November 24, 2019 through January 3, 2021
Featuring masterpieces from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection paired with highlights from the Allentown Art Museum’s famed Kress Collection, this exhibition will explore connections between European and American art and track the development and evolution of an image and its cultural significance over time. From European Renaissance painting to Spanish Colonial art of Latin America to modern and contemporary art of the United States, this group of works reflects spiritual traditions and history. The installation culminates in imagery that exemplifies the profound influence of global culture on the art of this country, including Marsden Hartley’s striking ca. 1918 painting Blessing the Melon (The Indians Bring the Harvest to Christian Mary for Her Blessing), on view for a limited time from the Philadelphia Museum of Art collection.
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- Marsden Hartley (American, 1877–1943), “Blessing the Melon (The Indians Bring the Harvest to Christian Mary for Her Blessing),” c. 1918, oil on paperboard. Philadelphia Museum of Art: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1949. (1949-18-13)
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- Audrey Flack (American, born 1931), “Lady Madonna,” 1972, lithograph. Allentown Art Museum: Gift of Dr. Samuel Mandel, 1986. (1986.39.19)
Featured image: Biagio d’Antonio Tucci (Italian, 1446-1516), Madonna and Child with Saints (detail), ca. 1490, tempera and gold leaf on panel. Allentown Art Museum: Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1960. (1960.15)
Explore Images of the Christian Madonna as a Spiritual and Cultural Icon
Please view this PowerPoint presentation at 05:03 of the recording.
This is one in a series of American art exhibitions created through a multi-year, multi-institutional partnership formed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art as part of the Art Bridges + Terra Foundation Initiative.
