Exhibitions

This exhibition discusses the last two centuries of medieval Spanish history in the Crown of Aragon (the Kingdom of Aragon, the Kingdom of Valencia, and the region of Catalonia) from the vantage point of religious art, and demonstrates the documented cooperative relationship that existed between Christians and Jews who worked either independently or together to create art both for the Church and the Jewish community. Religious art was not created solely by members of the faith community it was intended to serve, but its production in the multi-cultural society of late medieval Spain was more complicated. Jewish and Christian artists worked together in ateliers producing both retablos (large multi-paneled altarpieces) as well as Latin and Hebrew manuscripts. Jews and conversos (Jews who had converted to Christianity) were painters and framers of retablos, while Christians illuminated the pages of Hebrew manuscripts.

Louis Comfort Tiffany, founder of the Tiffany Glass and Design Company, later called Tiffany Studios (1902-1918), is perhaps best known for his designs for domestic objects such as lamps, vases, and stained glass windows. Tiffany & Co., founded in 1837 by Louis's father, Charles, is, of course, best known for its fine jewelry, silver, and crystal. Less well known but of equal beauty and importance are the sanctuary accoutrements, mosaics, lamps, and stained glass windows designed by both Tiffany Studios and Tiffany & Co. for churches, synagogues, and mausolea. The exhibition will acquaint viewers with Tiffany's underappreciated ecclesiastical objects, contributing thereby to the growing scholarly reevaluation of this q

Above: Carlo Crivelli, Dead Christ Supported by Angels, ca. 1472, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Passion in Venice presents a sacred theme central to the history of Christian Art: Christ as Man of Sorrows. Its origins rooted in Byzantium, the figure entered Venetian art in the late Middle Ages after which it flourished locally for centuries, eventually acquiring its own name in dialect, Cristo Passo. Drawn from international loans, Passion in Venice examines the rich visual tradition of the sorrowful Christ in Venice across different media, including illuminated manuscripts, paintings, prints, sculpture, and liturgical objects. The exhibition also will address the issue of how this iconography reflected and shaped Venetian piety in the Renaissance and immediately thereafter.