved Aztec goddess translates as “She Who Wears a Jade Skirt.” She was associated with water, and was revered as patroness of childbirth. Her distinctive hair arrangement usually has large side extensions and tassels; in this example she also has a plume atop her head. She usually wears a necklace of jade beads. In many of her depictions she kneels, but here she is standing.

Urn in the Form of a Figure with Elaborate Headdress Mexico, Oaxaca, Monte Alban Zapotec, (Monte Alban III, ca. 300-750 CE) Terracotta with traces of pigment (2009.200) Gift of William A. Scott

Mass produced urns in the form of figures with elaborate headdresses have been unearthed by the hundreds in tombs from the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Some have been found with burnt animal and plant materials inside, likely offerings to the dead. Urns may depict gods, but more recent scholarship tends to support the idea that the figures, even though they sometimes wear grotesque masks, represent venerated human ancestors of the main individuals buried in the tombs.

Model Temple of the Wind God Ehecatl Mexico, Central Highlands, found in the Valley of Mexico Aztec, Late Post-Classic period, ca. 1200-1520 CE Terracotta (2009.175) Gift of William A. Scott

The model shows a typical Aztec temple with a sanctuary structure situated atop a pyramid and surmounted by a tall roof comb. A steep flight of stairs runs up the front. A small figure of the god himself sits beside the doorway of the building. A temple to this deity was known to have existed in the heart of the Aztec capital, which today is overlain by modern Mexico City.

Standing Figure Wearing a Headdress Peru, Chancay, ca. 1100-1450 CE Ceramic (2009.225) Gift of William A. Scott

The Chancay culture flourished along Peru’s central coast from about 1100 until it was absorbed into the powerful Inca state that began its rapid expansion in the 15th century. Pottery vessels, textiles, and moldmade figurines such as this one have been found in abundance in burials from the area. The colored details on the figurine are the result of liquid clay slips with differing mineral properties that were painted onto the object before it was fired.

Effigy vessel Northern Peru, (Ayabaca area?) Chimu culture, ca. 1100-1450 Ceramic (2010.35) Anonymous gift

The Chimu flourished before the time of the Incas along the north coast of Peru. Much of Chimu pottery is characterized by a shiny black burnished surface; and oftentimes small raised bumps fill blank areas. This mold-made vessel with its rayed face probably once had a taller spout that was later broken off. It is unclear who might be represented by the effigy, though it might well be a deity.

Standing Figure Mexico, Guerrero Mezcala/Chontal culture, Late Pre-Classic Period, ca. 400 BCE-300 CE Stone (2009.146) Gift of William A. Scott

Many stone figures, laboriously ground without the use of metal tools, have been found in Guerrero in southwestern Mexico. The bodies and facial features are always stylized; arms are often bent with the hands positioned on the chest or belly. Hard gray and green stones were the artisans’ stones of choice. This piece is a particularly fine example.

Figure with Elaborate Headdress Mexico, found at Xico Toltec culture, Early Post-Classic Period, ca. 900-1200 CE Ceramic (2009.159) Gift of William A. Scott

The Toltecs once dominated an area north of Mexico City. The craftsmanship of Toltec artisans was particularly noted by the later Aztecs. Figures such as this were made by pressing wet clay into molds, adding clay slips for colored details, and then firing. The figure wears a cape and belted loincloth, ear spools and necklace, and an arched headdress with plumes at the top.

Rattle in the Shape of a Standing Woman Perhaps Mexico, Yucatan region Maya, Late Classic, ca. 600-900 CE Terracotta (2009.191) Gift of William A. Scott

The Maya occupied regions of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and areas of the neighboring countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. This hollow moldmade rattle has the shape of woman wearing an elaborate costume, the details of which are carefully rendered. Traces of blue pigment, frequently found on such figures, is still present on this example.

Vessel in the Form of a Dog Mexico, Colima, Late Pre-Classic Period, ca. 400 BCE-300 CE Ceramic (2009.205) Gift of William A. Scott

Dogs are the most common animal form found in the ceramic art of ancient Colima, a state in western Mexico. There, numbers of them have been found in large shaft tombs. In life, hairless domesticated dogs were fattened for use as food. In human graves, it is conjectured that dogs in the form of effigy vessels magically served as guides for deceased souls in the afterlife.

Standing Warrior or Shaman Holding a Staff Mexico, Colima, Pre-Classic Period, ca. 1500 BCE-300 CE Ceramic (2009.204) Gift of William A. Scott

Shapes in orange-red fabric characterize the ceramic production of the state of Colima in western Mexico during Pre- Classic times. While this hollow figure has a spout at the back of his head it is doubtful the piece functioned as a vessel but rather was probably an effigy intended to guard a tomb. He wears shorts with flaps at the back, a conch shell necklace, ear spools, and what may be a horned helmet. His raised right hand seems to be clenched in a fist. His leans forward on his staff and turns his head thus imparting a sense of movement.