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Benjamin West: The Progress of Revealed Religion

 

 

In 1963, the Museum & Gallery acquired seven canvases from Benjamin West’s large series, The Progress of Revealed Religion. Originally, King George III of England had commissioned West to paint this series for the king’s proposed private chapel, St. George’s, at Windsor Castle. However, because of the king’s illness and eventual madness, the chapel was never renovated, the entire series was never completed, and the paintings were never hung at Windsor. After West’s death, the completed part of the series was separated. Out of the thirteen known, extant works in the world from West’s series, seven of the paintings reside in the War Memorial Chapel on the campus of Bob Jones University.

If you’re interested in seeing the Benjamin West collection while M&G is closed, consider bringing a tour group. Learn more here.

 

 

 

These works from the series are represented in M&G’s Collection and on view:

The Ascension

St. Peter Preaching at Pentecost

Isaiah’s Lips Anointed with Fire

Christ Coming Up Out of the Jordan

Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh

Esau and Jacob Presented to Isaac

The Brazen Serpent

 

ArtBreak 2024-2025: Lunch & Lecture Program

 

ArtBreak: Meet the Collection

Hidden in storage and out on loan, M&G’s European Old Masters have been sorely missed during our preparation to move. Whether this is your first introduction to the collection or a reunion with old friends, come to hear from nationally recognized, engaging specialists from across the country as they introduce the richness and renown of the internationally respected Bob Jones Collection. It’s time for Greenville to meet… its Collection!

Presented by Glenn & Joyce Bridges with additional support provided by Hughes Investments

Dates: 3rd Tuesdays at Noon, during academic year

Location: The Davis Room, Dixon-McKenzie Dining Common on the campus of Bob Jones University

Parking: reserved spaces will be available in M&G’s parking lot.

Note: Aramark Catering will provide a Deli Bar with the following spread: sliced oven-roasted turkey, roasted beef, and ham, and tuna; a cheese and relish tray; a variety of baked breads and rolls, two green salads, chips, assorted cookies, and beverages.

Cost:

  • Member without lunch: FREE
  • Member with lunch: $17.00
  • Non-member without lunch: $6.00
  • Non-member with lunch:  $19.00

To Register, click on the dates below.

 

Fall Lectures:

October 15: Going for Baroque: Collecting 17th-Century Paintings in 20th-Century America

American collectors loom large in the revival of “Baroque pictures.” In the 17th century, artists like Guido Reni, Luca Giordano and Rembrandt were huge, international artistic sensations, but by the Victorian era critics like John Ruskin eviscerated their reputations. Specialist Richard P. Townsend will look at the extraordinary people who saw past these prejudices and made extraordinary discoveries—and found extraordinary value—at auction and with dealers. Townsend will examine legendary collectors such as John Ringling the circus king, museum directors William Valentiner and Chick Austin, construction magnate Luis Ferre, robber barons and financiers like Henry Clay Frick and J. Paul Getty and of course, Bob Jones Jr.

 

November 19: Luminous Devotion: The Fountain of Life Window from the Château of Boumois

Register for lunch by Noon on Friday, November 8.

Emory art historian Professor Elizabeth Pastan and Metropolitan Museum of Art Conservator Drew Anderson join forces to examine the Museum & Gallery’s resplendent early 16th-century Fountain of Life window.

 

December 17: Communal Worship, Private Devotion, Art, and Politics: Contemplating the Icon Collection of the Museum & Gallery at Bob Jones University

Register for lunch by Noon on Friday, December 6.

Dr. Asen Kirin, professor at the University of Georgia and Parker Curator of Russian Art at the Georgia Museum of Art will focus on different examples of devotional images created for ecclesiastical or domestic use. M&G’s Russian icon collection will demonstrate both the instances of high artistic accomplishment and cases when images reflect the political ideology of the late medieval era.

 

Spring Lectures:

February 18

Register for lunch by Noon on Friday, February 7.

 

March 18: Early Renaissance to 19th-Century Craftsmanship

Register for lunch by Noon on Friday, March 7.

From storage cabinets to travel chests to serving credenza, David L’Eglise from Village Antiques in Asheville will share highlights and reveal history of the functional and decorative found in the furniture collection of the Museum & Gallery.

 

April 15: Devotional Art in Medieval and Renaissance Europe

Register for lunch by Noon on Friday, April 4.

Taking M&G’s monumental painted cross by Francesco di Vannuccio as a point of departure, Dr. Lyle Humphrey, associate curator of European art at the North Carolina Museum of Art, will discuss the role of art in religious practice in late medieval and Renaissance Europe. Humphrey will examine the evolution of both imagery and artistic formats through three centuries, from about 1350 to 1520.

 

The Dream of St. Peter: Roelandt Savery

Roelandt Savery’s lifelong interest in studying and painting exotic animals and topography made him one of the most imaginative artists of the late sixteenth-early seventeenth centuries.

Object of the Month: October 2024

Bust of Athena

Porcelain

Unknown Sculptor, after Paul Duboy

French, 1860-1880

M&G’s magnificent porcelain bust of a female warrior presents the viewer with two fascinating mysteries.

Who Crafted It? 

The bust has no signature or manufacture’s marks. The base does, but documented provenance of the piece, which dates to the mid-twentieth century, reveals that the base is not original to the sculpture. Experts have examined M&G’s bust and place its manufacture in France between 1860 and 1880. At that time similar, elaborately dressed busts were popular, and the techniques needed to produce the richly colored glazes for the clothing and accessories while leaving smooth, lightly colored biscuit porcelain for the skin and various details had been perfected. The contrast between the solid, smooth, glossy sections and the soft, matte texture of the biscuit sections heightens the visual interest of works like these.

Paul Duboy (1830-1887), a French sculptor, exhibited his sculpture at the prestigious Paris Salon from 1853-1882. Duboy made and signed busts similar to M&G’s sculpture, which lacks his elaborate signature on its back. Yet, because of its similarity to his other works, authorities have suggested using “in the manner of” or “after” Paul Duboy.

Who Is This Female Warrior? 

From the pantheon of candidates, the personification of the French Republic has been suggested. During the French Revolution, Marianne embodied the qualities valued by French citizens: liberty, equality, fraternity, and reason. M&G’s bust, however, lacks the Phrygian cap, laurel wreath or spiked diadem, and other visual symbols attributed to Marianne.

The Greek goddess Athena is a more likely candidate. Zeus, the chief Greek deity, was her father. Legend tells that Athena sprang full-grown from Zeus’s forehead dressed in complete Greek armor. As the goddess of war, Athena participated in the Trojan War and has generally been portrayed with a spear or bow and arrows. She was also the goddess of domestic handicrafts, animal husbandry, and wisdom. Generally, she used her wisdom to supply warriors with the tactics, strategy, and inspiration needed to defeat enemies. Animal symbols associated with Athena include the owl and snake, both representing wisdom (she also cursed Medusa with hair of snakes), and the horse referencing her teaching man how to tame the animal. While an unusual artistic reference, perhaps the horses on M&G’s helmet symbolize this lore. The eagle-winged dragon atop M&G’s helmet, however, has no known Athenian reference.

Another possible female warrior may be Minerva, the Roman version of Athena. The two share similar attributes, but the Roman goddess of war is usually depicted wearing an Attic helmet, which does not cover the face but often has ear guards, and may have decorative elements on top. Roman soldiers typically wore Attic helmets and variations were common after the fall of the Roman empire. M&G’s bust wears a greatly-modified and highly-decorated Attic helmet.

Virtually all artist renderings of both Athena and Minerva wear loose-fitting Greco-Roman garments, even when they wear armor. M&G’s bust is elaborately dressed and draped in the manner of many busts from the period of its manufacture. She also wears hints of decorative gold armor and a massive, ornate gold chain.

Some of the busts produced in this period are identified as famous individuals and with a name included on the sculpture. Most, however, are simply beautiful works of art with generic titles, not based on any specific individual. M&G’s bust may simply be a beautiful porcelain piece by an unknown, skilled artist depicting a female warrior.

The bust has presented more mysteries than answers. However, if you examine the piece closely you can be assured of two things: you will be impressed with its artistic quality and beauty, and you will gain a better understanding of the phrase “a porcelain complexion.”

 

Bill Pinkston, retired educator and M&G volunteer

 

Published 2024

 

 

The Coronation of the Virgin

The Coronation of the Virgin

Antonio Checchi (called Guidaccio da Imola)

Below the image, click play to listen.

 

M&G Makers Market

During BJU’s Homecoming events every October, the Museum & Gallery hosts a curated market of handmade art, crafts, foods, and designs created by BJU grads, current and former faculty/staff, and current and former students. The Makers come from around the country and feature a variety of items including handmade cards, artisan chocolate, functional pottery, watercolor paintings, specialty cupcakes, handcrafted jewelry, clever fiber art, high-end writing instruments, soy candles, gourmet popcorn and more!

This all-day event is hosted in and around the Welcome Center on the Saturday of Homecoming (October 2025), and it is open to the public to enjoy.

 

If you are interested in becoming a Maker, please consider the following process and timeline:

Application

All artists (and craftsmen, artisans, illustrators, designers, jewelers, bakers, etc.) interested in participating must submit an application and images online between Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day) through midnight on Sunday, June 8, 2025.

  • Remember, since this is during Homecoming on the campus of Bob Jones University, applicants are limited to current/former faculty and staff, BJU graduates, and current/former BJU students.
  • There is a non-refundable application fee of $25. All fees go toward the costs of the Market.
  • Market applications are only received during the 2-week time period stated.
  • Only those Makers that apply are considered for participating in Makers Market.
  • For application helps, please reference these resources: FAQs and Before You Apply

Selection

Following the closure of the application process on Sunday, June 8, M&G will prepare the entries for a jury of BJU grads to review each submission (anonymously) and choose which artists will participate in the Market in the following categories: 2D Fine Art, 3D Fine Art, To Wear, Paper Goods, Fiber Art, and Everything Else.

  • Once the jury makes its choices based on quality, price point, and variety, M&G will contact the chosen Makers to accept their admission and pay their booth fee to participate.
  • Space for the Market is limited; therefore the number of total Makers is limited between 42-50 total.

Announcement

M&G will announce the participating Makers on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, on our website, and via email in August. October 2025 will be M&G’s 9th annual Makers Market.

 

If you would like to receive M&G updates, click here.

Object of the Month: September 2024

Credenza

Walnut

Italian, 15th or 16th century

Gift of Paul W. Doll

In 1970, one of the Museum & Gallery’s primary early donors contributed this piece—a 15th-16th century carved walnut Credenza. As a furnishing, credenzas began as functioning sideboards, the top of which were meant for preparation and presentation of food. Long, low cabinets, often featuring drawers or doors for storing dishes and glasses, credenzas were often draped with expensive fabrics in wealthier homes.

Taken from medieval Latin, credenza means “belief” or “confidence” (sharing its derivation with our English word, “credence”). In our modern mindset, it is somewhat difficult to comprehend how the idea of “confidence” might have been wedded to a piece of wooden furniture, but it likely began as an association of the act of testing a noble’s food for poison.

Lest we discount such a probability, it’s helpful to understand the historical context. As far back as A.D. 1198, the Jewish doctor and philosopher Maimonides wrote a treatise on the subject for his employer, Sultan Saladin of Egypt and Syria. Maimonides gave detailed instruction, urging Saladin to insist his server or host eat a large portion of each dish before beginning to eat his own.

It seems unlikely to us that the need to test food could be so great, but historical examples may aid here.  During the reign of Henry VIII in 16th-century England (the era in which M&G’s Credenza was constructed in Italy), the king employed some 200 persons in Hampton Court’s kitchens alone. While other European royalty and nobility may have employed smaller staffs, there was still ample opportunity for poisoning a ruler’s food. As servants delivered dishes to the dining room, they placed the dishes on the piece of furniture where credence tests for poisons were conducted, a literal credenza.

The face of M&G’s 16th-century walnut credenza was crafted of five solid boards, with overlay panels applied over each.  Each of these panels is ornamented with detailed carving—four of these featuring profile busts of Renaissance figures (a technique called romayne). Each pair of these panels form doors, and the doors flank a fixed central panel carved with a grotesque mask. Hovering above the five front panels are three drawers, largely camouflaged by detailed fluted carving. The two end panels are simpler, each contain a distinctively Italian carved rosette and each lack the fluted frieze at the top. Along the front of the top plank are periodic dowel caps, indicating that the top is formed of smaller individual planks.

This style of carved Renaissance credenza is typical of both France and Italy, but individual elements indicate that this piece is most likely from Northern Italy, while still reflecting influences from the surrounding countries. Construction, materials, and ornamentation help to date the Credenza to the end of the 15th century to the middle of the 16th. Specifically, the detailed clothing of the men and women carved on the face of this credenza is like a Renaissance time capsule. The winged helmet worn by the first male (far left), for instance, depicts a sallet, a combat helmet which replaced the bascinet (helmet) in the mid-15th century. Later sallets dispensed with face protection and featured gracefully curved surfaces. These were preferred by more lightly armed troops and suggest that this credenza was built no earlier than about A.D. 1460.

Fascinating historic pieces such as M&G’s Credenza provide windows through which we understand the lives and culture of those who came before us and, in this case, an era upon which much of our modern Western civilization is built.

 

Dr. Stephen B. Jones, M&G volunteer

 

Madonna and Child with Saints: Giacomo or Giulio Francia

In this altarpiece featuring the Madonna and Christ child, the artist includes several details to embellish the scene, including a child playing a lute.  Learn more about this popular Renaissance instrument HERE.

 

Portrait of John Ruskin: John Everett Millais

Portrait of John Ruskin

John Everett Millais

Below the image, click play to listen.

St. Anthony of Padua: Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Il Guercino

St. Anthony of Padua

Bolognese, 17th century

Below the image, click play to listen.

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