This groundbreaking exhibition presents more than forty rare objects from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Largely unknown to the public until their recent rediscovery, the opulent works range from liturgical objects in gem-encrusted gold and silver to richly decorated vestments in velvet, damask, and other luxurious materials. These treasures were donated by European Catholic monarchs and Holy Roman Emperors in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to the church in Jerusalem, the religious center of the Christian faith, and have been safeguarded and used ever since by the Franciscan friars who maintain the site. The works represent the pinnacle of European goldsmithing and textile design of the era, much of which has otherwise been lost or severely damaged. Before the opening of the new Terra Sancta Museum in the next few years, these items from its holdings are traveling to several institutions in Europe and North America, including the Frick, the exhibition’s first venue in the United States.
The exhibition is organized by Xavier F. Salomon, the Frick’s Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, along with Jacques Charles-Gaffiot and Benoît Constensoux, members of the Terra Sancta Museum’s Scientific Committee. Commented Salomon, “This exhibition presents a completely unique opportunity for visitors, building on the Frick’s successful past presentations highlighting masters of European decorative arts. Displayed for the first time in the United States, the exquisite objects in this show are rare survivals, as similar objects were often severely damaged, melted down, or otherwise lost—nothing like them survives in the countries in which they were created. We are deeply grateful for this collaboration with the Custody of the Holy Land as we look ahead to the opening of the Terra Sancta Museum, which will offer a more permanent public display of these treasures.” For his work on the exhibition, occurring over a period of years, Salomon has been awarded the Cross of Merit (Crucem Ex Merito) by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. The ceremony for this prestigious honor will take place this fall.
This is Salomon’s last exhibition at The Frick Collection after a tenure of more than a decade at the helm of the museum’s Curatorial Department. Following the show’s opening, Salomon will take up the role of Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, in November.
Major support is provided by Cassie Arison and Niv Alexander, Jim and Alys Garman, and The Christian Humann Foundation.
Additional funding is provided by Margot and Jerry Bogert; Ayesha Bulchandani; The Coby Foundation, Ltd.; David and Julie Tobey; Kathleen Feldstein; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; Barbara A. Reuter and William J. Williams Jr.; Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis; Edward Lee Cave; The Dau Family Foundation; the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Eastern Lieutenancy; James Marlas and Marie Nugent-Head Marlas†; Denise and Andrew Saul; Mrs. Stanley DeForest Scott; Gabelli Funds; Mrs. Roger Berlind; The Helen Clay Frick Foundation; The Honorable and Mrs. Earle Mack; and an anonymous donor.
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