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Category Archives: Division Page: EXPLORE

The Collection

The Old Master Painting Collection

The Museum & Gallery’s Old Master painting collection provides a rare viewer experience outside European cities and metropolitan areas with beautiful masterworks by recognized artists and their students—all of which are aesthetically exhibited with period furniture, sculpture, and tapestries to lend a period ambiance to the galleries and give patrons a panoramic view of ages past.  Of special note, M&G’s baroque paintings represent some of the most important artists and their works in the country.

The Collection is one of the largest and most interesting collections of European Old Master paintings in America. These works of art from the 14th through the 19th centuries beautifully trace the religious, artistic, and cultural history of Western Europe. Included are important works of many major artists such as Vannuccio, Botticelli, Cranach, Gerard David, Rubens, van Dyck, Reni, Domenichino, Guercino, Murillo, Ribera, Honthorst, and Doré. For a glimpse, view this virtual tour.

Patrons can also enjoy M&G’s Bowen Collection of Antiquities with artifacts that span 37 centuries and represent every day life from ancient Egyptian, Roman, and Hebrew cultures; and the Benjamin West Collection, a series of paintings housed in the War Memorial Chapel.

M&G’s Russian Icon Collection, which dates from the 14th through 20th centuries and includes several icons once owned by members of the Romanov family, the last tsars of Russia.

While not all of the collections are available online, we continue to add more monthly. You can see some of the individual works and objects through articles, short video clips, and audio stops. OR view the variety of Collection objects currently available online here.

Scavenger Hunts

Enjoy the following seasonal Scavenger Hunts to develop and exercise your observational skills! Each option references masterworks selected from M&G’s Collection.

Observers of all ages will not only discover exciting details in each painting or object, but also make connections between art and history.

View online OR print and study up close. As always, there is an Answer Key to check your finds!

Click HERE for a Digital Easter option.

 

Click HERE for a Digital Christmas option.

 

OR make plans for:

M&G Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Begins here: Welcome Center, campus of Bob Jones University

Dates Available:

  • November 28 through Noon, December 15 (Mon-Fri 10AM-6PM; Sat. 11AM-4PM)
  • There are special extended hours to 9PM on Friday, December 1.

In search of a family-fun outing? For kids K5-8th grade, this adventure leads your young explorers in pursuit of the Christmas story in art all around the campus! Every child who completes the hunt, gets a prize! The search begins (and ends) at the Welcome Center, where you can pick up your guide, clipboard, and pencil. 

Estimated time to complete: 40 minutes

Collection on View

View Works from the Museum & Gallery Collection

While the Museum & Gallery is closed to the public and unable to offer public viewing hours, we continue removing the collection in preparation for moving to a new building and new location. Meanwhile, you can still see selected paintings and objects on display in these campus locations:

 

Gustafson Fine Arts Center: Atrium

Public Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM-5 PM or by tour request

Luther’s Journey: Experience the History is a focus exhibition featuring paintings from M&G’s internationally respected Old Master collection.  Take a closer look at the man, Martin Luther, by understanding more about his life’s circumstances during the Renaissance (1500s)—a plague circling Europe, the scarcity and inaccessibility of books, the normalcy of illiteracy, and the exacting authority of church and state. Luther’s life journey reminds us that ordinary people can be used by God to inspire extraordinary and enduring change.

 

War Memorial Chapel

Open only by appointment or tour request

The Benjamin West Collection
The seven, monumental paintings that hang in the War Memorial Chapel constitute the largest assemblage today of works by Benjamin West, the father of American painting.

 

Mack Library

Public Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 AM-5 PM

View several Medieval and Renaissance objects from M&G’s collection, including a 16th-century Antiphonary, a 15th-century keepsake box made of bone, and more!

ArtBreak: Past Series

 

ArtBreak 2021-2022: Celebrating the Landmarks

From providential start to creative adaptations to surprising future plans, M&G’s 70-year existence reveals a consistent focus and mission rooted in our history. Gain further insight to an internationally respected collection from a variety of speakers to understand the M&G of tomorrow—a museum intentionally designed to serve students of all ages and enrich the whole person—mind, heart, and soul.

We hosted six speakers, but were only able to record and transfer four into video from the series. Click on the banner above to view the series.

 

 

ArtBreak 2020-2021: An M&G Podcast Series

During Covid19 isolation, M&G adapted our monthly ArtBreak to a different format—a podcast to enjoy on any personal break!  Like our normal in-person lunch and lecture construct, you’ll hear various M&G staff members and guests for each, roughly 35-minute program—in the comfort and safety of your own surroundings. Click on the banner above to listen to the diverse voices and perspectives toward various art topics.

M&G Objects on Loan

Every year M&G loans works from its collection to participate in various exhibitions around the world. Peruse the list below and consider visiting the exhibitions to learn more about the world of Old Masters and the museum field. Plus, you can view portions of M&G’s collection on campus here.

 

Madonna of the Lake Marco d’Oggiono

North Carolina Museum of Art

October 8, 2022 – August 1, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Michael the Archangel Overcoming SatanJosé Antolínez

The Heavenly ShepherdBartolomé Esteban Murillo

The Martyrdom of St. AndrewBartolomé Esteban Murillo

Ecce HomoPedro Orrente

St. Catherine of Alexandria Appearing to the Family of St. BonaventuraFrancisco de Herrera, the Elder

The AnnunciationFrancisco de Zurbarán

Power & Piety in 17th Century Spanish Art

Georgia Museum of Art

Available until February 11, 2024

 

 

 

Various M&G antiquities: including Roman glass, Jewish marriage contract, and Babylonian cuneiform cylinders.

Museum of the Bible (Washington, DC)

 

 

Watch This!

Through the years, M&G has developed topical videos to support the educational themes of our diverse exhibitions and outreaches.  Enjoy learning about the people of the past through these varied glimpses.

Henry Cole: The Origin of Christmas Cards
Joseph: The Favored Son
Moses: The Hope of Israel
The High Renaissance: Raphael
The High Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci
The High Renaissance: Michelangelo
The Brownings: Part 1
The Brownings: Part 2
Why Do We Create?
Why Do We Collect?
Sharing Art-Related Memories
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Gentlemen
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Conan Doyle & Henry Irving
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Women
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Caroline Norton & Angela Burdett-Coutts
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Florence Nightingale
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Darwin & Intelligent Design
The Charleston Silver Lady
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Theatre of the Mind
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Inspiring Character
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Lightbearers
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: Charles Dickens Social Realism Novels
The Continuing Victorian Narrative: A Christmas Carol
Frederic James Shields: The Pre-Raphaelites
Symbols in Religious Art: The Four Apostles
Symbols in Religious Art: Prominent Bible Characters
Symbols in Religious Art: Attributes of the Martyrs
Symbols in Religious Art: Earthly Saints and Heavenly Spirits
Symbols in Religious Art: Representations of Deity
The Life of Martin Luther
The Art of Sleuthing: Conservation
Ten Most Forged Artists
Han van Meegeren: Part 1
Han van Meegeren: Part 2
Han van Meegeren: Part 3
Lost Art: The Cassirer Family
Lost Art: The Bendel Family
Lost Art: The Bloch-Bauer Family
Landmark Case of Nazi-Looted Art: The Discovery
Landmark Case of Nazi-Looted Art: Authentication
Landmark Case of Nazi-Looted Art: Verdict
Mannerism: An Introduction
Mannerism: Characteristics
Mannerism: Conclusion
Baroque Art: Introduction
Baroque Art: Prominent Schools
Baroque Art: Stylistic Scope
Baroque Art: Conclusion

A Closer Look

Take a closer look at objects in the collection to discover fascinating details in the materials, narrative, or artists. Each clip will help you better understand the past as well as enjoy the objects in M&G’s collection.

Picture Books of the Past: Jacopo Robusti, called Il Tintoretto
Picture Books of the Past: Marietta Robusti
Picture Books of the Past: Unknown Dutch
Picture Books of the Past: Jusepe de Ribera, called Lo Spagnoletto
Picture Books of the Past: Lorenzo di Bicci
Picture Books of the Past: Mattia Preti
Picture Books of the Past: Bartolommeo Neroni
Picture Books of the Past: Gustave Doré
Christ before Pilate: Master of St. Severin
Picture Books of the Past: Master of Staffolo
Picture Books of the Past: Edwin Long
Picture Books of the Past: Pieter Fransz. de Grebber
Picture Books of the Past: Lorenzo di Niccolo di Martino
Picture Books of the Past: Unknown Follower of Paolo Caliari, called Paolo Veronese
Picture Books of the Past: Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra
Picture Books of the Past: Carlo Dolci
Allegory on the Fall and Redemption of Man: Lucas Cranach, the Younger
The Risen Christ: Gerard David
Madonna and Child with Saints: Niccolò di Pietro Gerini
Antonio Checchi (called Guidaccio da Imola): The Coronation of the Virgin
Jacopo Robusti (called Il Tintoretto): The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon
Rembrandt van Rijn (school of): Head of Christ
David de Haen: The Mocking of Christ
Jan Boeckhorst: Adoration of the Magi
Jan Victors: Esther Accusing Haman
Eyre Crowe: Wittenberg, October 31, 1517
Francesco Fracanzano: The Tribulation of Job
Giovanni Antonio Bazzi: Procession to Calvary
Domenico Fiasella: The Flight into Egypt
French Stained Glass: The Fountain of Life
Christ the Redeemer: Paris Bordone
Madonna and Child: Master of the Greenville Tondo
John the Baptist: Polychromed Sculpture
Gaspar de Crayer: St. Augustine & St. Ambrose
Edwin Long: Vashti Refuses the King’s Summons
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Inspiration
Govaert Flinck: Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
Simon Vouet: Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
Francesco Granacci: Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli (and studio): Madonna and Child with an Angel
Jusepe de Ribera: Ecce Homo
Gustave Doré: Christ Leaving the Praetorium
Girolamo Della Robbia: Terracotta Busts
Mattia Preti: Christ Seats the Child in the Midst of the Disciples
Peter Paul Rubens: Christ on the Cross
Cassone: Renaissance Marriage Chest
Francesco de Rosa: The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence
Guido Reni: The Four Evangelists
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History in Pictures

Art is a record of ideas and messages from the past by reflecting its own time and culture. Sometimes art’s culture is foreign to our own experiences and understanding today, which requires a translation in order for us to grasp the meaning of its intent and the significance in its time. Listen and learn about works of art and their context from M&G’s collection and others—it’s an opportunity to view the world beyond your twenty-first-century perspective and experience.

 

Antiphonary
M&G Beginnings
Carved Walnut Relief
Jacopo de Carolis
Rafael Govertsz. Camphuysen
Domenico Fiasella
St. Michael the Archangel Overcoming Satan
Holy Kinship
The Entry into Jerusalem
Giuseppe Bessi
Psuedo Pier Francesco Fiorentino
Pieter Bruegel, the Elder
Juan Sanchez, the Younger
Denys Calvaert, called Dionisio Fiammingo
Mario Balassi
Hebrew Demi Omer
Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Sébastien Bourdon
Giovanni Coli and Filippo Gherardi
Procession to Calvary
Torah Scroll
Gerrit van Honthorst
Scenes from the Life of Christ
St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker
1965 Gala Opening for M&G
Reliquary Head of a Monk
Ginevra Cantofoli
Michail Nicholaievich Molodeshin
Pompeo Batoni
William Hamilton, R.A.
Jan Gossaert, called Mabuse (attr. to)
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (school of)
Louis XVI Musical Mantel Clock
Peter Paul Rubens (follower of)
Jacopo Robusti, called Il Tintoretto
Two Angels with Banner
Domenico Zampieri, called Il Domenichino
Anthony van Dyck
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Benjamin West, P.R.A.
Carlo Francesco Nuvolone
Carlo Dolci
Peter Carl Fabergé
Vasiliy Fedotovich Il’in
Edwin Long, R. A.
Hezekiah Tapestry Series
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Object of the Month: December 2023

Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist

Polychrome terracotta

Italian, 17th century

The vast collection at the Museum & Gallery contains many hidden treasures that are sometimes overlooked. In my years working for the museum, I don’t remember coming across this piece. Or if I had, I did not give it too much thought as it was one of many pictorial examples of a common theme—the Madonna and Child with the infant St. John the Baptist. While this sculpture may not be one of the biggest or most recognizable, it is a reminder of humility.

The terracotta sculpture was made towards the beginning of the Italian Baroque. The dramatic movement, and attention to anatomical detail is very typical of Baroque art. Mary is portrayed as a graceful, ideal beauty; and the two infants, Jesus and St. John the Baptist, look like active children. Their leaning bodies and outstretched arms lead the viewer through the piece. In fact, this similar pose can be found in another work in the museum’s collection from the Italian Renaissance, Granacci’s Rest on the Flight into Egypt.

It also relates back to another famous visual interpretation of these three individuals—Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks. There are obvious similarities, such as Mary’s arm wrapped around an adoring St. John the Baptist and Jesus blessing his infant cousin. What may not be as noticeable at first glance is the setting. Of course, one is a painting, and one is a sculpture, but they both feature figures sitting on rocks. This iconography is referred to as the Madonna of Humility. In earlier art history and even during the Renaissance, Mary is sometimes shown as the Queen of Heaven, enthroned in gold beside Jesus. However, in contrast, da Vinci and this Italian sculptor position Mary seated on the ground, which is a possible reference to her resting during their flight to Egypt. By sitting on the ground or on rocks, Mary demonstrates her humility before her Savior.

The Bible records an example of Mary’s meekness before the Lord in Luke 1:46-55. It was after she had received the news that she would give birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Called her Magnificat, she begins by saying, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked with favor on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name…”

While not large or ostentatious, this 19-inch terracotta sculpture is as humble as its subject matter. During the holiday season, we celebrate Christ’s birth that was only made possible through the humility of a young woman and the ultimate humbling for the Savior of the world to become flesh and dwell among us.

 

KC Christmas Beach, M&G summer educator

 

Published 2023

M&G Coloring Pages

For students of ALL ages: click and print the coloring sheet, then find inspiration in the Old Master’s original to create your own version!  Share your work with others on social media and tag the Museum & Gallery!  

Esther Accusing Haman by Jan Victors, Dutch (1619–after 1676)

For a printable coloring sheet click HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Heavenly Shepherd by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Spanish (1617–1682)

For a printable coloring sheet click HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joseph Sold into Bondage by His Brethren by Giovanni Battista Carlone, Genoese (1603–1684)

For a printable coloring sheet click HERE. 

 

Rest on the Flight to Egypt by Francesco Granacci, Florentine (1469–1543)

For a printable coloring sheet click HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Madonna of the Chair by Unknown (copy of Raphael)

For a printable coloring sheet click HERE