The Dawn of Darkness
Elegy in Contemporary Art
Profound, poetic reflections of elegy are found in the work of many contemporary artists – expressions of loss and grief; poignant memories of family, friends, home, and landscape; and the absence of what was and is no longer.
Each of the displayed works from the Museum’s collections was created out of the artist’s specific personal context yet also carries a universal and symbolic meaning. Presented together, they offer viewers a contemplative space to experience their own private sorrow in these dark times.
- Curator: Suzanne Landau
- March 15 2024
Woman of Valor
Special display
This impressive funerary portrait commemorates a wealthy matron of Palmyra (Tadmor), a famed caravan city in the Syrian Desert. This image, representing the epitome of female virtue, brings to mind the biblical “Woman of Valor”.
- Curator: Laura A. Peri
- March 7 2024
Fit for a King
French Paintings from the Alexis Gregory Bequest
Paying homage to the exquisite taste and keen eye of Alexis Gregory, a display of works from his generous bequest to the Museum, by 17th- and 18th-century masters such as Charles Le Brun, François Boucher, and Jean-Honoré Fragonard.
The subjects of the works on show range from Scriptural stories to portraits of nobility and simple folk, serene landscapes and dramatic storm scenes, allegorical depictions, and still lifes.
- Curator: Shlomit Steinberg
- February 20 2024
Clay and Iron
Feminine and Masculine in African Cultures
Gender is a universal concept that is expressed differently in different cultures. The exhibition Clay and Iron considers objects from a gendered perspective, seeking to better understand, through them, the meaning and significance of femininity and masculinity in African cultures south of the Sahara.
- Curator: Yael Eshel
- January 20 2024