A new guide to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts

1. About the MFA……………….……3
Introduction………………………..4
Routes:
“To Be Continued…”………………5
“MVPs of the MFA”……………….15
“Larger than Life”…………………25

2. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has five
permanent wings: Art of the Americas, Art of
Europe, Art of Asia Oceana and Africa, Arts of the
Ancient World, and Contemporary Art.
The MFA’s curation philosophy according to
their Mission Statement it:
“The MFA aims to be a tool for education,
held to a high standard of quality. It serves those
both familiar and unfamiliar with art from
throughout time and around the world. It intends
to preserve these works for future generations, and
also to explore new areas of art.”
Chris Newth, the Director of Curatorial
Planning and Project Management, oversees the
curation of the museum as a whole. Each wing is
curated by an individual specialist who work to
develop thematic presentations, and in some cases,
expand collections.
The MFA currently has twenty temporary
exhibits available to tour, one of which will
eventually be added to the museum’s permanent
collection. Some temporary exhibits are only in
house for a few months, and others will stay for a
few years.

3. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has over
450,000 pieces of art on display - one of the largest
collections in America. There is no shortage of
things to see. But with five separate wings and
three levels, there is way more art than you can look
at in a single day. The MFA offers several guided
tours in person or online through their website,
however these almost always stay confined to a
single wing.
Our goal is to connect the wings and
provide a unique perspective on some of the works
in the MFA through routes showcasing their
unique bonds. What do Manet and Egyptian King
Menkaura have in common?
We are looking at different and interesting
ways to appreciate art. By using quick, concise
routes like these, we can connect art from all over
the world and through time.

4. When you go to a museum, it is easy take for
granted that the pieces you see will be finished
works of art. Each painting will have every minute
detail painted on, each sculpture chiseled to
perfection and in pristine condition.
“To Be Continued…” features works that
for one reason or another never reached the final
stage the artist intended it to reach.
Viewing unfinished works allows the
audience to get a glimpse into the process of
creating artwork; to view what it might look like in
the studio before it was completed and presented.
This route starts with the stone sculptures of
the ancient world, demonstrating old-fashioned
carving techniques and moves into the art of
Europe to see how some of the great European
painters create their works.

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7. Starting on the second floor of the ancient world, once you
go up the stairs and enter gallery 210, the Unfinished Stele will be
right next to the door on your left.
Stelae were very common in ancient Egypt. They were
normally taller than they are wide, like most modern tomb stones.
Stelae were used to mark tombs, monuments, and boundaries.
This Stele was never finished, it was never carved, but the
guide lines for carving and painting are there. The carving guides
are visible most notable at the top running downwards. This stele
features a priest holding papyrus flowers, and the gods Khonsu
and Amen.
This case also features Stele of a similar stile which were
finished and carved.

8. Once you go down the stairs and down the long corridor of
the ancient world you will reach gallery 108 on your right. The
statuettes are in a case to the left of the door.
This case contains a series of unfinished statuettes of King
Menkaura. Each is in a different stage of being created. The
artists would created the approximate shape of the King, then
further sculpted and polished. Red lines are visible on some of the
statuettes marking where different body parts would be carved.
Several tools which would have been used to carve statuettes of a
similar style and time are in the case as well.
Menkaura was a pharaoh of the 4th
Dynasty during the Old
Kingdom. The smallest of the three Pyramids of Giza was built for
him. On display in this room is a finished colossal statue of the
King, and another of him with his Queen. Their placards have
more information on the King himself.

9. Exit through the second door in 108, cross through the
courtyard and café, and arrive in the European wing. Enter gallery
141 on your right and Mrs. Richard Hoare will be about halfway
down the gallery on your right.
Sir Joshua Reynolds was one of the leading portrait artists
in the 18th
century. However his technique was faulty, according
to the National Gallery, and so many of his works have faded and
lost their original tones. Russell Sturgis laments that what the
exact fault in his technique is, preventing future fading.
This version of Mrs. Richard Hoare Holding her Child is
likely a draft of the painting pictured above and to the left. Sketch
marks and broad strokes and blocks of paint are still visible.
Much of the detail was not painted, leaving Mrs. Richard Hoare’s
child almost completely faceless.

10. Walk down this gallery a little further and you will find
William Lock and his sketchy hand.
Lock was a patron of the arts and a good friend of English
sculptor Joseph Wilton (one of the founders of the Royal Academy
of Arts in London). Lock and Wilton toured Italy together
viewing the art. Like most rich art patrons of the time Lock
wanted a portrait made of himself.
Lawrence sat down to paint this portrait of Lock in one
sitting, as was custom with portraits of the time. However, he
was not able to finish the painting fully in the allotted time. The
most noticeable evidence of this is Lock’s hand, which was only
sketched in. There is also a great lack of detail in Lock’s clothing
and generally below his shoulders. Nonetheless, Lock liked the
portrait so much, that even with the lacking hand he paid
Lawrence an even greater sum than was initially agreed upon.

11. Turn around and exit gallery 141 the way you came in, continue
in that direction until you reach the large staircase on your left. Go up
to the second floor and continue into the gallery in front of you. Enter
gallery 251 on your left and Slave Ship will be to the left of the door.
Like many of Turner’s paintings, Slave Ship featured the vibrant
and brilliant colors that Turner’s art is known for. Within the water the
bound hands and feet of those tossed overboard are visible.
While this painting itself is finished, he originally presented it
with a poem that was never finished, what he had completed of Fallacies
of Hope is below :
"Aloft all hands, strike the top-masts and belay;
Yon angry setting sun and fierce-edged clouds
Declare the Typhon's coming.
Before it sweeps your decks, throw overboard
The dead and dying - ne'er heed their chains
Hope, Hope, fallacious Hope!
Where is thy market now?"

12. In the same gallery, about halfway down you’ll find the
unfinished Manet on your left.
This painting depicts the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand
Maximilian – who was installed in Mexico by Napoleon III –
being executed by firing squad.
This is the first of several unfinished drafts of the same
painting. There is another draft at the National Gallery in London,
that is more complete but was cut into pieces likely be Manet
himself and was reassembled by Edgar Degas after Manet’s death.
The final version is on display at the Kunsthalle Mannheim in
Germany.
This draft has very little to no detail (for a Manet) in
foreground, background, or the faces of those depicted. The
blocks of base color create a much darker product than the final
image.

13. If you are feeling adventurous, if you go to the American
wing and go up to the third floor in the room between the stairs
and gallery 332 is a sculpture from an unfinished series by David
Smith.
According to MOMA, Smith worked in a car factory and
after seeing the works of Pablo Picasso and Julio González he
realized that he could use the skills he picked up there to create
sculptures out of welded steel. His works often feature simple
geometric shapes creating abstract forms.
Cubi XVIII is, as you may have picked up from the name,
the 18th
installment in his final series of sculpture, Cubis. He was
never able to finish the series, he died a year after creating Cubi
XVIII in an automobile accident.

14. With a limited amount of time to view all of
the art in the MFA it can be hard to pick which ones
are worth finding.
This route consists of some of the most
famous pieces in the MFA from around the world.
People travel great distances to see these works so
this is a trail that you will not want to miss.
Luckily for you, making your trek easier, the
current exhibit in the Torf Gallery are the top thirty
picks for the “Boston Loves Impressionism”
exhibit, all chosen by the public from works in the
MFA. So, until the end of May 2014 several of the
pieces from around the museum will be located
together in this one room.

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17. Starting all the way in the back of the Art of Asia, Oceania, and
Africa the Medicine Buddha is to the right of the door to gallery 179.
Yaksa Yeorae, depicted by the statue, is the Korean Buddha of
healing. This healing represents not a physical, but a spiritual healing.
According to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation,
Buddha exudes a sense of tranquility and peace even through
challenging times. He is barefoot and stands on a pedestal adorned with
lotus flowers. The Buddha itself is created using a style commonly found
in China, where the Buddhist religion came to Korea from, while the
bases intricate detailing is of a Korean esthetic. It is a blending of the
two cultures.
This bronze Buddha was created in Korea and brought over to
Japan where it was purchased by Okakura Kakuzo (author of The Book of
Tea) and friend Ezra Pound. It was later gifted to Edward Jackson
Holmes who then gifted it to the MFA

18. Exit gallery 179 and follow the almost straight path to out
of the Asia, Oceania, and Africa Wing, turning right into the main
lobby. The Torf Gallery will be on your right. This is a temporary
gallery, these works will be on display here until May 26th
2014.
Then they will be returned to their original locations throughout
the MFA. You will see the little dancer right when you enter the
gallery.
The little dancer’s name was Marie van Goethem, a real
adolescent girl training to be a ballerina. The National Gallery of
Art claims that for Degas, Marie represented the awkward stage of
a young dancer, still learning to work with her body. The wax
sculpture stands in forth position with her back improperly
arched and her belly forward.
After Degas’ death, over 150 wax and clay sculptures that
he created were found. This was the only one known to the public
before his death.

19. Directly to the right of the little dancer you’ll find Claude
Monet’s impression of a Waterlily Pond.
Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionism
Movement. The style actually derives its name from one of his
works, entitled: Impression, Soleil Levant. Known for its broken
strokes and the use of color and light taking prescience over detail,
Impressionism was initially viewed very critically at first.
Monet moved to Giverny, France in 1883 and lived there for
the majority of his adult life. Across from his property was a small
pond where he created a Japanese style water garden. He painted
the sacred place several times, but this close up of the garden and
the arching bridge is his most famous painting of the pond.

20. What fabulous luck! Round the corner and you will find
Mary Cassatt’s painting against the right wall.
Cassatt was an impressionist painter who loved a
challenge. She pushed herself artistically, always yearning for
more experience and knowledge, and she pushed people to think
about society in a new light.
In The Lodge has accumulated a number of theories about
what Cassatt was trying to say. According to Dr. Beth Harris, the
dean of Art and History at the Khan Academy, the painting
questions the relationships between audiences, public spectacles,
and social class privileges. We wonder what exactly the woman
in the foreground is looking at and why exactly the man in the
background does not hold his gaze on the same thing, but rather
on the woman herself. What is the true spectacle?

21. Exit the Torf Gallery, pass through the rotunda, and cross
the courtyard into the American Wing. You should see Paul
Revere front and center staring at you as you enter gallery 132.
Copley was a friend of Revere and painted it in 1768 – 7
years before Revere’s famous “midnight ride”. This oil on canvas
painting was passed down through the Revere family until it was
gifted to the MFA in 1930.
This painting gets MVP status because it is not only one of
the better know pieces exhibited in the MFA, but also features a
major figure in America’s history during a significant time period.
Revere is depicted holding a teapot, a likely symbol for the boycott
of Tea in response to the passing of the Townshend Revenue Act
that occurred a year later.

22. Return to the stairs of the American Wing, ascend one
flight, and find the daughters of Edward Darley Boit playing in
wing 232.
Sargent was an expatriate and a friend of Boit. Henry
James, Sargent's contemporary and fellow expatriate, spoke of the
portrait in a positive light and praised it for its unconventionality.
According to pbs.org, some have called it a painting of great
psychological depth exploring loneliness and isolation. The Boit
family was a classic choice for Sargent's subject. They were
travelers, artists, and wealthy Americans living in Paris.
Next to the painting you will find the giant ceramic vases
depicted in the piece.

23. Head back down to the courtyard and go into the
European wing through the door on the right. Take a left and
cross to the very last gallery in the wing. Once in gallery 155,
Gaugin’s piece will be on the right.
Gauguin’s painting addresses human life and the many
forms and stages that it encounters. It is to be viewed from left to
right, beginning to end. According to NYU’s Art Database, the
creation of this piece helped Gauguin with his struggle to find the
meaning of existence. It is considered to be Gauguin’s greatest
masterpiece and the summation of his ideas.