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| Job's Comforters, ca. 1805-6, pen and black and gray ink, gray wash, and watercolor, over faint indications in pencil, William Blake (1757-1827) |
Considering the substandard state of New York City’s cultural institutions of late, our recent visit to the Morgan Library and Museum in Midtown Manhattan was a welcome breath of fresh air.
The five ongoing installations we took in, were not only interesting and enjoyable but impressive in quality and scope. An eclectic array of treasures, combining highlights from the Morgan’s permanent collection and prized loans, the exhibits included masterly works from Hieronymus Bosch, William Blake, and Fra Angelico, among others.
Curated with the utmost professionalism, each gallery (working our way up from the lower level to the second floor) was better than the last. We highly recommend you go see them before they come to a close.
[See Part 1] [See Part 3]
Highlights from ‘Morgan's Bibles: Splendor in Scripture’ October 20, 2023 through January 21, 2024
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| Closeup of Job's Comforters, William Blake |
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| (L) Gold and cabochon rock crystal box-case, a 19th-century pastiche, containing: Gospel book fragments, in Latin, Salzburg, Austria, second half of the 8th century. (R) "Lindau Gospels," in Latin, Switzerland, St. Gall, ca. 880 (manuscript), Eastern France, ca. 870 (front cover), Austria, Salzburg region, ca. 780-800 (back cover) |
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| (L) The Nativity and Annunciation in an initial P Gradual cuttings, leaf I, Italy, Florence, 1392-99, illuminated by Silvestro dei Gherarducci (1339-1399) parchment. (R) Jeweled plaque, style of Imperial Habsburg Workshop, Vienna, 19th century, silver-gilt, gold enamel and open work, set with baroque pearls, emeralds, diamonds, and rubies |
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| Miniatures of the Life of Christ, France, perhaps Corbie, ca. 1175, parchment |
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| Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves ("The Three Crosses"), 1653, drypoint, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) |
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| Christ Preaching ("The Hundred Guilder Print"), ca. 1648, etching, engraving, and drypoint, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) |
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| (L) Tankard with ivory work depicting the Queen of Sheba paying homage to King Solomon, Poland, Gdańsk, possibly 1692, ivory and silver-gilt, Christoph Maucher (1642-after 1705) and Johann Ernst Kadau (d. 1711). (R) The Fall of Man, probably Austria, Vienna, before 1650, ivory, Master of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian |
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| Polyptych with scenes from Christ's Passion, France, ca. 1350, ivory, paint, and gilding with metal mounts |
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| (L) Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, ca. 1665-70, pen and brown ink and wash, over black chalk, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682). (R) Fragment of the Epic of Atrahasis, Mesopotamia, First Dynasty of Babylon, reign of King Ammi-saduqa, ca. 1646-26 BC, clay tablet |
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| Censer with a lioness hunting a boar, Byzantine Egypt, sixth or seventh century, bronze |
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| White Swallowwort (Vincetoxicum officinale), ca. 1577-87, watercolor and opaque watercolor, over black chalk, on parchment, Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1626) |
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| Buch der Natur (Book of Nature), Konrad von Megenberg (1309-1374) |
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| Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) with a Ladybug; Daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) with a Beetle; Chicory (Chichorium intybus) with a Dragonfly, France, Loire River Valley (Tours?), ca. 1515-20; Master of Claude de France (act. ca. 1508-1520s) |
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| De materia medica (On medical material) Constantinople, 875-925, Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40-90) |
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| Caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) and Hazelwort (Asarum eurapaeum) woodblocks, Praguw, ca. 1562, Giorgio Liberale (b. 1527), illustrator; Wolfgang Meyerpeck (ca. 1505-1578), blockcutter |
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| Kreütterbuch (Herbal), Starsbourg: Josias Rihel, 1577; Heironymus Bock (1498-1554); David Kandel (1520-1592), illustrator |
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| Commentarii in sex libros Pedacii Dioscoridis Anazarbei de medica materia (Commentary on the six books of Dioscorides's "On medical material"), Venice: Vincenzo Valgrisi, 1565; Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501-1577); Giorgio Liberale (b. 1527), illustrator; Wolfgang Meyerpeck (ca. 1505-1578), blockcutter |
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| Historia naturalis (Natural History), Venice: printed by Melchior Sessa for Alessandro Benedetto, 1513; Pliny the Elder (23/24-79), Benedetto Bordone (1450-1530), illustrator |
