Executive Committee Meeting 10-15-24

President's Report

Page 39 of 95

EXPLORE DETROIT

DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

Martha and Mary Magdalene by Caravaggio (1598), purchased by the museum in 1973, shows the two sisters who seem to be polar opposites: the vivacious Mary and Martha, the chaste housewife. Another Mary, another meeting, that of two pregnant women: the mother of Christ and Elizabeth, expectant with John the Baptist. With this Visitation (1640), Rembrandt astonishes the viewer with his flair for combining everyday life with mystical light. The museum also boasts four canvases by Van Gogh , including a Self-portrait (1887), the artist's first work to be purchased by an American museum, and seven Matisse canvases, including The Window (1916), also a first for American museums. These two purchases, made in 1922, say a lot about DIA’s forward-looking policy. Alongside them, canvases by Monet, Renoir, Degas, Seurat, Soutine, Picasso, and many others, including German and Austrian expressionist artists (Wagner, Marc, Kirchner, Nolde and the like), make this the country’s second-largest collection in the field. Contemporary art is not neglected either, with canvases and installations by American—Rothko, De Kooning, Lichtenstein, Warhol ( Double Self Portrait, 1966)—and European artists (Bacon, Giacometti, Kiefer, etc.). Third Level There are still some wonderful discoveries to be made from the golden age of Dutch painting, English painting and, above all, the decorative arts of the 18th century. Through a succession of rooms, several moments in the day of a Parisian

you can admire works by John Singleton Copley ( Watson and the Shark , 1782), Rembrandt Peale ( George Washington portrait, 1795, and the gigantic Court of Death , 1820), as well as artists from the Hudson River School . Note the enchanting American Lake Scene by Thomas Cole (1844), and the imposing Cotopaxi by Frederick Edwin Church (1862), two of the main representatives of the movement, the former considered to be the founder of the school, the latter having significantly expanded his subjects to encompass the North and South American continents. Among the American painters trained in Europe, two artists stand out. John Singer Sargent (1856–1925), whose Mosquito Nets ( 1908) demonstrates his talent as a portraitist, and James Whistler (1834–1903), who depicts in his Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket (1875) a quasi abstract landscape where the painting is meant to be “like breath on the surface of a pane of glass”, in the painter's own words. Critic Ruskin, however, could only see an artist “flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face...” The DIA also houses an African American art department, officially created in 2000, rich in works by Black artists from the 20th and 21st centuries: Jacob Lawrence, Richard Hunt, Allie McGhee, among others. The European art department is exceptionally rich, ranging from Fra Angelico to Picasso. The Wedding Dance (1566) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is one of the painter’s two works that can be seen in the United States.

over 600 works to the museum, and Hawkins Ferry , a great fan of contemporary art. First Level The departments dedicated to the arts of Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and Middle Eastern Antiquity (magnificent enameled bas-relief of the Ishtar Gate, Babylon) sit along sections featuring Indian, Asian, and Islamic arts. Though modest in size, they contain true treasures such as a statuette of Sakyamuni in lacquered wood from the Yuan dynasty (13th century), and a golden leather-bound Koran , made in the China of the Ming Dynasty for Tamerlane (15th century). The renowned African art section contains some remarkable pieces. Don't miss the Bronze Knight from Benin (17th century) and the very rare wax casting used to make the statue; the ivory objects, including a magnificent knife sheath from the Congo (16th century); and the Ethiopian triptych (late 17th century). Second Level The museum is known for its American art collections, which cover paintings and decorative art from the early days of the English colony to modern times. In terms of objets d'art, you can see goldsmith pieces by Paul Revere (1734–1818), Tiffany vases, ceramics from the Pewabic Arts & Crafts workshop, founded in Detroit in 1903, and a superb collection of glassware, among other items. Where paintings are concerned,

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Self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh.

aristocratic residence on the eve of the Revolution have been recreated, based on works by Fragonard and Chardin , along with Sèvres porcelain and pieces from the Boulle workshops. If it’s on display, don't miss the Toilet service of the Duchesse de Cadaval (1739), in engraved silver, one of the few sets of its kind that escaped being melted down. It is said that Matilda Dodge, who had loaned many pieces of decorative art to the DIA, came here to pick up a soup or vegetable dish to borrow for a few days when she was hosting a large reception!