Symbol and Allegory: The Hidden Language of Art

Domenica Piola
Allegory of Youth, ca. 1680
Oil on canvas
The Suida-Manning Collection, 1999

Have you ever wondered what artists had in mind when they created an artwork? How did audiences recognize messages encoded into works of art? This illuminating glimpse into the hidden language of the artists will take you through the Europe of centuries past.

Portrait of a Lady: Depictions of Women through Time

George Romney
Lady Hamilton, 1791
Oil on canvas
Bequest of Jack G. Taylor, 1991

From the beginning of time, woman has served as artist muse and dominated the subject matter of sculpture, painting and photography. See the depictions and roles of women change over time from ancient goddess to loving mother, powerful ruler to sex symbol.

The Changing American Landscape

Marsden Hartley
New Mexico Recollection #12, 1922 - 23
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mari and James A. Michener, 1991

The wide-open spaces of the American west have beckoned artists since the 19th century. Trace the development of landscape painting from its roots in Europe to its culmination in the 21st century during this tour that features the C.R. Smith Collection of Western Art.

What is America?

Joaquín Torres-García Constructif en rouge et ochre [Construction in Red and Ochre], 1931
Oil on linen
Gift of the Eugene McDermott Foundation in honor of Barbara Duncan, 1981

Where is America? Who is an American? Explore history, culture, and art from the many nations that make up North and South America. Selections from America/Americas are included in this dialogue about the trends and practices of modern and contemporary art.

New to these Shores

Hans Hofmann
Elysium, 1960
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mari and James A. Michener, 1991

American art was shaped by the varied experiences of many immigrant artists who arrived in the United States throughout the 20th century. Investigate the causes for artists to leave their homeland and see how the voice of the immigrant shaped modern American art.

A Day in the Life of Nero: Life in the Ancient World

Attributed to the Leagros Group
Black Figure Neck Amphora, ca. 510-500 BCE
Terracotta
Archer M. Huntington Fund and the James R. Dougherty
Foundation, 1980

Legend states that Nero fiddled while Rome burned, but what do we really know of the ancient world? Examine life in ancient Greece and Rome by reflecting on Greek vases, Roman coins, and exquisitely maintained casts of classical sculpture.

Persuasion: Messages and Meanings in Art

Luca Cambiaso
Madonna and Child with Saint Catherine, ca. 1570
Oil on canvas
The Suida-Manning Collection, 1999

A picture is worth a thousand words the adage goes, and artists have communicated messages and meanings with their art from the beginning of time. From the church-sponsored art of the 17th century to contemporary artists reflecting on war, poverty, and politics, art has sought to persuade the masses. See all of the ways artists convey messages on this tour of the Blanton's permanent collection.