Press Materials

Mesopotamia—the “land between the rivers” in modern-day Iraq—was home to the ancient Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians. Among their many achievements are the creation of the earliest known script (cuneiform), the formation of the first cities, the development of advanced astronomical and mathematical knowledge, and spectacular artistic and literary achievements. The exhibition covers three millennia from the first cities in about 3200 B.C. to Alexander the Great’s conquest of Babylon in 331 B.C. Curated by Timothy Potts and Ariane Thomas, Musee du Louvre, assisted by Jens Daehner and Sara Cole.  

Michelangelo (1475-1564) was one of the most creative and influential artists in the history of western art. This exhibition explores the full range of his work as a painter, sculptor, and architect through more than two dozen of his extraordinary drawings, including designs for celebrated projects such as the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Medici Chapel tombs, and the Last Judgement. These working studies and sketches enable us to witness Michelangelo at work, and to experience firsthand his boundless creativity and his pioneering representation of the human form. Curated by Julian Brooks and Edina Adam.

Why did artists leave their homes behind? How did they use the medium of drawing to record their journeys? And how did mobility impact their draftsmanship? This exhibition, featuring works by Rubens, Canaletto, van Gogh, and Gauguin, explores such questions through a selection of European drawings from the Museum’s permanent collection, spanning from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Curated by Edina Adam.