Wine, Poets, and Performers in Ancient Greece
Opens September 16th ~ Gallery 215 A-C
In mid-September, our reimagined Greek galleries open. Both the art and the literature of ancient Greece are the foundations of Western civilization. As these galleries demonstrate through innovative displays and interactives illuminating ancient works, Greek poetry and drama can be closely connected with the art so well represented by the MFA collection.
Homer and the Epics
Krupp Gallery, 215A
The MFA’s world-renowned portrait of the iconic poet Homer anchors this gallery devoted to works of art illustrating scenes from his creations, The Iliad and The Odyssey, as well as other Greek epics. Near the gallery entrance, a large multi-touch screen provides an interactive introduction to the narrative sweep of the Trojan War.
Dionysos and the Symposium
215B
Dionysos, god of wine and revelry, oversees this gallery, introducing the production of wine and its significance in Greek culture and religion. All-male drinking parties (symposia) and their activities, including philosophical discourse, the performance of poetry and music, drinking games, and the presence of courtesans are the other focus of this gallery. Images of Dionysos and his retinue animate drinking and serving vessels.
Theater and Performance
215C
This gallery features objects related to Greek theater, including masks, dance, and music. Plays were performed in the large stone theaters of Greece, South Italy, and Sicily. Many of the MFA’s notable collection of fifth- and fourth-century BC vases illustrate scenes from the tragedies and comedies written by Greek playwrights.
A Major Exhibition of Spanish Master Francisco Goya
Order and Disorder
Opens October 12th, 2014 through January 19, 2015 ~ Gund Gallery, LG31
On view only at the MFA, and built on the Museum’s world-renowned collection of works on paper by the artist, “Goya: Order and Disorder” features more than 160 of his most significant paintings, prints, and drawings, ranging from the 1770s through the end of his life. Important loans of paintings and drawings from the Museo Nacional del Prado, the Musée du Louvre, the Galleria degli Uffizi, The metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art (Washington), as well as numerous private collections, round out this once-in-a-generation look at one of the greatest, most imaginative artists of all time.
